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

Her fingers are in her ears lalalalalala Can't hear you...

81 posted on 12/14/2003 1:09:31 PM PST by null and void
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To: ridesthemiles
I noticed Jennings was missing too. Was that George Stephanopolis (sp)? He was so lame I only lasted about 60 seconds (altho it was amusing in a way)
82 posted on 12/14/2003 1:11:27 PM PST by Annie03 (donate at www.terrisfight.org)
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To: mylife
CLASSIC!

bttt
83 posted on 12/14/2003 1:13:27 PM PST by Annie03 (donate at www.terrisfight.org)
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To: squidly
There are no American infidels who have captured Saddam.



It is wise you see the truth.
Saddam has not been captured, never!
Americans are dying in their tanks.
We have them surrounded.
They are committing suicide by greater numbers.

84 posted on 12/14/2003 1:14:06 PM PST by Lazamataz (A poem, by Lazamataz: "What do we do with Saddam, Now that we gottim?")
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To: SJackson; MeeknMing; potlatch; GeronL; PhilDragoo


"About 8:30 Bagdad time December 13th....." -- GW

SING IT ELVIS!



MERRY CHRISTMAS!


powered by my dinky MSNTV from Bill Gates

click Laurie Dhue to reload her hot kiss

(mistletoe not required)





85 posted on 12/14/2003 1:17:46 PM PST by autoresponder (SLICK http://0access.tripod.com/legacy.html CAPTURE http://0access.web1000.com/GW-Eagle-SadDamn.gif)
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To: ridesthemiles
Peter Jennings' ex-girlfriend (Palestinian activist Hanan Ashwari) deeply saddened.....

I know someone who met her once -- supposed to be a sharp cookie, world-class presence of mind. But since she's been involved with the PA for years, how'd Jennings get a wave-in when he put in his long-deferred citizenship papers?

I mean, for all we know, Ashrawi's nieces are all virgin suicide-bombers.

86 posted on 12/14/2003 1:22:39 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: truth_seeker
Bump to finish at home...
87 posted on 12/14/2003 2:33:46 PM PST by dcwusmc ("The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for hims)
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To: truth_seeker
The saddam loyalist saw the saddams as their meal ticket. They were paid by their leaders. (I imagine it is the same in other arab countries)

Will their cultrue allow them to join the 21st century?
88 posted on 12/14/2003 2:38:46 PM PST by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: lentulusgracchus
But she's not sharp enough to choose the winning side.
89 posted on 12/14/2003 11:10:57 PM PST by FreeReporting
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To: FreeReporting
But she's not sharp enough to choose the winning side.

LOL -- show me someone sharp enough to pick his own parents, and I'll show you someone who was born to a virgin on Christmas Day!!

90 posted on 12/15/2003 1:27:39 AM PST by lentulusgracchus
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