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Dear Daniel, Gabriel and all others,
to continue the discussion of INA and Reuter's incorrect
quotes and "deliberate lies" (I'll copy some of the mails hereafter for
those who don't know what I'm talking about) here's an answer I received from
INA. I had asked them: " I have a question for you,
because you are the only one that can solve my problem. If you read these mails you'll know why. My question is: Did
Reuters quote you correctly? Or not? I await your
answer."
Is this enough as an answer? Or can't we trust the Iraqi news Agency?
I think they're answer is correct.
Greetings.
Dirk Adriaensens. ----- Original Message -----
From: ina
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 10:32 PM
Subject: reuter's and INA From INA to: “Dirk Adriaensens” Dear Mr. Dirk, In response to your letter dated February 5, 2002 10:16 am, we want to inform you that Reuters quoted this news incorrectly. Reuters like many other western agencies discredit reality and do not respect our media. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Reuters
article cited by Dirk (dated 23rd January) stated that,
according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): 'Palestinian Public Works Minister Azzam al-Ahmad had delivered a message to Saddam from Arafat calling on the Iraqi leader "to intervene to stop the savage and bloody Zionist (Israeli) aggression against the Palestinian people".' The second INA report cited by Dirk (dated the 23rd January, the first INA report he cited was dated the 24th and therefore clearly could not have been the source for the Reuters piece) stated that the message: 'included a request to intervene in the international community to halt the savage, bloody Zionist aggression launched against the Palestinian people a year and a half ago which is a flagrant defy [sic] to the Arab and Islamic Nations.' *If* the second INA report cited by Dirk *were* the source for the Reuters piece, then it would be fair to claim that the omission of the words 'international community' created an ambiguity. However, Dirk produces no evidence to support the claim that his INA report *was* the source for the Reuters piece and, in fact, the evidence actually suggests that it wasn't. Thus the Reuters piece contains a direct quote which it attributes to the INA ("the serious situation in the Palestinian occupied territories caused by Zionist aggression and the blockade imposed by the Zionist authorities against movement of Palestinian people and officials") which does not appear anywhere in the text of the INA report cited by Dirk. It would therefore be reasonable to conclude that this report is *not* the source for the Reuters piece. Western wire agencies often put out more than one version of a story, so it could well be that the Reuters piece was based on a different INA report with slightly different wording, possibly in Arabic. To summarise, no evidence has yet been produced to support the assertion that Reuters 'deliberately lied' in this instance or even that they purveyed 'false information.' Best wishes, Gabriel (writing in a personal capacity). Dear all,
here is a fine example of false information,
provided by Reuters. Every misinformation is good to discredit Iraq, Yasser
Arafat and the Palestinians.
a) First there is the message from Reuters, that I
found at: IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 398 - Wednesday January 23 , 2002 (ISM
is produced by the Mariam Appeal www.mariamappeal.com)
b) the second message is the original message of INA, that is quite different from the Reuters press release. If Western press picks up the message of
Reuters, and spread it around the world, it helps to make a possible large-scale
war on Iraq and a genocide on the Palestinian people acceptable to the Western
audiences.
This is disgusting.
Greetings.
Dirk Adriaensens.
Arafat urges
Saddam to stop Israeli attacks - INA.
BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Wednesday urged Iraq's President Saddam Hussein to intervene to prevent Israeli "aggression" against the Palestinian people, the Iraqi News Agency reported. It said Palestinian Public Works Minister Azzam al-Ahmad had delivered a message to Saddam from Arafat calling on the Iraqi leader "to intervene to stop the savage and bloody Zionist (Israeli) aggression against the Palestinian people". INA said the message dealt with "the serious situation in the Palestinian occupied territories caused by Zionist aggression and the blockade imposed by the Zionist authorities against movement of Palestinian people and officials". Saddam said at the start of the Palestinian uprising almost 16 months ago that Iraq was ready "to put an end to Zionism" if Arab rulers did not defend the Palestinians against Israel. Saddam also ordered the formation of military units to fight with Palestinians against the Israelis. Government figures say nearly seven million Iraqis have volunteered to fight alongside the Palestinians. Baghdad opposes peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as those signed between Israel and neighbouring countries. And here is the original INA-report, that can be
found at: http://www.uruklink.net/iraqnews/enews25.htm
President Saddam meets Palestinian
envoy
President Saddam Hussein met on Wednesday envoy of President Yassir Arafat of Palestine, Palestinian Minister of General Labor, Palestinian ambassador in Baghdad Azam al-Ahmed. Mr. Ahmed handed President Saddam Hussein a written letter from President Yassir Arafat. The letter pertained to the current serious situation in the occupied territories in Palestine due to the continuous brutal Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people, Moslems and Christians holy sites. The message also touched upon the siege imposed by the Zionist authorities and their use of all sorts of weapons including the internationally banned weapons against civilians. The letter also included a call on the international community to provide a protection for Palestinians and stop the Zionist aggression against them. Mr. Ahmed conveyed Arafat's greetings to President Saddam Hussein, wishing him health and happiness and the people of Iraq further progress and prosperity. "President Saddam Hussein's speeches and addresses of support and solidarity on every occasion and every day reach us in Palestine; they strengthen our morale," Mr. Ahmed said. He hailed the great support presented by President Hussein to Palestinian injured and martyrs' families. He praised Iraqis' steadfastness in facing up to the difficult circumstances resulted because of the embargo. President Saddam Hussein said some of the western governments are standing with Israel as if they represent one case. Some others are subjected to the Zionist media, yet I believe that the Zionist entity feels defeated, and the westerners will reach a final result that this entity is refused and has no future despite of their procrastination. What took place in Iraq, Palestine, and southern Lebanon is enough to predict us that the elements of ability are great in the Nation. All we have is to activate ourselves, the president said. "Convey my greetings to Abu Ammar, President Arafat, and all Palestinians men and women. Tell him that we feel proud of the Palestinians' stand confronting the Zionist entity," the President said. President Saddam Hussein affirmed Iraq's support to the people of Palestine and to President Yassir Arafat personally as a leader and a symbol of Palestinian people. Present at the meeting was Foreign Minister Naji Sabri.
Dear Daniel and CASI-members, |