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As many of you probably saw, two Voices in the Wilderness delegates - Dave Rolstone and Joanne Baker - had a lot of TV and radio coverage on their return from Iraq this weekend. Below is a transcript of the coverage on BBC1 TV news, 10.10pm on Saturday 14th August. The summary at the end is a bit dodgy, making it sound like the debate is limited to the Iraqi regime and groups like Voices having one point of view, and the US & UK governments having another. No mention of Kofi Annan, Denis Halliday, Sponeck, Sevan or all the UN agency reports over the years. I think it would be a good for as many of us to make our voices heard to the BBC as pressure to get them to maybe report the background more evenly. Anyway, cue those irritating blips, and all the other 'more important' stories... *Newsreader*: "Two Britons who broke UN sanctions by delivering medical supplies and textbooks to Baghdad have challenged the government to prosecute them. Dave Rolstone and Joanne Baker handed in a letter at Downing Street calling for an end to sanctions against Iraq." *Reporter Linda Duffin, over footage of Dave & Joanne arriving at the airport*: "The pair, who flew back in to Heathrow last night are members of Voices in the Wilderness, which campaigns for sanctions against Iraq to be lifted." *Footage of them, and other group members walking up to number 10*: "They broke the embargo, and the law, by taking medical text books and surgical supplies to Baghdad and Basra. Today they delivered a letter to Downing Street accusing the Prime Minister of breaking the Geneva Convention, and challenging him to take them to court." *Dave, being interviewed in Downing St*: "One of us has got to be wrong. Either I'm wrong breaking the English law, or he is wrong breaking international law. And I'd like to take it to court and find out what the British judicial system has to say about it." *Duffin, over footage of suffering children in Iraqi hospitals*: "The UNICEF report has revealed that mortality rates in central and southern Iraq have more than doubled since 1990. Iraq is allowed to trade oil for food and medical supplies, but the Foreign Office says Iraq has failed to prioritise vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women, and also criticises its aid distribution network. Saddam Hussein, say Britain and the United States, is exploiting the plight of Iraqi children for propaganda purposes. Action groups like Voices in the Wilderness are unconvinced. They say they'll continue sanctions-busting until the embargo is lifted." ...and now, sport. Further details on the BBC site: http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_420000/420123.stm You can write regarding TV programmes to the BBC at Points of View BBC Television London W12 7TS Telephone or fax 0181 811 1050 e-mail pov@bbc.co.uk or the radion coverage at Feedback PO Box 2100 London W1A 1QT Fax 0171 436 2800 e-mail feedback@bbc.co.uk Like Colin says, NOW IS THE TIME TO WRITE. We are unlikely to get such coverage again for a long time, if ever. Magazines, Newspapers, radio phone-ins, TV stations - now is the window of opportunity where activists on this issue have a good chance of getting their voices heard. Best of luck, Glenn Bassett, using kcnl@globalnet.co.uk -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Please do not sent emails with attached files to the list *** Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html ***