Afghan news blackout during the election.

Has anyone heard of something called a D Notice?

My lecture worked at ITN as a news editor I belive it was in the 80's he told us he got served several of these...As in the government slap this on a story and told if you publish the story it will end badly for you.

Does anyone remeber Thames TV? Well they published a story that government didn't want out, guess what? They lost their franchise and that was the end of them. Or ever seen a news story just disapear...

Also I remeber when a MP/Minster waited until there was a big news event, so what they had say was important to the people but they wanted it buried. Well there ya go.

Do you ever expect to hear truth really? We are quite lucky in some ways in the country, we still have PBS unlike the the US were PBS is treated as a joke and the people of the great free nation are brained by Fox news and CNN; does anyone what CNN stands for?

I see someone said might have to report on home news, really do you think the government want it known that chiold poverty is 40% (in london, not as a nation I belive) at the moment. I think not thats just one example.

[Biker Biggles]

They can stop reporters in Afganistan but they wont stop the endless news of our young soldiers being killed and maimed getting out.I believe its five more killed this week?The saddest thing is the apathy of (particularly)young people who should be battering on the Downing Street barricades to stop this futile unwinnable debacle.
Rant over.

[yorkie_chris]

Local socialist groups seem to be more annoyed with university cuts and economics than conflict.

Even if they did protest a la USA during Vietnam conflict I would rather enlist and get shot than stand with reds.

[Biker Biggles]

Id rather stand with who I thought was right than worry about if they were reds or not.Theres never been much in the way of reds in USA but it didnt prevent huge demos against the Vietnam war.Thats because thousands of young men were being killed there for no good reason.A bit like Afganistan now in fact.

BB, I entirely agree with you.

Five more young lads killed this week. I seem to recall that victory was assured to us back in 2001, 'without a shot being fired'.

This is unwinnable, and ultimately pointless. If there are more soldiers killed then of course it focuses attention on Afghanistan strategy, which is of course uncomfortable. Nobody has yet explained in convincing terms why our soldiers are being killed to defend the corrupt Afghan government.

Gordon? - over to you.

[Biker Biggles]

Edit.Make that six dead.Just on the news.

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

They can stop reporters in Afganistan but they wont stop the endless news of our young soldiers being killed and maimed getting out.I believe its five more killed this week?The saddest thing is the apathy of (particularly)young people who should be battering on the Downing Street barricades to stop this futile unwinnable debacle.
Rant over.

Because the vast majority of young people will never be in the army, they really don't care, it doesn't affect them and no amount of coffins being brought home will change their views. In the US during Vietnam, you would have been drafted, so the idea of getting sent thousands of miles overseas to fight tended to stir them out of their apathy. Whereas in the UK it's just another news story about someone dying at work albeit a tragedy for the family and colleagues of the deceased. They're probably more interested in John Terry.

It's a pointless, unwinnable war, but as long as it's politically expedient, the coffins are going to keep coming back draped in flags.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

British journalists and TV crews are to be banned from the Afghan front line once a date for the election has been set.
<snip>
Cynical, me? Hmmmm.

You've every right to be where this govt is concerned. I don't think I've lived under a more corrupt and untrustworthy bunch of thieves in my life - and that includes living in the Med and the far East.

When I want straight uncensored news I listen to Triple J Radio in Australia on the net



w

Originally Posted by metalmonkey

Do you ever expect to hear truth really

Nope! Seldom when I'm watching the news, unless it is sports results.

The most open coverage of the Iraq war and some of the Israel/Palestine hot months that I saw was on Al-Jazeera, be it US soliders doing sh*it or extremists doing sh*it. You flick to BBC and its a bit more toned down, especially if its the west/israel doing stuff. Still ok coverage though. Then you flick to CNN/Fox and its like watching an unrelated movie.

UK in Afghanistan is just the pronloned result of 9/11 (which is a whole topic in its own), Bush's government (and the puppet that is Bush), and Blair's 'understanding' with Bush. Afghanistan is a war against the cruel geography of that area as well as anything else, and I wonder how optimistic governments really are about 'winning' the war, whatever winning entails that is.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by thulfi

and the muppet that is Bush.

corrected for you