If Mugabe goes, the IMF can swoop in with a promised $2 billion (renewable) aid package for a new MDC government with the usual strings attached - sweeping structural adjustments, privatizing everything, ending social services, mandating mass layoffs, crushing small local businesses, escalating poverty, and returning the country to its colonial past under new millennium management under a black stooge of a president to make it all look legitimate.
BBC has a role in this, and it's been at it for decades. It's waged a multi-year anti-Mugabe jihad and seems now to be going for broke. For days, broadcasts practically scream regime change. Reports are inflammatory, visibly one-sided, with correspondents saying (MDC's) Tsvangirai won, election results are being withheld, no runoff is necessary, and when it's held Mugabe will use violence to retain power.
On April 5, BBC quoted Tsvangirai accusing Mugabe of "preparing to go to war against the country's people (and) deploying troops and armed militias to intimidate voters ahead of a possible runoff....thousands of army recruits are being recruited, militants are being rehabilitated and some few claiming to be war veterans are already on the warpath."
Tsvangirai wants the courts to force officials to release the results, Zimbabwe's High Court is hearing MDC's petition, but earlier it was claimed "armed police prevented MDC lawyers" from petitioning the Court to get them. BBC quoted one of them saying "police had threatened to shoot them," then quoted Tsvangirai again saying Zimbabwe's central bank was printing money for bribes and government-financed violence and intimidation campaigns.
BBC also suggests that international intervention is needed "to prevent violence if a second round is held (because) violence and intimidation (have) been characteristic of past (Zimbabwe) elections." It quotes another MDC spokesman saying ZANU-PF will "use a runoff to exact revenge....it's a strategy for retribution."
Its correspondent Peter Biles reports "the ruling party remains divided....many (want) a change of leadership, and believe under Mr. Mugabe, Zimbabwe has no future." BBC hammers at this daily in a full-court press to force out Mugabe either willingly or with outside intervention, and now is the time.
A broadcaster is supposed to be neutral, fair and balanced and BBC states "Honesty and integrity (is) what (it) stands for." BBC is dedicated to "educate (and) inform, free from political interference and commercial pressure."
The US-based Society of Professional Journalists states in its Preamble that it's the "duty of the journalist (to seek) truth and provid(e) a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. (They must) strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility....Seek truth and report it....honestly, fairly, courageously."
In serving power against the public interest for 86 years, BBC fails on all counts.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Mondays from 11AM - 1PM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests.
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
I 'subscribe' to the BBC via my google reader and I am in a position to watch BBC News and BBC Prime via cable.
BBC News is an almost complete waste of time, a 'shadow' of its former glory. It's fair to say that it has become the 'Fox News" of Europe. It's 'news readers' are simpletons, pompous and ask stupid questions that utterly miss the point!
I have simply 'boycotted' BBC until it gets it head out of its ass and starts covering the news courageously and independently.
Who NEEDS the beeb? Who NEEDS Fox....when other more diverse and reliable sources are available?
by
Len Hart (134 articles, 175 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 554 comments)
on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 5:54:23 AM
I failed to mention that the BBC CENSORED David Frost's interview with Benazir Bhutto. I managed to 'snag' the uncensored interview in which Bhutto stated clearly and without hesitation that Bin Laden had been murdered. BBC Censored Benazir Bhutto's Reports that Bin Laden Had Been Murdered
BBC --obviously in reaction to 'concerns' that her comments had blown the official conspiracy theory of 911 right out of the water --CENSORED her comments from all subsequent broadcasts. I saved the censored versions as well.
Cearly --news organizations will 'edit' interviews and otherwise 'produce' them for broadcast. What makes this a BLATANT example of censorship is the fact that no other statement by Bhutto was touched, altered or 'censored' in any way. ONLY her statement re: bin Laden was excised. Everthing else was untouched.
Subsequent reporting of Bhutto's 'death' is also suspect. But, again, thanks to alternative sources, gunmen taking aim at Bhutto are clearly seen in videos BEFORE the 'explosion'. The government report that she died of a head wound when she banged her head falling back into the car is blatantly absurd on its face.
I would wager that Musharif's paid hit men shot and killed Bhutto because she represented a threat to Musharif's faustian pact with Bush.
by
Len Hart (134 articles, 175 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 554 comments)
on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 6:02:32 AM
During the entire election fraud in Mexico in 2006 the BBC insisted that there was none. Mexicans themselves will freely admit that to make such a statement about any election in Mexico is absurd, let alone the fiasco of 2006. I wrote the BBC at one point to ask if maybe they did not distribute to their correspondents a list of untouchable governments--ones that should never be seriously criticised by the BBC. I suppose they keep it right next to "the axis of evil" governments that should always be criticised.
Thanks for the exposé.
by
Edgar Pope (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 11:37:49 AM
You fogot to tell the story of how the beb helped and propagated so much against the shah and facilitated the arival of the criminal and terrorist mullah's of Qom.- The Fascist Islamic Republic of Idiots - The IRI - of Iran
by
Bahramerad (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 26 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 1:57:25 AM
Objectivity and honesty is the rule of the game at OEN as I perceive it.
The Shah of Iran had to go. He was, according to CIA analysts one of the most corrupt individuals on the planet, beyond redemption. Given the fact that the man had been brought to power by the CIA itself, and that the CIA is indeed a corrupt entity and a corrupter, then we realize how dire the situation must have been. The Shah's demise was a self-inflicted torment. Accordingly, the Elite and the Powers that be had decided that the miserable creature had to be gotten rid of.
How does this relate to BBC? The BBC is the mouthpiece of the ruling Elite.
by
ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 641 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 2:53:55 AM
ramsheyi - I see that you are a prolific commentator!
Now hear this - The Shah did not have to go! — at least not for the reasons that you have regurgitated.
You are quoting the same CIA who had a hand in killing JFK, RFK, The bay of pigs, the Chilean and Argentinean and the Central America fiasco's and that is all in the sixties and seventies- and we all know what they have been up to since 911 - Give me a break!
The Shah's demise was not a self inflicted torment - It was a conspiracy by the Peanut Carter, Callahan the blind, the Russian communist, the 7 Sisters of the Oil Mafia, with the help of the corrupted media such as the BBC.
If you want a history lesson-I am quite willing to provide you with Terrorism, Mullahs, the left and Islam - subject 101 right here.
by
Bahramerad (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 26 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 11:11:31 AM
We are here to educate ourselves , share our knowledge, and learn from each other. This is the purpose of a commuity. So, I will be more than eager to read an article from you on ' Terrorism, Mullahs, The Left and Islam'. The rule of the game is going to be honesty and objectivity with rock-solid documentation.
by
ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 641 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 1:58:39 PM
Oddly enough I wrote to the BBC about the amount of propaganda on BBC America but got no response, I didn't expect any. The big change came whe Dr. David Kelly was murderd, one of the BBC reporters, Gilligan presented some facts about the lead up to the invasion of Iraq to which Dr. Kelly was supposed to have supplied. Dr. David Kelly was the leading biological weapons expert and was sure to find nothing, according to at least 6 doctors he couldn't possibly have comitted suicide. Research the story and you will reach the same conclusion.
A result of this Fiasco was the sacking of the senior management and replaced by more Blair type supporters and the BBC has gone from bad to worse, I never watch it, I no need to I can imagine what Frei and Kay are trying to make us believe.
by
douglas kay (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 83 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 9:19:45 AM
Thanks for a long and very informative article Stephen. I am English and because of a little Spanish knew all about the Chavez demonization, and the Kelly thing a bit, but I bought into the Mugabe thing, partly because of the raging inflation seemed to prove something was wrong, but I did not question the reason. I did not and have not heard one peep about the sanctions against Zimbabwe.
It just goes to show you have to keep your guard up against the disinformation and outright lies - everywhere in mass media.
I read all of your articles - your name is on my list of must reads. Thanks.
by
ibrahim turner (25 articles, 32 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 179 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 5:37:45 PM
The raging inflation in Zimbabwe...might that be caused by the neocolonial tactic of making the economy scream....? And guess who supports this: the MDC! They want to gain power, and are prepared to make their people suffer to get it.
Anyone interested about events in Zimbabwe and the background should go to this site:
In which Raimondos media driven disgust makes HIM not Mugabe descend to write the following:
'Mugabe was constantly whispering in his ear, much to the former's apparent annoyance. There was something distinctly reptilian about the African tyrant's visage and general demeanor: at any moment, I fully expected him to flick a foot-long tongue at a passing fly. '
The irony is that Raimondo has Zimbabwe linked to Israel, which also likes to use the insectoid comparison....for Arabs. But the above is such racist bilge, thaty you wonder what Mugabe did to Justin to deserve it.
I wrote to Antiwar and registered my disgust. You will find Lendman is better informed, where he states, in the BBC Imperial Tool, that the BBC is demonising Mugabe. Indeed it is.
by
brian (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 134 comments)
on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 10:30:03 PM
thank you for the threads especially the one about Justin Raymondo's dubious honesty and affiliations. For sometimes I considered him a neutral intellectual. But more and more it seems to me that he is in the service of Zionists/ Israel or even a NeoCon puppet. His silence on 9/11 is quite telling. He is, it seems to me a sham, a façade, a sort of pseudo-intellectual Noam Chomsky type hired to divert attention from the Truth. I may be wrong. Anyways, his assertions match the propaganda diffused by the BBC.
by
ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 641 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 4:17:22 AM
I dont think Raimondo is a z-ionis-t puppet...His attitude toward Mugabe is hard to fathom.But his language suggests something disturbing. What has Mugabe done to generate that sort of language in an american?
Just found that Kall has made z-ionist a no go word! Hence the dashes.
by
brian (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 134 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 11:18:01 PM
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