Friday, January 22, 2010
It's one of those "Who let this guy in the door at the BBC?" moments. I noted the story of Col. Tim Collins' report from Gaza previously, now here is the must-watch video itself: Celebrated Iraq war veteran's view of the Gaza conflict
A year ago the Israeli army was readying itself to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, after a three-week campaign which led to accusations of war crimes.
The Israelis said they launched their assault because they could no longer tolerate the indiscriminate rocket attacks which were being launched on Israel from inside Gaza.
One year on, celebrated Gulf War veteran Colonel Tim Collins travelled to Gaza for a soldier's view of the conflict.
The "soldier's view" of events stands in stark contrast to the typical agenda-driven journalist's or leftist crusading NGO-type. Watch at the link.
[H/T: Fred]
I was shocked when I saw this but also, it's the kind of dispassionate analysis that has been lacking in the Gaza situation.
Part of the problem, I think, stems from the lack of journalists (in Gaza) during the war. This permitted the worst type of rumors to surface with no objective counterpoint.
You can't imagine that having "journalists" on the ground would have accomplished anything other than more hysterical condemnations of Israeli actions? The only difference would have been lovely footage and sound to go with it all.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign were not pleased about this at all -
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=24&Content_ID=1079
Predictable
Well I'd like to think that SOME journalists would have written objectively. For example had there been "eyes on the ground" so to speak the lies about the UN school being attacked could have been immediately refuted.
This piece touches on the problems that arise when nobody is around to "see" and balance first impressions:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1143612.html
Sol does have a point, alas.
Sophia,
You are so naive as to think that the MSM journalists are going to present something objective after their agenda driven history of covering this conflict.
Before Cast Lead there were incidents in Gaza that were exposed by bloggers "fisking" misleading photos presented by the MSM.
I think they were even posted on this site: Journalist's vehicle set on fire, ambulance hit by rocket.
By the way when it comes to Goldstone, he apparently performed in the same way with regard to facts and witnesses in his "Goldstone Commission" in South Africa in 1994 and a researcher at the South African Institute for Race Relations has published a book criticizing the manner in which he distorted the facts and accepted allegations at face value.
People's War: New Light on the Struggle for South Africa by Anthea Jeffery
"Well I'd like to think that SOME journalists would have written objectively"
Therefore the other than SOME, would NOT have written objectively.
Like the majority of bbc and "independent journalists"?
As Cynic said, it's agenda driven journalism, not objective journalism.
The "your terrorist" is "my freedom fighter", the "type" that hijacked 4 passenger planes on 9/11.