Free Alan Johnson   Gaza

 

H/T Is the BBC biased?:

 

 

 

DB on this site noted this from the FPA :

Foreign Press Association blasts Hamas for threatening journalists

The association said that several members of the foreign media in Gaza were harassed, threatened or questioned about stories they reported.

In addition, the FPA vehemently opposed “a ‘vetting’ procedure that would, in effect, allow for the blacklisting of specific journalists,” which Hamas is trying to put into place.

On Sunday, Paul T. Jørgensen of Norway’s TV2 reported that “several foreign journalists have been kicked out of Gaza because Hamas does not like what they wrote or said.

“We have received strict orders that if we record that Hamas fires rockets or that they shoot, we will face serious problems and be expelled from Gaza,” Jørgensen added.

Also Sunday, Hamas said it would require foreign journalists to provide information about Palestinian translators and fixers, as well as the address where they were staying, as part of a new procedure to receive a press card.

The new directives are aimed at “facilitating and organizing the mission of our foreign colleagues,” and Hamas warned that reporters who fail to comply will not be allowed to work in Gaza.

 

 

Harry’s Place has posted a video of Hamas confirming these claims:

 

 

 

“[T]he journalists who entered Gaza were fixated on the notion of peace and on the Israeli narrative.”

“So when they were conducting interviews, or when they went on location to report, they would focus on filming the places from where missiles were launched. Thus, they were collaborating with the occupation.  These journalists were deported from the Gaza Strip”

“The security people would go and have a chat with these people.  They would give them time to change their message one way or another……..[The Hamas line] The Israeli missiles do not discriminate between fighters, civilians and children. ”

 

Yes, think we have heard that narrative from the BBC…and yet no BBC journalist was coerced into voicing that message for Hamas?

 

The question we should ask is why the BBC doesn’t seem to need a guiding hand from Hamas to produce reports that have a particular bias?  Just what influences the BBC to produce such Hamas-friendly material even when not pressured to?  Even in their drama, ‘The Honourable Woman’ Hamas was invisible, the ‘bad’ Palestinians were from Fatah.

Perhaps we should ask just what was the deal that Mark Thompson did with Hamas to get Alan Johnson back in 2007?

 

Free at last

…. but at what price?

FREED BBC journalist Alan Johnston was back home last night – reunited with the family who had waited 114 agonising days for his release. His British Air­ways flight from Tel Aviv touched down at Heathrow at lunchtime and he flew on to Scotland yesterday afternoon.

But amid the rejoicing that sur­rounded the 45-year-old bachelor’s release, there were questions about the deal that won his freedom and the role played by the BBC.

A few weeks ago Hamas fanatics were tossing their rivals from the Fatah group from the tops of buildings in their ruthless pursuit of control of the Gaza strip.

Last week a jubilant Mr Johnston was a guest at the table of the Hamas leadership just hours after his release.

So far there has been silence from the BBC about visits made to Gaza by its director-general Mark Thompson during the kidnapping.

It is believed he was meeting senior Hamas officials with the aim of securing the release of one of his staff.

A few weeks ago the Sunday Express was informed that the BBC was taking advice on how to handle the crisis from a London-based private security firm which employs former members of the special forces. We were told that the corporation was considering paying a ransom of about £2million for the return of their man, a claim strenuously denied by senior executives at the time.

The Sunday Express did not run the story for fear of damaging the delicate negotiations going on behind the scenes in London and Gaza.

It is being claimed that Hamas has benefited greatly from Mr Johnston’s release and there has been a trade-off.