Posted on 01/29/2005 1:56:57 PM PST by kattracks
LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The BBC apologised on Saturday for erroneously reporting that U.S.-led and Iraqi forces may be responsible for the deaths of 60 percent of Iraqi civilians killed in conflict over the last six months.The British broadcaster said on Friday in broadcasts and a news statement that its Panorama investigative show would air a report on Sunday citing "confidential" records from Iraq's health ministry to support the contention.
Iraq's health minister said the BBC misinterpreted the statistics it had received and had ignored statements from the ministry clarifying the figures.
"Today, the Iraqi Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying matters that were the subject of several conversations with the BBC before the report was published, and denying that this conclusion can be drawn from the figures relating to 'military operations'," the BBC said in a news statement on Saturday.
"The BBC regrets mistakes in its published and broadcast reports yesterday."
A BBC spokesman said the statistics would not feature in the Panorama show on Sunday.
The BBC should be called BBS... ammo for taking down BBC lovin' trolls:
"But it is clear to independent observers that the majority of Iraqis who have been killed in military operations were either killed by terrorists or were themselves insurgents," Alwan said in the statement.
He said the BBC report was based on the difference in numbers between the two categories of "terrorist incidents" and "military action" in the ministry's statistics.
He said the BBC chose to ignore a statement put out by the ministry on Friday which said that those recorded as killed in "military action" included Iraqis killed by terrorists, not only those killed by coalition forces or Iraqi security forces.
Alwan also said those recorded as killed in "military action" included "terrorists", security forces and not simply "civilians".
BBC, I can't HEAR you! Speak louder!
"BBC apologises for misinterpreting Iraqi death stats"
You know, this saying "I'm sorry" by liberals/commies/socialists/criminals/terrorists who got caught, and so the list goes...does nothing for me.
If one was REALLY SORRY they would change their ways. </rant off>
Thanks piasa.
I didn't know Dan Blather had a part time job with the BBC. You learn something everytime you log on to FR.
The BBC is beyond redemption.
I shall never believe them again.
Do all these leftist biased "journalists" go to the same place for training?
The BBC doesn't know what it's talking about. It's a sick job that BBC News is broadcast in the U.S.
Thanks for the link
I don't believe they were misinterpreted. I believe they were deliberately distorted in their anti-American HATRED! Why the British government spends TAXPAYER money supporting such lies is beyond me, unless of course, this hatred extends to the British public which I'm beginning to believe is actually the case since you RARELY see any public outcry about these lies.
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