A compelling documentary about the days before and during the start of the "liberation of Iraq" as seen thru the eyes of the media, in particular Al Jazeera.
Words like pot, kettle and black spring to mind long before anyone in the movie uses them and there are some priceless pieces of Rumsfeld being a pompous ass.
You need a fairly strong stomach for the shots of casulaties, on both sides, but mainly for the dialogue. The American government doesn't come off very well at all, the military worse. Even the English reporters lose their tempers on occassion.
Great movie that helps explain, for those who don't see, the connection between the Palestinian/ Israeli problem and the middle east.
Anyone else seen it?
I did see this a while ago. It ocurred to me that Al Jazeera is really quite similar in the Arab world to FOX News in the U.S. It's sensationalist, tabloid, propagandistic but it came about because Arabs wanted to see the news through their own eyes, not interpreted by BBC World through London, or CNN International through Atlanta and London etc.
Also, it has to be remembered that Al-Jazeera is also sticking two fingers up to repressive Arab governments who never allow anything like this kind of freedom of information on their own airwaves. People flock to Al-Jazeera because they've never seen anything like it on their TVs. By broadcasting by satellite from Qatar, they are ironically representing exactly the freedom of information the U.S administration says they want. They just don't like the message because it's largely anti-American.
It's very interesting seeing the conflict through their eyes.
I think the press information officer from the US army who was in this has decided to take a full time job with the new Al Jazeera International that is coming out soon. I'd very much like to see what that's like, but I don't imagine many American carriers would take it. Shame.
The broadcasting regulatory body here, the equivalent of the FCC in Canada, the CRTC, cleared the way for Al-Jazeera to be broadcast here, but with the stipulation that the cable companies take responsibility for not broadcasting anything that would violate Canadian law (such as showing the execution of hostages). Because of that and fear of protests no cable or satellite company would carry it.
Here's an interesting turn. David Frost to join Al-Jazeera
http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4318284.stm
But this should probably be seen in the context of this post-Control Room story about al-Jazeera changing its image
http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4101144.stm
Also the English and Arabic services I suspect are quite different.
This is exactly what needs to happen - you are spot on that Al Jazeera International will not be at all akin to Al Jazeera in the Middle East. After all, if my conservative friends can bitch that CNN International is "run by Reuters socialists" then any supposed opposition to this would be silly. And the more respected people like David Frost and our pal from Control Room the better.
Now, if only they'd allow the damn thing on tv. Refusing to hear someone's point of view is admitting they might be right.
Now, if only they'd allow the damn thing on tv. Refusing to hear someone's point of view is admitting they might be right.
I wouldn't mind being able to see AJ myself, see why it gets right-wingers foaming at the mouth and all uppity.