500 criticise BBC 'I cried for Arafat' report

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | November 6, 2004 | By Tom Leonard

[aculeus]

A BBC correspondent's on-air admission that she cried at Yasser Arafat's departure from Palestine was a "misjudgment", the corporation said yesterday after it was inundated with complaints.

The BBC, which has long faced accusations of anti-Israeli bias, has received 500 complaints over the broadcast last Saturday by its Middle East correspondent, Barbara Plett, on the Radio 4 programme From Our Own Correspondent.

In the report, Plett described her reaction as the helicopter carrying Arafat - who is in intensive care in a Paris hospital - lifted off from his compound in Ramallah.

"When the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry . . . without warning," she said.

BBC sources said that senior editors had remonstrated with Plett over her words, adding that she too accepted that they had been "misjudged". A BBC spokesman said: "From Our Own Correspondent is one of the few programmes that offers listeners personal stories behind the headlines, a format which permits correspondents to write freely."

However, the fact that a Middle East correspondent has such sympathies will fuel claims that of BBC bias towards the Arabs.

A spokesman for the Israeli government said that it would make an official complaint about the report, although the corporation said it had yet to receive one.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright

[Bullish]

Oops! Revealed their bias... that's a no-no in "journalism"!

These days it's the norm.

[Ptarmigan]

That is just plain sickening. Well, I will be handing candy when Arafat dies.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

The BBC doesn't want to let any of the truth out: including that they cry of murderous thugs, and not just that Arafat is one.

[Xcoastie]

"the corporation said yesterday after it was inundated with complaints. The BBC, which has long faced accusations of anti-Israeli bias, has received 500 complaints"

So it only takes 500 complaints to inundate the BBC... noted.

[Indie]

A few hundred thousand Americans dancing in the streets would be a nice wake...LOL!

[Ptarmigan]

Yeah it would be. I will be handing out candy. :)

[Free_at_last_-2001]

Criticize, the word is criticize. "Queens English old boy!"

[broadsword]

England = Englistan. They already bent over and spread 'em for the Muslims.

[ijcr]

"When the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry . . . without warning,"

I can relate to this reporter, I had the same sentiments when Clinton left the White House, only mine were tears of joy.

I may even shed a joyful tear when Tom Daschle is dragged out of the Senate in Jan.....especially if he does a perp walk and does not slide out under the back door.

[broadsword]

I may even shed a joyful tear when Tom Daschle is dragged out of the Senate in Jan.....especially if he does a perp walk and does not slide out under the back door.

I keep having this sweet vision of Frist dragging little Tommy to the door by a hand on the back of his collar and then throwing him stumbling and grumbling out into the cold winter air. (sigh)

[OldFriend]

Anyone surprised.

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

I cried...

1.) for the thousands of victim's of that raghead's bloody 35-year terror campaign against the Jewish people.
2.) for the two illegal race wars (P.C. term "Intifada's") Arafat started when his personal power or profit were threatened by upturns in the Middle east peace talks.
3.) For the poor, defiled goats, too numerous (and too silent) to count...

[attiladhun2]

The only reason that b*stard is isn't dead yet is that hell must have been too full for a while. I say turn the rotten little puke into hog sh*t.

[magellan]

"The article is from a British paper which (surprise!) uses British spelling."

We're separated by a common language.

[BenLurkin]

Pathetic, weak-minded, anti-Semite liberal loser.

[marty60]

What a brainless bimbo. A bloodthirstymurdering terroist and thug. Steals millions from POOR Palestinians. And this B***h cries for him. she should be fired immediately. Maybe the BBC, can run a doc about Arafatmouths exploits as a young terrorist, How about the bombing of the King David Hotel, full of British.

[four more in O 4]

Only received 500 complaints. ONLY 500?!! What does that tell you about the bbc's readership.

For 35 years this thug-gangster asshole has done everything BUT make the world safer for his people. He has done everything in his power to ensure his people are second class citizens compared with the Jews while he has spirted away BILLIONS of dollars.

Rather than take care of his people and develop the lands they control, he took it on himself to demonize the Israelis. When they took possession of the land they now inhabit it was a freaking desert. Work, blood, and sweat turned the land into the place it is now. THIS is what Arafat wanted all along, to prosper at the hands of the NOBLE Jewish peoples.

Hopefully whoever takes over for Arafat, will actually have the Palestinian people first and foremost in their minds. Peace can only be achieved by true leadership which involves self sacrifice, something Arafat knew nothing about.

[finnigan2]

This "journalist" is obviously a political partisan with strong personal opinions on every major issue in the world today. The BBC has a problem: Where do you put such a person in the organization where their evident agenda does not color it's news reporting?

[spodefly]

Sometimes the "fair and balanced journalists" of the world actually allow the truth to slip out.

[Chode]

what do you want to bet this silly fat cow Plett will be one of the first out in the street when he FINALLY dies doing the LU,LU,LU,LU,LU,LU,LU???