Khartoum is keeping UN peacekeepers in the dark as it wages a violent campaign against its African border people, say confidential reports to security council The full horror of the campaign of violence that the government in Khartoum has unleashed against the black African Nuba people of Sudan has been laid bare in two confidential reports by the UN peacekeeping force that the Observer has obtained. The accounts of “devastating” daily aerial bombardment of civilians, “indiscriminate shelling” of crowded civilian areas, summary executions and deliberate targeting of dark-skinned people are contained in a 19-page report requested by the UN security council. A second report details how “active obstruction by state authorities (in South Kordofan) has completely undermined the ability of the peacekeeping force, UN Mission in Sudan (Unmis), to fulfil the most basic requirements of its mandate” in the Nuba region. The report says the humanitarian assistance and protection provided by Unmis have become “inconsequential” as it prepares to leave Sudan, at Khartoum’s insistence, by 31 July. Unmis officials say privately that they have been “deaf and blind” in South Kordofan ever since war broke out on 5 June and cannot even estimate how many people have been killed and displaced by the fighting – widely perceived as a first step towards President Omar al-Bashir’s stated goal of suppressing ethnic and cultural diversity in favour of a rigid Arab-Islamic regime, following South Sudan’s decision to separate from the North. The UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos, said on Friday that 1.4 million people were affected by what she called “skirmishes” in South Kordofan, which borders the now independent Republic of South Sudan, and by Khartoum’s refusal to grant “unhindered access” to them. Causing fury among hard-pressed colleagues on the ground, who have been crying out for much stronger support from the security council, she appeared to cast doubt on their reporting, saying: “We do not know whether there is any truth to the grave allegations of extra-judicial killings, mass graves and other violations in South Kordofan.” The Nuba Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) – formerly allied with the South, but now seeking a northern alliance to overthrow the Bashir government – claims that more than 400,000 people have been displaced and 3,000 killed or disappeared. One Unmis staffer, quoted in one of the documents seen by the Observer, reported seeing the bodies of approximately 150 Nuba lying in pools of blood in just one of the many army barracks in the state capital, Kadugli. Khartoum and the SPLA have accused each other of starting the fighting, after a ceasefire that began in 2002. Unmis’s report for the security council, prepared by its human rights section, notes that the SPLM/A refused to accept the results of disputed state elections in May, but says there is no evidence that it initiated military operations. Rather, it says, the fighting may have been triggered by an ultimatum for Nuba fighters to move to South Sudan by 1 June – an order that was tantamount to “disenfranchising them of their citizenship”, given the promise of partition in July. The report suggests that the “especially egregious” crimes committed by government forces justify referral to the international criminal court. It argues that “the international community cannot afford to remain silent in the face of such deliberate attacks by the government of Sudan against its own people”. Deploring the “gross contempt” and “violent and unlawful acts” of government forces towards Unmis – including execution of a staff member, assaults, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and ill treatment “amounting to torture” – the report says: “Condemnation is insufficient… The international community must hold the government of Sudan accountable for its conduct and insist that it arrest and bring to justice those responsible.” National staff of international aid organisations have also come under attack. Unmis cites the case of a young Nuba woman arrested and accused of supporting the SPLM. Unmis human rights officers saw bruises and scars on her body consistent with her claim to have been beaten with fists, sticks, rubber hoses and electric wires. Underscoring the need for the “independent and comprehensive investigation” Unmis recommends, the Observer has been told – by a hitherto impeccable source not connected to the SPLM/A – that 410 captured SPLM sympathisers were ordered executed on 10 June by Major-General Ahmad Khamis, one of four senior army officers sent to South Kordofan from Khartoum at the start of the war. The source told the Observer that the order to kill divided the military and security services. “Many disagreed with Khamis,” he said. “The prisoners who were taken by military intelligence and the (paramilitary) Popular Defence Forces were murdered. Those with the National Intelligence and Security Service are still alive. There is a possibility some will see sunlight again…” Khamis was one of the main implementers of a government jihad in the early 1990s that brought the Nuba people to the brink of destruction. On my first visit to SPLA-controlled areas in 1995, Khamis, then head of military intelligence, was repeatedly named as being responsible for torture and executions – including by his own hand. With the Nuba region now closed to independent observers, and Unmis unable to move freely, it is impossible to verify or disprove claims like this. Significantly, perhaps, Unmis’s human rights report makes mention of “fresh mass graves” seen on 10 June, the day of the reported executions, near Kadugli’s police training centre. Unmis interviewed eyewitnesses who testified to two other mass graves: one in Tilo, four miles east of Kadugli, where an independent UN contractor saw government troops bulldozing bodies into the ground, and a second between army headquarters and Kadugli’s main market. UN military observers attempting to reach the market site were arrested, stripped and threatened with execution. Despite fighting talk by President Bashir on the eve of partition, senior government officials say a framework political agreement mediated by the African Union last month is still alive. Ethiopia and Rwanda have offered to contribute to a post-Unmis mission to monitor a cessation of hostilities, facilitate negotiation, and support the integration of the SPLA into the Sudanese army. The main point of contention is the timeframe for achieving this: the army wants weeks, the SPLA years. Sudan Africa United Nations Julie Flint guardian.co.uk
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Donald Rumsfeld was on his way to the funeral of former First Lady Betty Ford, when he was stopped at Chicago O’Hare airport for a pat down. However stunt-like the pat down seemed, Secretary Rumsfeld did the embattled Transportation Security Administration a huge service Wednesday when he smiled through the security check. Rumsfeld was apparently
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China had called on US to rescind the invitation to the Tibetan spiritual leader, warning it could sour relations with Beijing President Barack Obama held a White House meeting with the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, hours after China called on the US to rescind an invitation that could sour relations with Beijing. The Tibetan spiritual leader has been in Washington for an 11-day Buddhist ritual. Thousands of expatriate Tibetans joined a 76th birthday celebration Wednesday for the Dalai Lama, who recently relinquished leadership of Tibet’s government-in-exile. The White House said that during the 45-minute private session in the Map Room, Obama “underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China.” In a statement issued after the meeting, the White House also said Obama reiterated his support for the preservation of Tibet’s religious, cultural and linguistic traditions. Obama restated US policy that it does not support Tibetan independence, a goal that the Dalai Lama said he also does not seek. In a nod to the criticism from Beijing, Obama also stressed to the Dalai Lama that he considers a cooperative relationship between the United States and China to be important, according to the White House statement. In remarks after the meeting forwarded by Kate Saunders from the International Campaign for Tibet, the Dalai Lama said of his visit with Obama: “Firstly we developed a very close sort of feeling for each other.” He said Obama expressed his concern over basic human values, such as human rights and religious freedoms. “So naturally he shows genuine concern about suffering in Tibet and other places.” A Chinese crackdown led the Dalai Lama to flee into exile in India in 1959. China says he’s welcome to return if he drops his separatist activities, accepts Tibet as an inalienable part of China and recognizes Taiwan as a province of China. Hours before the Dalai Lama’s arrival, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the White House to cancel the visit. “We firmly oppose any foreign official to meet with the Dalai Lama in any form,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website. “We request the US side to honour its serious commitment that recognizes Tibet as part of China and opposes Tibet independence,” Hong said. The White House kept the meeting low-key, closing it from news reporters and photographers. It chose the Map Room for the visit instead of the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state. The visit comes less than 10 days before US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to visit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Vice President Joseph Biden is also scheduled to visit China this summer, followed by a trip to Washington by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Obama had been criticized by pro-Tibetan activists for putting off an invitation during the Dalai Lama’s stay in the capital. White House officials said the president’s schedule had been occupied with debt-limit negotiations with congressional leaders. Obama last met the Dalai Lama in February 2010. Dalai Lama Barack Obama China United States guardian.co.uk
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Gaddafi’s soldiers come under pressure at oil town but rebels elsewhere say their efforts are hampered by lack of weapons Libyan fighters said on Saturday they were close to surrounding the key government-held oil town of Brega, the day after the US and other nations in the Libya contact group officially recognised the rebel administration. Radio reports said that after three days of heavy fighting, aided by substantial Nato bombing, rebel units had bypassed the town – cutting off the garrison from its supply lines. “Fighters are around the town,” said Radio Misrata journalist Alseddiq Abuzaian. “They begin to go around, heading for Ras Lanuf [an oil terminal to the west].” A rebel spokesman in Benghazi, Mohamed Zawi, said that fighters launched a probing attack into Brega itself on Friday night before withdrawing, but expected to resume this weekend. Brega is a key oil terminal and has repeatedly changed hands during the civil war. Its capture would be an important psychological boost for the rebels after six weeks of stalemate. Nato denied claims from Tripoli that it had launched a “land, air and sea” offensive at Brega in support of rebels, but the international alliance’s own figures show a sharp escalation in bombing around the town. On Friday, Nato jets – soon to be bolstered by four extra Tornados from the UK – destroyed 14 military vehicles at Brega, compared with 17 destroyed there during the previous six days. The rebel push on Brega is one of the most ambitious of the war, with newly trained units launching a three-pronged attack. While a central advance is struggling to clear minefields near Brega, other units have enveloped government forces from the north and south. The rebel forces say 10 fighters have died and 170 were wounded. Tripoli has released no casualty figures of its own. Further to the west, rebels in the Nafusa mountains say their efforts to advance on Tripoli are being hampered by a lack of weapons or Nato support. They have made significant gains against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in recent weeks and now have Gharyan, a pivotal gateway to Tripoli, in their sights. But they are relying almost entirely on hardware captured from Gaddafi’s fleeing troops, and their momentum stalled last week. This raised the prospect of a stalemate going into Ramadan in August. Ibrahim Taher, a history teacher turned battalion commander in the rebel stronghold of Zintan, has just one rifle for every two fighters – most of whom are young university graduates. “The biggest problem we have now is the lack of weapons, ammunition, communication equipment and vehicles,” he said. “These 230 fighters have five radios between them. Over huge areas, it’s hard to co-ordinate between people. and say ‘advance’ or ‘retreat.’ ” Nato has carried out regular air strikes against Gaddafi’s army in the Nafusa mountains, but Taher says more is needed. “Nato could turn this situation upside down in one day,” he said. “It hits one tank a day and goes home. I don’t know why it does that.” As on other rebel front lines to the east, this is an amateur and sometimes amateurish campaign, compensated by courage and will. The battalion has one anti-aircraft gun, seized from Gaddafi’s men, which it aims horizontally to target heavy weapons and machinery. After military training on Friday, young men cleaned the 14.5mm gun with pride on a pickup truck caked in mud for camouflage except for a sticker depicting the red, black and green rebel flag. It is operated by Muftah Fitoure, 33, previously a worker in a youth development programme run by Gaddafi’s son Saif. “The first time I used it, I was scared,” he recalled. “My aim was some way off. But the second time was better. They [Gaddafi's troops] are still better than us at firing them.” Fitoure, married with a 15-month-old daughter, has lost two cousins and said he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. “I’ve heard too many horror stories. It’s better to be killed than captured. I heard that in the Qawalish fight the Gaddafi forces cut out someone’s heart and killed the others. I have six brothers. If I die trying to reach Tripoli, one of my brothers will reach it in my place.” Libya Arab and Middle East unrest Muammar Gaddafi Nato Middle East Africa Chris Stephen David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Back In January 2009, Obama Announced A Fiscal Responsibility Summit — With Special Focus On Social Security And Medicare
July 16, 2011 No CommentLet’s take a little stroll down memory lane. Back in January 2009, the very prescient Digby wrote this post after learning that Obama was going to hold a fiscal responsibility summit as one of his first priorities. See if it rings any bells. Is Obama is “winning” the debt ceiling debate – or is this more like a pro wrestling match? Normally another Democratic run bipartisan commission on social security reform wouldn’t alarm me so much as annoy me. After all, Clinton was forced by the incoherent “centrist” Bob Kerrey into appointing a social security commission and Bush promised to appoint one after the failure of his attempt to privatize the system. But this time could be different. The scope and complexity of the economic crisis could lead to politicians rushing forward with some bad plans just to appear to be doing something. I believe that everything about this is a huge mistake. It validates incorrect right wing economic assumptions, incorporates their toxic rhetoric about “entitlements,” focuses on the wrong problems and continues the illusion that social security is in peril when it isn’t . The mantra of shared sacrifice sounds awfully noble, but it isn’t very reassuring to talk about the government going broke at the moment, particularly when the cause of our problems isn’t the blood-sucking parasites who depend on government insurance when they can’t work, but rather the handiwork of the vastly wealthy who insist on operating without restraint and refuse to contribute their fair share. I would have thought that a bipartisan commission on financial system reform might have at least been on the agenda before social security. Obama is empowering the Republicans and the Blue Dogs with this fiscal responsibility rhetoric and perhaps he believes they will reward him by acting in good faith. And maybe they will. Or perhaps he thinks he can jiu-jitsu the debate in some very clever way to actually bolster social security and enact universal health care. But it’s a big risk. I believe that all this talk about “entitlements” and fiscal responsibility will make it much tougher to sell universal health care and easier to dismantle some of the safety net at a time when many people have just lost a large piece of their retirements, their jobs and their homes . It’s very hard for me to understand why they think it’s a good time to do this. I know it’s probably right that we give him a chance before we completely go postal about this, but I also know that if this were a Republican saying these things I’d certainly be doing everything in my power to oppose it. But then that’s the beauty of the Nixon goes to China gambit, isn’t it? It neatly shuts down the most fervent opposition. That’s why it’s so frightening. He might just get it done .
Continue reading …‘The Undefeated’ Fails To Defeat The Box Office: Sarah Palin Movie Debuts to Empty Audience
July 16, 2011 No CommentThe Undefeated is proving an ironic title choice. The two-hour Sarah Palin political documentary (or infomercial, whichever you prefer) showed to an empty room in Orange County, reports The Atlantic. The movie, which was surprisingly not a parody, has so far received an overwhelming 0% on the movie review website, rottentomatoes.com, a feat which pools
Continue reading …Palestine: the flags are already waving but will a declaration of statehood help?
July 16, 2011 No Comment
The Palestinian Authority plans to ask the UN to recognise a declaration of independence and statehood. The Arab street may be in favour, but elsewhere opposition is growing The Chinese-made parking meter on a street in the West Bank city of Ramallah instructed motorists in Arabic and English to “pay here”, warning that surveillance cameras were watching their cars around the clock to catch those flouting the order. But of the 17 cars parked in the street one day this week, not a single one displayed a ticket. “I actually used to buy a ticket, but I stopped when I realised I was the only one paying,” said one Palestinian motorist who declined to give his name. “I know it’s wrong, but regulations have to have teeth. And if you pay, you need services in return.” The parking meters, which appeared last year, are one of the more unwelcome consequences of the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to build an embryonic state. Other painful developments have included a steep rise in taxes, import duties that have resulted in higher prices, and the imposition of planning and construction regulations and fees. But there have also been benefits to the PA’s two-year programme to create and reinforce the institutions of a state. Law and order has been dramatically improved, albeit at the considerable price of some repressive measures, roads have been built and improved, schools and colleges have seen investment and housing projects are under construction. Some plans seem over-ambitious, although perhaps intended to inspire the future citizens of the nascent state. A Palestine international airport is mooted; an artist-designed entry stamp is circulating on the internet; and Jihad al-Wazir, the governor of the Palestinian monetary authority, has floated the idea of reissuing the defunct Palestine pound to replace the Israeli shekel as the national currency. But the real achievements of Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister and driving force behind the state-building exercise, have been lavishly praised – mainly, it must be said, by those who don’t actually live in the West Bank. Fayyad has publicly stated that the preparatory work will be completed and the PA will be in position to launch a state by 26 August, less than six weeks away. The deadline, which the PA imposed on itself two years ago, is critical: a little more than two weeks later the 66th session of the UN general assembly will open and the question of whether to recognise a state of Palestine may be the most significant and divisive issue it faces. But it is not yet certain that a resolution to recognise a Palestinian state will be brought before the general assembly. There are many diplomatic and bureaucratic hurdles to navigate, many strategic and tactical issues to consider, and – if the Palestinians do go ahead with their plan – the wrath of the United States to face. The Obama administration has declared its opposition to such a move and its intention to veto any motion brought before the security council. The Palestinians, who believe they have the support of about 130 of the UN’s 193 states and need a two-thirds majority to approve a motion, are angry at the US position but also fearful of the consequences of defiance. The US for its part is trying – without success so far – to bring both sides back to the negotiating table, the only place, in its view, that the decades-long conflict can be resolved. Some Palestinian observers believe the PA leadership, despite its robust statements committing to the UN approach, may also be quietly seeking a way to “climb down the tree”. “The Palestinian leadership has repeatedly indicated that, if the US comes up with an acceptable formula, then they’ll go back to the negotiating table,” said Mouin Rabbani, an independent Middle East analyst. “At this point they’re demanding nothing more than the US putting forward the terms of the Obama speech [a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines with agreed land swaps] and for the Israelis to accept that. But the US has not even been willing or able to insist on that.” Apart from other considerations, President Barack Obama is unwilling to risk alienating the pro-Israel lobby before next year’s US election. The Palestinian leadership, which embarked on the UN strategy as a means of increasing its leverage in talks, was thus being forced to pursue an alternative to negotiations, Rabbani said. The consequences could be far-reaching. “This represents the process of a gradual but irreversible disengagement by Palestinians of US-sponsored bilateral negotiations, the basis of which has been Israeli interests.” However, Diana Butto, a former legal adviser to Palestinian negotiators, said she expected a retreat from the UN strategy. “They [the Palestinian leadership] climb up trees and don’t know how to get down, except by falling out of the tree.” The PA, she said, had not thought through what it hoped to achieve by pursuing the UN approach. “There is a lack of imagination. Pursuing statehood is just a tactic to strengthen its hand in negotiations.” Statehood should, for example, enable the Palestinians to challenge Israeli policies and actions at the international court of justice, she said. The Palestinian bid, which was last week given formal backing by the Arab League, has triggered alarm in Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry has instructed its diplomats across the world, and particularly in western Europe, to lobby against recognition. “The Palestinian effort must be referred to as a process that erodes the legitimacy of the state of Israel,” a cable sent to all ambassadors said. It has sought to characterise a vote in favour of recognition of a Palestinian state as an act that threatens Israel’s very existence, and it has threatened to renounce previous agreements – principally the Oslo accords, under which the PA was established – if the Palestinians press ahead with the UN approach. “Israel sees this as part of a broader turning of the tide against its control in the occupied territories,” said Rabbani. “It is looking at both the immediate and longer-term consequences.” Israeli occupation of a sovereign state, as opposed to Palestinian territory, would come under increasing international pressure, say analysts. There have even been suggestions that Israel could respond by annexing its major settlements while withdrawing from the rest of the West Bank. It is easy to understand why the US is keen to avoid a situation where it would both be seen as a major block to Palestinian statehood and have to deal with the consequences. The stance of the 27 EU countries, currently divided over recognition, is seen as crucial. Some European diplomats, alarmed at the prospect of an EU split, are trying to persuade the Palestinians to pursue a more “unifying” resolution at the UN, which refers to the pre-1967 lines as the basis of a state while falling short of immediate recognition. At the moment, the British government’s position is ambiguous. It has indicated that, unless there is a return to meaningful negotiations, it may back the Palestinian move – which would be an enormous boost to the Palestinian cause and a major blow to Israel. The US sees Britain’s position as useful while it is trying to get the two sides back to negotiations but, if it came to a vote, it would want Britain to back the US line. According to Rabbani, in terms of international opinion “the Palestinians are in the best position they’ve been in for decades, if not ever”. However, the danger is that they will miss the opportunity to harness that support to a popular mobilisation of their own people, he added. There has been much talk over recent months of a new non-violent resistance, a third intifada and the emergence of new forms of activism – the ripples of the Arab spring reaching the West Bank and Gaza. The view that if the bid for statehood fails – or if it succeeds but nothing significant changes on the ground – the Palestinians will rise up has considerable currency. Yet, despite the border breaches in May and June and pockets of resistance, particularly in east Jerusalem, there is little sign as yet of rising temperatures. A recent opinion survey carried out in Gaza and the West Bank by the respected US pollster Stanley Greenberg found that at the top of the priority list for Palestinians were jobs, healthcare, water shortages and education. Mass protests against Israel, and even pursuing peace negotiations, came way down. Asked to choose, two-thirds favoured diplomatic engagement with Israel over violence. Round the corner from the Ramallah parking meter, Adel Abu Mariam considered the possible outcomes of the Palestinian bid for statehood while minding his vegetable shop. “If the US has the will to make it successful, it will succeed,” he said. “And if it fails, maybe people will be angry for a couple of days, but then life will go on. We have no strength for a new intifada. People know what happened before.” Palestinian territories Gaza Israel Middle East United Nations US foreign policy Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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Labour leader urges for new media ownership rules saying News Corporation chief has too much power in the UK Ed Miliband has demanded the breakup of Rupert Murdoch’s UK media empire in a dramatic intervention in the row over phone hacking. In an exclusive interview with the Observer , the Labour leader calls for cross-party agreement on new media ownership laws that would cut Murdoch’s current market share, arguing that he has “too much power over British public life”. Miliband says that the abandonment by News International of its bid for BSkyB, the resignation of its chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, and the closure of the News of the World are insufficient to restore trust and reassure the public. The Labour leader argues that current media ownership rules are outdated, describing them as “analogue rules for a digital age” that do not take into account the advent of mass digital and satellite broadcasting. “I think that we’ve got to look at the situation whereby one person can own more than 20% of the newspaper market, the Sky platform and Sky News,” Miliband said. “I think it’s unhealthy because that amount of power in one person’s hands has clearly led to abuses of power within his organisation. If you want to minimise the abuses of power then that kind of concentration of power is frankly quite dangerous.” The move takes Miliband’s campaign against the abuse of media power to new heights after a fortnight in which he has reinvigorated his own leadership by leading the attack on the Murdoch empire. While he insisted that the recently announced inquiries should take their course, the Labour leader said he hoped the main parties could agree on a common approach. His latest intervention comes ahead of what promises to be a dramatic appearance by Rupert Murdoch, his son James, the chief executive of News Corporation Europe and Asia, and Brooks before the Commons culture, media and sport committee. Committee members preparing to grill the trio are to be given legal advice on the morning of the hearing on how far they can push the News Corp boss and his son for answers. The committee’s chairman, the Tory MP John Whittingdale, has also asked them to send him details of their preferred lines of questioning to avoid duplication. News Corp is understood to be concerned that the committee will set a trap by asking questions the Murdochs are unable to answer due to the continuing criminal investigations and are taking advice on how to avoid yet another public relations disaster as the company attempts to rebuild its reputation. Further pressure was piled on Murdoch after the Liberal Democrats wrote to the media regulator, Ofcom, urging it to launch an investigation that could see his holding company, News Corp, forced to sell its stake in satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The Broadcasting Act places a duty on the regulator to consider “any relevant conduct of those who manage and control such a licence”. Although News Corp, whose News International subsidiary owned the News of the World , has only a minority 39% share in BSkyB, the Lib Dems argue the company is “strongly placed materially to influence the policy and strategic direction of BSkyB”, suggesting the regulator is duty bound to investigate. Simon Hughes, the party’s deputy leader, Don Foster, its media spokesman, and Tim Farron, its president, are demanding that the watchdog’s members “take measures now to satisfy yourself that the owners of the BSkyB licence continue to be “fit and proper” given “the manifest public concern about News International’s activities, the close integration of News International with its parent company News Corporation, [and] News Corp’s effective control of BSkyB”. The three dismissed claims that the regulator could not act while criminal investigations were current, saying there were “no legal reasons to stop Ofcom from conducting its work alongside that done by the police”. A spokeswoman for Ofcom said: “We received this letter early on Friday evening. We will be considering our response next week.” She added that the regulator was continuing to gather information which it hoped would assist in the discharge of its duties. “We have already written to a number of relevant authorities and can confirm that follow-up meetings will now be taking place.” In his interview Miliband said that once a Sunday Sun was launched, possibly in August, this would add further to the Murdoch empire’s penetration of the UK media market. Meanwhile, the foreign secretary, William Hague, defended Cameron’s regular meetings with News International executives and his decision to invite Andy Coulson, his former director of communications who was arrested 10 days ago, to Chequers several weeks after Coulson’s resignation over the phone-hacking scandal. “In inviting Andy Coulson back, the prime minister has invited someone back to thank him for his work – he’s worked for him for several years – that is a normal, human thing to do,” Hague told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme. “I think it shows a positive side to his character.” He added: “Personally I’m not embarrassed by it in any way – but there is something wrong here in this country and it must be put right. It’s been acknowledged by the prime minister and I think that’s the right attitude to take.” Hague continued: “It’s not surprising that in a democratic country there is some contact between leaders of the country, and indeed opposition leaders, and indeed I believe on that list of meetings there are also meetings with the executives of the Guardian and Trinity Mirror and whatever other news organisations.” Cameron has acknowledged that he met Coulson since his resignation, but “not recently and not frequently”. “When you work with someone for four years as I did, and you work closely, you do build a friendship and I became friends with him,” the prime minister declared. “He became a friend and is a friend.” Ed Miliband Phone hacking Rupert Murdoch Labour Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers News International News Corporation Media business News of the World Toby Helm Daniel Boffey Jamie Doward guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Eric Boehlert Weighs in on the Media Coverage of the Murdoch Hacking Scandal
July 16, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Keith Olbermann took the night off on Current TV with his fellow former MSNBC contributor David Shuster filling in for him, which makes me wonder if Shuster might be one of the next people to be announced as one of Current TV’s new lineup as they bring in new shows. Speculation aside, Shuster talked to Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert about the scandal with News of the World and how that has been covered at their American “news” channel, Fox News here in the U.S., and as Boehlert and Shuster noted here it’s either been all but ignored or their coverage has tried to deflect it as part of some problem that has nothing to do with the media company’s legal problems. You can read more at Media Matters and how this story has been covered by our corporate media here — REPORT: How CNN, MSNBC, And Fox Are Covering News Corp. Hacking Scandal* : News Corp.’s long-simmering phone-hacking scandal has reignited, throwing its global media empire into turmoil. As allegations of hacking into private citizens’ voicemail increase, media and tabloid practices have been called into question. With a large and influential presence in the United States, News Corp. and its subsidiaries (including Fox News) should be under intense scrutiny in the American press. A Media Matters analysis has found great disparity in the amount of coverage given to the scandal by CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. Analysis: CNN Covered News Corp.’s Hacking Scandal In More Than 100 Segments CNN And MSNBC Report On News Corp. Scandal More Than Twice As Often As Fox News. According to a Media Matters analysis**, in the nine days since the News Corp. phone-hacking scandal reignited, CNN reported on the developing story in 108 segments, MSNBC covered the story in 71 segments, and Fox News covered the story in 30 segments. enlarge Credit: Media Matters
Continue reading …Eric Boehlert Weighs in on the Media Coverage of the Murdoch Hacking Scandal
July 16, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Keith Olbermann took the night off on Current TV with his fellow former MSNBC contributor David Shuster filling in for him, which makes me wonder if Shuster might be one of the next people to be announced as one of Current TV’s new lineup as they bring in new shows. Speculation aside, Shuster talked to Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert about the scandal with News of the World and how that has been covered at their American “news” channel, Fox News here in the U.S., and as Boehlert and Shuster noted here it’s either been all but ignored or their coverage has tried to deflect it as part of some problem that has nothing to do with the media company’s legal problems. You can read more at Media Matters and how this story has been covered by our corporate media here — REPORT: How CNN, MSNBC, And Fox Are Covering News Corp. Hacking Scandal* : News Corp.’s long-simmering phone-hacking scandal has reignited, throwing its global media empire into turmoil. As allegations of hacking into private citizens’ voicemail increase, media and tabloid practices have been called into question. With a large and influential presence in the United States, News Corp. and its subsidiaries (including Fox News) should be under intense scrutiny in the American press. A Media Matters analysis has found great disparity in the amount of coverage given to the scandal by CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. Analysis: CNN Covered News Corp.’s Hacking Scandal In More Than 100 Segments CNN And MSNBC Report On News Corp. Scandal More Than Twice As Often As Fox News. According to a Media Matters analysis**, in the nine days since the News Corp. phone-hacking scandal reignited, CNN reported on the developing story in 108 segments, MSNBC covered the story in 71 segments, and Fox News covered the story in 30 segments. enlarge Credit: Media Matters
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