Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

STUNNED ARAB MEDIA REPORT SADDAM'S ARREST, WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS
IMRA ^ | 12-13-03 | Michael Widlanski

Posted on 12/14/2003 9:39:28 AM PST by SJackson

STUNNED ARAB MEDIA REPORT SADDAM'S ARREST, WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS

By Michael Widlanski Jerusalem 14 December 2003 1:30 PM

Arab language media reacted quickly, though sometimes in a somewhat stunned fashion, to American reports that U.S. forces had captured former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, touching off celebrations in Baghdad.

But the broadcast media of the Palestinian National Authority which has been very friendly to Saddam, tried to ignore the news, treating it as a marginal news item attributed to rumors linked to a scheduled American press conference in Iraq

"An American military spokesman said there would be a special press conference soon, and American reports say it is linked to reports of the arrest of former president Saddam Hussein," declared a one ayem news bulletin by Voice of Palestine radio, controlled by Yasser Arafat.

The Palestinian broadcasts, which featured the news as the fourth news item, made no mention of Iraqi crowds celebrating the capture of Saddam, a big supporter of Arafat and a financial supporter of Palestinian "martyrs" who have blown themselves up attacking Israelis.

The Palestinian Authority's television station broadcasting from Gaza ignored the news entirely for several hours, but other Arab media quickly broadcast details of popular glee at the news of Saddam's arrest.

"There are signs of rejoicing in the streets, where people are parading and we hear celebratory shooting in the air," declared Baghdad-based Rafah Sa'ad, reporter for Abu-Dhabi satellite television.

Similar reports were carried by Al-Jazeera satellite television, which broadcast its news along with biographical sketches of Saddam Hussein and his family.

Al-Arabiyya satellite television also featured family pictures and newsreel footage of Saddam inspecting troops and petting children, while underneath it showed captions detailing Saddam's reported arrest in his home town of Tikrit.

The Arab satellite stations aired interviews with Arab security experts who said they felt the arrest of Saddam, if true, would aid American efforts inside Iraq.

Even the strongly anti-American Al-Manar tv station, controlled by the pro-Iranian Hiaballah terror group, opened its news shows with intensive coverage of the American capture of Saddam.

"Throngs of Iraqi people have rushed to the streets, and there are signs of joyful shooting in the air inside the Iraqi capital," declared Diah Nasry, the Al-Manar correspondent in Baghdad.

[Michael Widlanski is an expert in the Arab media and a lecturer at the Rothberg School of the Hebrew University] (c) 2003 Michael Widlanski


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aceofspades; ageofliberty; arabworld; captured; decapitation; greatnews; gulfwar2; gulfwarii; husseincapture; iraq; iraqaftermath; saddam; saddamcaptured; saddamhussein; tikrit; topplesaddam; viceisclosed; viceisclosing
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-90 next last
To: SJackson
Wondering about the collective stupidity of the arab world, I mean these clowns dont have two brain cells to rub together the way they act and carry on.....LOL
21 posted on 12/14/2003 10:01:41 AM PST by aspiring.hillbilly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Teacher317
I've been having a wonderful morning flicking back and forth among all the dim networks CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS - most of them look like someone close to them just died ...
Must not gloat ... Must not gloat ... 'tis a sad day for the dims - very depressing over at DU! ;-)
22 posted on 12/14/2003 10:01:42 AM PST by Tunehead54 (Support Our Troops!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SJackson
" WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS.... "

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!
23 posted on 12/14/2003 10:01:44 AM PST by traumer (Even paranoids have enemies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bert
......Peace ISIN'T the absence of war, rather it's what results AFTER war........

This needs to be stated every day. Peace is the interlude. Peace in an anomaly.

Among humans, war is the status quo. To believe otherwise is to invite your own death.


Man, I hear that!
24 posted on 12/14/2003 10:02:40 AM PST by TalBlack ("Tal, no song means anything without someone else...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SJackson
STUNNED ARAB MEDIA REPORT SADDAM'S ARREST, WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS

Where's Baghdad Bob when you need him?
25 posted on 12/14/2003 10:02:54 AM PST by VOA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom
I saw a bit of Dan Rat this morning too. He looked old, tired, grey and fat.
26 posted on 12/14/2003 10:03:05 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: SJackson
WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS

La la la la we can't hear you la la la

27 posted on 12/14/2003 10:03:55 AM PST by steveo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity; SJackson; yonif; Simcha7; American in Israel; spectacularbid2003; ...
"How does it feel, suckers?!?! The noose is ever-tightening on terrorist scum!"

Stamping out terrorism the right way!!



If you'd like to be on or off this
Christian Supporters of Israel ping list,
please FR mail me. ~
  -  -
There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:45)

Letter To The President In Support Of Israel ~
'Final Solution,' Phase 2 ~

28 posted on 12/14/2003 10:03:56 AM PST by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
The Arabs in general, and the Palestineans in particular, are the most significant case of national denial in modern history.
29 posted on 12/14/2003 10:04:04 AM PST by XEHRpa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Teacher317
Yeah...I saw Dan too. At first I thought he was reporting the death of his old dog...
30 posted on 12/14/2003 10:04:35 AM PST by gr8eman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SJackson
Wondering about the collective stupidity of the arab world, I mean these clowns dont have two brain cells to rub together the way they act and carry on.....LOL
31 posted on 12/14/2003 10:04:46 AM PST by aspiring.hillbilly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: SJackson
a big supporter of Arafat and a financial supporter of Palestinian "martyrs" who have blown themselves up

It amazes me that Saddam did not use his gun to become a "martyr"... one shot to an American soldier, one to his head. Then I realized... 72 virgins are ok for your average fallaheen, not for the new Nebucchadnezzer. He was probably trying to make a deal for 72,000!

33 posted on 12/14/2003 10:06:07 AM PST by Former Fetus (aren't we all?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
LOL!!LOL!!
34 posted on 12/14/2003 10:06:19 AM PST by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: squidly

"There are no American infidels in Baghdad. None! Not one!
Never! They are all very religious!"
35 posted on 12/14/2003 10:06:20 AM PST by Cultural Jihad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Helms
Dubya did what his father should have done years ago. They thought Americans and Brits were spineless.
36 posted on 12/14/2003 10:09:23 AM PST by cyborg (far right extremist american...........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: SJackson
Conspicuously missing is the pali woman with the long noisy tongue that's gone where everyone else has gone before.
37 posted on 12/14/2003 10:10:44 AM PST by lilylangtree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aspiring.hillbilly
BTW, has anyone seen the hideous Yassar on the tube lately?,/b>

Has anyone seen his groupy Hillary lately? She has been kinda quiet today.

38 posted on 12/14/2003 10:10:56 AM PST by ARCADIA (Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Former Fetus
Switching between Fox and MSNBC. When introducing the correspondent in Iraq, the MSNBC anchor said "Great day for the ADMINISTRATION........great day for the Iraqi PEOPLE. The correspondent added the US.
39 posted on 12/14/2003 10:11:11 AM PST by breakem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Congressman Billybob
The most fun was watching them check him for lice. Priceless!
40 posted on 12/14/2003 10:11:16 AM PST by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-90 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson