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Panorama: A Change For The Worse

David | 13.12.2001 08:51

Criticism of last night's Panorama program on the Sep 11 attacks.

Did anyone else watch Panorama last night?

I watched it expecting a critical review of how and why the attacks occured.

What I got was an hour of basic history (what course the terrorists were studying, which Mosque they went to), and pro-US propaganda (including a lengthy interview with a member of the Saudi 'Ministry of Information')

The only interesting information was mention of several times the terrorists could have been questioned (entering the country without a valid visa, repeatedly trying to get a visa for a known terrorist)- feel free to insert your own conspiracy theory here.

I am dissapointed (though not suprised) that we can no longer get usefull information from what is normally a very informative program.

David

Comments

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What a load of tosh!!

13.12.2001 09:52

Just sent a note to the BBC about it:

Well done to the Panorama team for producing the biggest propaganda film I've seen in decades. How brilliant you are to go into great detail about the hijacker's lives - college days, lecturers, family, pilots lessons, changes in personality...etc. - only to conveniently skip over very important points such as why these people were let into the States several times when the US had intelligence on them; you answer those questions with arguments such as "he managed to talk his way into the country even though his visa had expired because he was very skilled in communication" - brilliant! Then we go straight from the night before the events to seeing the terrorists captured on security film in the airport and then, bang, we see the aircraft hitting the towers - that simple! No explanation as to how the hijackers managed to get on the aircraft with what must have been fake ID's (should be impossible) that gave them western names (no Arab names in any of the flights - something else conveniently skipped).

As far as I can see, there are maybe 3 reasons why you don't make any attempt to answer the difficult questions: 1. you know what's going on and are deliberately avoiding asking difficult questions; 2. you're being told exactly what to say; 3. you're not very good at your jobs as reporters and simply don't look deep enough to ask those questions at all. Now, the first and second stink of collusion and the third of incompetence. Which ever way it is, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Oh, and I should add that I won't be surprised that you don't publish this message (in this form, anyway) given that the only dissenting mail you've published so far is from a Muslim complaining of racism with your talk of beards - a token effort if ever I saw one.

Well done the BBC - you're such a trustworthy reporting organisation, one that would never support feeble reasons to kill and maim thousands of innocent people in Afghanistan. I'm under no illusions that you'll keep up the good work (that's probably what you'll print!).

Anyway, good luck in your lives and I hope you sleep well knowing that in this life, what goes around eventually comes around.

mucus64


Oh, and something else...

13.12.2001 10:03

Apparently, the BBC are holding a forum later and I was going to add this:

Tell me Jane, what was going through your mind whilst you were making that programme (multiple choice - keep it simple):

a) are they going to fall for this one?
b) I wish I didn't have to read this stuff - I know it's drivel
c) wow, the BBC really does some incredible research
d) they are so stupid, I can say what I like
e) nothing - I'm not paid to think
f) none of the above as I'm an independent, free-thinker who always tells the truth (well, mostly, anyway)

In answering these questions, please let your conscience be your guide.

But thought better of it - what's the point when they only publish those questions that don't rock the boat. If it was live and unedited, then maybe it would be worth it.

mucus64


Chinny-Chin-Chin

13.12.2001 11:09

It was a thorough investigation into the causes of WWIII, it left no stone unturned and the conclusive proof of Bin Laden's guilt can be seen (coming soon) in a one hour film, found in an empty house in Jalalabad, (lucky) where he brags of his skullduggery at a party he threw in Tora Bora (CIA) Bases, for oil Sheiks last month.

What will it take to convince people this was an inside job....a photo of Bin Laden in bed with Bush? Oh! We've seen that already!

David Dimbleby


links? I love 'em!

13.12.2001 14:12

Just in case anyone ain't got it bookmarked yet, here's a link to Media Workers Against the War:

internationalist
- Homepage: http://www.mwaw.org