Britain's Daily Mirror known for its opposition to Iraq war
Posted on 04/01/2003 5:47:39 AM PST by JohnHuang2
On the same day that Peter Arnett was fired by NBC for controversial statements to Iraqi TV, the veteran journalist was hired by the Daily Mirror, a British tabloid known for its anti-war stance.
Britain's Daily Mirror known for its opposition to Iraq war |
"I report the truth of what is happening here in Baghdad and will not apologize for it," said Arnett.
As WorldNetDaily reported yesterday, Arnett was axed after granting an impromptu interview to state-run television in Baghdad, making comments that appeared to many to be anti-American.
"I am still in shock and awe at being fired," writes Arnett in his debut dispatch for today's edition of the Mirror. "There is enormous sensitivity within the U.S. government to reports coming out from Baghdad. They don't want credible news organizations reporting from here because it presents them with enormous problems."
Arnett's comments on Iraqi airwaves sparked a firestorm of complaints in the U.S. to NBC and "National Geographic Explorer" for whom the New Zealand-born correspondent was reporting.
 Peter Arnett on Iraqi TV |
"Clearly, the American war planners misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces," Arnett told Iraqi TV. "That is why now America is reappraising the battlefield, delaying the war, maybe a week, and rewriting the war plan. The first war plan has failed because of Iraqi resistance now they are trying to write another war plan."
Even though NBC fired Arnett, he still appeared on the network's "Today" show, saying he wanted to apologize to the American people.
"It was clearly a misjudgment talking to Iraqi TV," Arnett said. "I'm not anti-war. I said what we all know about this war. But I've created a firestorm and for that I'm sorry."
Regarding his future, he joked: "There's a small island in the South Pacific I'll try to swim to. I'll leave."
But within hours of Arnett's termination in the U.S., the Daily Mirror – the British publication most opposed to Operation Iraqi Freedom – announced it had hired him.
"Fired by America for telling the truth ... Hired by Daily Mirror to carry on telling it," read the headline on the tabloid's front page today.
"I don't want to give aid and comfort to the enemy – I just want to be able to tell the truth," says Arnett. "I came to Baghdad with my crew because the Iraqi side needs to be heard, too."
On June 7, 1998, Arnett was the reporter on a broadcast of CNN's "NewsStand" which accused U.S. Army commandos of using sarin nerve gas in a top secret operation known as "Tailwind" during the Vietnam War.
The report accused Tailwind participants of using the lethal gas against American defectors who were hiding in a small village in Laos. The entire village and all in it were reportedly wiped out in about 10 minutes.
The Tailwind story was first exposed as a fraud in WorldNetDaily, and both the network and Time magazine were forced to issue apologies and retractions. Arnett kept his job but was reprimanded over the report. He subsequently left CNN when his contract was not renewed.
That's why the US government didn't mind that Peetah stayed in Baghdad once the war started.
To Peetah, truth is in the eye of the beholder. Satan feels that way too.
You show me someone who thinks they are objective because they don't admit to their predelictions, and I'll show you a crackpot.
What does that say about the agenda of the Daily Mirror?
Arnett, you're an idiot. You didn't get fired for telling the truth, because you weren't telling the truth. You said the U.S. military had to scrap it's first war plan. How in heavens name did you get access to that obviously SECRET material? You were fired because you were/are delusional about what is going on in this war. Perceptions are reality, and in your case your perception of reality does not jibe with any thinking people. You were fired because your hate of the United States has clouded any professional objective thinking you may have once had.
So Arnett can argue, with some justification, that he was fired for "telling the truth."
However, even if the war plan has failed, you don't say so in the enemy capital, so he should have been fired for giving the interview where he did.
But, IMHO, his real sin was taking credit for helping to further anti-war sentiment in the States, thereby displaying that he wished the defeat of his country. Such behavior is despicable. He should have been terminated immediately for this comment. It should not have taken NBC over twelve hours to do so.
Journalists also point out that his interview was given to a non-journalists. Apparently, they fault him for this judgement has well.
(Has the war plan failed? Again, I dunno. I've been reading military history for over thirty-five years, and I am pretty impressed with our progress so far. If these are the fruits of a failed war plan, I hope we can have more failures!)
Well, I could actually add a bit more about Arnett, but I don't want to get banned. LOL!
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