Ill-advised words and how the media works: Lyse Doucet is one of the BBC’s most experienced correspondents. Recently, she appeared at the Edinburgh International Television Conference to discuss the reporting of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. In the midst of trying to explain the complexity of the conflict and the difficulties in reporting in the region, she said the media needs to report on the “the humanity of the Taliban”.
I can understand what she was saying — put simply not everyone with a big beard and gun who is unhappy with foreign troops on their soil is ‘Taliban’. There was a need to inform readers, viewers and listeners of the complexities of the situation on the ground, which I suppose is difficult due to the nature of the conflict and the commercial, corporate and political pressures contemporary news media find themselves under.
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone will bother to understand her point. All people will become fixated on are her poor choice of words: “the humanity of the Taliban”. It matters not she said what we call “Taliban” maybe “diverse” and not all are interested in fighting British troops. It matters not that there were early warning signs about the possibility of a full scale eruption in the country due to a badly managed reconstruction programme. It doesn’t matter that she mentioned the countless civilians who are dying due to Coalition actions (‘fairly’ or not), or that this was swept under the carpet when Prince Harry’s time in Afghanistan was being covered by the media. All that matters is that a BBC correspondent mentioned something about “the humanity of the Taliban”.
aziz 10:02 am on August 26, 2008 Permalink |
and yet, by their humanity shall we defeat them. Denying their humanity removes a weapon from our arsenal.
Witness the last words of Mohammed Siddique Khan – leader of the terror cell who performed the 7/7 bombings in London:
As a colorfully-named blogger observed,
Willow 10:42 am on August 26, 2008 Permalink |
What you just said and the quotes and stuff? Add a few hundred words and put it on Beliefnet. Seriously. It bears repeating.
thabet 12:42 pm on August 26, 2008 Permalink |
I see you’ve found PDF.
John 3:27 am on August 27, 2008 Permalink |
Yes, let’s talk about the lack of the Taliban’s “humanity” which is like a drop in the ocean compared to our own lack of humanity.
The UN said that nearly 700 Afghan civilians had lost their lives this year due to Nato forces.
In the 12-year embargo (oil for food) on Iraq 2 million Iraqi civilians have died due to malnutrition and disease, about 700,000 of them were children.
At the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, Britain dropped 100,000 cluster bombs that killed and maim civilians causing thousands of unnecessary deaths and injuries. Cluster bombs are essentially equivalent to land mines. Up to 800 tons of DU ammo were fired creating an aerosol of radioactive heavy-metal particles which can spread as far as 190 miles on the wind. When inhaled or ingested, the depleted uranium particles cause chemical and radioactive damage to the bronchial tree, kidneys, liver and bones. Cancer often results, and the effects can even include genetic damage. Thousands of Iraqi babies have been born with horrifying birth defects. This is something that has never before been seen in Iraq.
Have the Taliban matched that level if inhumanity?
I could go on and on about our atrocities and lack of humanity and we need to remember that they killed 52 of our civilians; we have killed million’s of theirs. Also 9/11 was indeed an inside job and there never were any WMD only oil and opportunity to make millions for security firms that thrive on death and destruction
aziz 9:24 am on August 27, 2008 Permalink |
okay