The London Blasts: Media Review

DAY 76: 21 September 2005

Contents

7/7 Investigation - Iraq: Let's Get Out - Snippets

7/7 INVESTIGATION

A FIFTH BOMBER?

Police revealed yesterday that two of the devices found in the 7/7 bombers' car at Luton train station were packed in a rucksack, suggesting a fifth bomber was meant to take part in the attacks. Interestingly, there were five bombs prepared for the 21/7 attacks also, one of them was dumped.

'Although investigators said there was no firm evidence to date to indicate another bomber, a security source admitted there were concerns the four were part of a larger cell. "Our big worry has always been that there might be others involved in this," said the source. The extra material found in the car suggested "on the balance of probabilities" that more people were involved, he added.' (Guardian, page 9)

An interesting fragment in The Times (page 8):

'Was there a fifth bomber?'
'Rucksack with two viable devices and substantial amount of explosive was left in car at Luton. Police will not discuss if car keys found.'

Three of the 7/7 bombers carried out a reconnaissance 'dry run' of their attack on 28 June. Hasib Hussain, the bus bomber, was not part of this group, which has raised questions.

AL-ZAWAHIRI TAPE

The Telegraph (page 4) slips in a couple of references to the new tape:

'A day after al-Qa'eda claimed responsibility for the bombings, detectives confirmed that they were actively exploring the "international connections" of the suicide bombers, particularly in Pakistan.' (paragraph 6)

'The videotaped message from al-Qa'eda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, which claimed the group was behind the bombings, also denounced Britain for "the historical crime of setting up Israel and the continuing crimes of Afghanistan and Iraq".' (paragraph 20, penultimate paragraph)

The connection with Britain's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is printed, but effectively suppressed.

WISHFUL THINKING

The Financial Times reports (page 2):

'Thousands of police who were deployed to central London for counter-terrorist operations in July have returned to crime-fighting duties in their local units, and to forces outside the capital, according to Whitehall sources.'

'But Mr Clarke emphasised on Tuesday that the public should not interpret this as a sign that police were lowering their guard. “What we have is a flexible and constant changing deployment,” he said. The tactics are thought to include police patrols on London Underground trains and ongoing covert operations in addition to continuing deployment of armed units.'

'With no firm information suggesting that any particular building or event has been singled out for attack, police hope their tactics will at the very least prevent any potential terrorist identifying a vulnerable target.'

IRAQ: LET'S GET OUT

TABLOIDS AND BROADSHEETS UNITE

We don't have time to include a run-down of all the voices calling for British withdrawal from Iraq, but today they are many. The right-wing Daily Express has a simple front page: 'Bring Them Home' (you can see it today in the top right hand corner of their home page). The editorial is headlined: 'Blair's only option in the Gulf is a total withdrawal'.

The right-wing Daily Mail says,

'Immediate withdrawal of our forces when the supposedly more peaceful parts of Iraq are in such a febrile state would be dangerously irresponsible. But to shy away from the imperative to debate a clear exit strategy and timetable would be an unforgiveable betrayal of the Iraqi people - and of the British soldiers Mr Blair sent to war on a lie.'

The Guardian is of a similar mind:

'No one is arguing for an immediate pull-out, and Britain must discharge its responsibilities. But events are driving the need for a far clearer route towards a final handover.'

When they say 'no one', this is a political maneouvre, censoring the existence of a substantial body of opinion.

The Independent does some censorship of its own, setting out the four options for Iraq on its front page, but leaving out the most credible - a UN replacement force, after a staged but total US/UK military and political withdrawal.

This is the option urged in JNV's latest briefing.

SNIPPETS

TORTURE DEPORTATION SETBACK

'Egypt human rights body rejects UK's extradition proposal', the FT reports (page 11):

'Egypt's National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has turned down a British proposal that it act as a safeguard against torture in the case of Egyptian dissidents threatened with deportation from the UK.'

'... Hafez Abu Seada, an Egyptian rights activist who is also on the board of the human rights council, said the proposal was promptly rejected.'

' "We couldn't give this kind of guarantee. People deported to Egypt will be under the control of the police, and it is difficult to know if they will be tortured or not." '

'Egyptian officials have been seeking the extradition from the UK of about 20 dissidents since a wave of militant Islamist violence in Egypt in the 1990s. Some have been sentenced in absentia by military courts.'

'But Egypt has proved reluctant to sign up to any text that could be seen as an admission that torture is condoned. One Egyptian official, who has been involved in negotiations, said British insistence that the death penalty be waived and deportees supervised independently have been persistent stumbling blocks.'

As readers of this column will know, JNV believes that the primary purpose of the torture-deportation legislation was to distract attention from other troubling issues. If this analysis is correct, the success or failure of the Blair initiative will not be judged (in Downing Street) by whether the deportations succeed, or the procedure is workable/legal. These are secondary matters.

TERROR MEDIA CODE

The Guardian (page 19) reports a startling document from the European Commission (the powerful civil service body of the European Union):

'In a move which is likely to provoke a debate on state controls of the media, the commission warns that journalists pose "specific risks" in the fight against "violent radicalisation". The paper - Violent Radicalisation and Terrorism Recruitment - warns that the media are taking an over-simplified view of the world, which plays into terrorist hands.'

' "Some media disseminate propaganda which contributes to violent radicalisation," the commission says. "Typically this conveys a reductionist and conspiratorial world view where inequity and oppression are dominant ... Some form of self-regulation principle or code of conduct ... might be beneficial." '

'The commission also accuses the media of playing a role in helping terrorists recruit by allowing contacts between "radicalised individuals" on the internet and acting inadvertently as messengers for terrorists. "The media are the main vehicle through which [terrorism] attempts to affect citizens and leaders alike," the commission says. "Journalists face the difficult responsibility of reconciling their duty to inform the public with the need not to facilitate the aims of terrorists." '

'The warning to Europe's media will be issued today by Franco Frattini, the vice-president of the commission, when he outlines a 12-page proposal calling on the EU to agree a Europe-wide strategy to tackle terrorism. Mr Frattini, a close ally of the rightwing Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, offers to host a conference with the media this year to discuss his criticisms.'

An ally of Mr Berlusconi to criticise the media for helping terrorists! When the Italian Prime Minister who has done so much to aid George W. Bush's massive assault on Iraq!

Some internet censorship offered:

'Mr Frattini takes a tougher approach with internet service providers who must do more to end incitement, which he says happens "on a daily basis" on websites. "The growth in use of the internet enables people ... to create networks through which it becomes easy to incite racial and religious hatred and also coordinate terrorist actions," the document says.'

But on the other hand, the proposal to cease use of the term 'Islamic terrorism'.

'In an attempt to ensure that the vast majority of peaceful Muslims are not portrayed as terrorist sympathisers, the paper says: "The commission believes there is no such thing as 'Islamic terrorism', nor 'Catholic', nor 'red' terrorism ... The fact that some individuals unscrupulously attempt to justify their crimes in the name of a religion or ideology cannot be allowed in any way ... to cast a shadow upon such a religion or ideology." '

JNV's position is that there may be such a thing as 'Christian terrorism' or 'Jewish terrorism' or 'Islamic terrorism', but that using such terms does tend to 'cast a shadow' on a whole body of believers in a way that should be avoided.

JNV welcomes feedback.