I’m at a bit of a loss, not being a TV person. I’m curious to know who a theoretical attack, thwarted, can be sold as a fait acompli on graphical TV. No one, from reports I’ve read, actually attempted to board planes with explosives, but I guess their were plenty of chaotic airport scenes. The Times London made an interesting overnight shift. The Times has always been an establishment paper, and is often sound reporting as well. Yesterday reports were just that, no position, no bias, just reporting what was known.
Today’s leader set the tone for the shift, pro-intelligence agencies and on the attack against a doubting broad left (liberals as Americans call them).
Even so their reports can be revealing.
“JOHN REID (British Home Secretary) took the telephone call at 11pm: possibly the biggest terrorist attack of modern times was imminent, the plot must be dismantled, arrests would soon be under way, Britain’s air traffic system would be plunged into chaos and the country should be placed on maximum alert.
Only a few hours earlier the Home Secretary had been haranguing critics of the Government’s anti-terrorism measures for failing to take the security threat seriously enough. “They just don’t get it,” he said”
Well no John, I still don’t get it. No doubt there are terror threats out there, and it is the job of the intelligence agencies to thwart them. In fact it is great to see some probable success in that area.
But if the issue is as drastic as Reid would have it, it is highly cynical to twist the story to domestic political advantage. That is where some of us who have been labeled ‘left’ are moist concerned, we are plagued by manipulating politicians as well as desperate terrorists.
What about the poor bastard pictured above. He was just looking at a newspaper for Christ sakes and he gets himself used as a terrorist pin-up boy.
The vaguely left paper, the Guardian is playing both sides in its reports. But I though one report telling:
“Downing Street admitted Tony Blair would not have left the country on Monday for his Caribbean holiday if he had known the police would need to swoop so quickly to disrupt a terrorist plot. He has known about it in general terms for months, and has spoken to President George Bush about it on a number of occasions. The two leaders discussed it in more detail on Sunday, during a conversation on a secure line in which the prime minister outlined what he knew of the British cell being monitored by the security services.”
The Independent went with the dubious: The Conspiracy: How suicide bombers planned to blow up 10 planes But that report counters yesterday’s police statement that terrorist action was not imminent:
“About 9pm on Wednesday, Britain's police and intelligence chiefs learnt that a British-based al-Qa'ida cell was within 48 hours of mounting a terror attack that could have been more deadly than 9/11.”
The Daily Telegraph, establishment orientated, went with Plot to bomb jets Twenty-four terrorist suspects held over alleged plot to blow up transatlantic jets. Well at least they stuck to the truth.
Obviously the raids and the news releases were not well prepared or coordinated. Reports on the day were straight factual, not really pushing any strong line. Then, lo and behold, original statements by authorities are ignored or changed and the stories take on a left and right colouring. But the good news from the English press is that the US broad left doesn’t buy it. The seeds of a Republican plot are not only planted they are flourishing.
Australian papers are a bit out of the loop on this one, so editors are going for the newspaper selling sensation lines.
Five people suspected of involvement in a chilling plot to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners are missing and being hunted by police, officials say.
British police and security chiefs say they thwarted the terrorist plot just days before planned simultaneous attacks on as many as 10 United States-bound jets, using bombs disguised as drinks.
British police find martyrdom video
If things go to the normal plan, when the sensation wears thin they will start running the ‘inside’ stories with lots of breakout boxes and exploded diagrams. News is business, after all.
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