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BBC backpedals after calling Mughniyeh a "great national leader" | ||||||
2008-02-18 | ||||||
In an uncommon act of journalistic contrition, the BBC has apologized for equating former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh as "great national leaders." The BBC took the unusual step after Don Mell, The Associated Press's former photographer in Beirut, lambasted the parallel, drawn by BBC correspondent Humphrey Hawkesley in a BBC World report last Thursday, as "an outrage" and "beyond belief." American journalist Mell was held up at gunpoint by Mughniyeh's men as his colleague Terry Anderson, AP's chief Middle East correspondent, was kidnapped in Beirut in March 1985. Hawkesley's report on what he called "an amazing day for Lebanon," when a memorial rally for Hariri was followed by Mughniyeh's funeral, concluded: "The army is on full alert as Lebanon remembers two war victims with different visions but both regarded as great national leaders." The clip was also posted on the BBC's Web site. Mell's letter of complaint, which accused the BBC of doing "a huge disservice" to "your great institution and nation," was made available to The Jerusalem Post for publication. Contacted by the Post, the BBC issued a statement Friday acknowledging that "the scripting of this phrase was imprecise" and apologizing to anyone who was offended by the item.
Mell noted that he personally had "a familiarity with these events" since he had witnessed many of them and "was with Mr. Anderson when he was kidnapped in 1985." Mell and Anderson had just finished a game of tennis on March 16, 1985, when a green Mercedes pulled up in front of Anderson's car, bearded gunmen jumped out, a pistol was placed at Mell's forehead, and Anderson was dragged away into what became almost seven years of captivity. He was finally released in December 1991. Responding to Mughniyeh's death last week, Anderson called him "the primary actor in my kidnapping and many others." Anderson added: "He was not a good man - certainly. To hear that his career has finally ended is a good thing and it's appropriate that he goes up in a car bomb."
He concluded: "I seldom criticize the reporting of others because of my great belief in the exchange of differing viewpoints regardless of source, and for my great respect for the first amendment of my country's constitution. But today you went too far. You've done your great institution and nation a huge disservice." The BBC, in its statement, said, "While there is no doubt that supporters of Hizbullah did regard Mughniyeh in such terms [as a great leader], we accept that the scripting of this phrase was imprecise. The description of Imad Mughniyeh should have been directly attributed to those demonstrating their support for him."
However, said the BBC, "We accept that this part of the report was open to misinterpretation. We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this item."
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Posted by:lotp |
#2 and to the fact that he had been hunted by Western intelligence agencies for more than 20 years." That's NOT "Hunting", that's waiting until he trips and falls in your lap. |
Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-02-18 11:26 |
#1 Humphrey Hawksley has written extensively in Newspapers including The Guardian and The Times. That puts it into perspective. |
Posted by: Wheng and Tenille1721 2008-02-18 01:33 |