BBC reporter cried for Arafat

[DC09]

Senior editors at the BBC are understood to have remonstrated with their correspondent, Barbara Plett, over her "misjudgment" in revealing on air that she had cried when Yasser Arafat's Jordanian helicopter carried him away from Ramallah en route to hospital in France.

The BBC has received some 500 complaints about Plett's broadcast, which was broadcast on its Radio 4 program, "From Our Own Correspondent."

In her report, Plett said: "When the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry . . . without warning."

She went on to reflect that, "in quieter moments since I have asked myself, why the sudden surge of emotion? I suppose there was a pathos about the strong contrast between this and other journeys Yasser Arafat has made."

In her report, entitled "Yasser Arafat's unrelenting journey," Plett noted that "foreign journalists seemed much more excited about Mr. Arafat's fate than anyone in Ramallah We hovered around the gate to his compound, swarming around the Palestinian officials who drove by, poking our microphones through their dark, half-open windows."

She lamented that amid all the media activity just a few hundred loyalists turned out to see him off from Ramallah, "waving and calling out one of his favorite sayings: 'The mountain cannot be shaken by the wind'."

Where were the people, she asked, "the mass demonstrations of solidarity, the frantic expressions of concern?" Then she answered her own question: "I think this history explains Palestinian emotions better than mine.

"For me, it was probably the siege. I remember well when the Israelis re-conquered the West Bank more than two years ago, how they drove their tanks and bulldozers into Mr. Arafat's headquarters, trapping him in a few rooms, and throwing a military curtain around Ramallah.

"I remember how Palestinians admired his refusal to flee under fire. They told me: 'Our leader is sharing our pain, we are all under the same siege'. And so was I. Maybe that gives me some connection to the man whose presidential compound became a prison.

"I know what it is like to stare at the same four walls and find them staring back; to watch tanks swing their turrets outside my window; to scan rooftops for snipers during brief hours of freedom between curfews. I could understand why Palestinians responded to Mr. Arafat then the way they did."

It is thought that such sentiments will fuel accusations that the BBC is incorrigibly pro-Palestinian, despite the October 2003 appointment - with support from Israel's Foreign Ministry - of an ombudsman to oversee its reporting of Middle East affairs.

The contract of the ombudsman, Malcolm Balen, was recently extended for a second year.

Full Article

[Nxt2Hvn]

I have felt like crying a couple of times myself.... every time I hear the the report that he has died turns out to be false....

[DC09]

Specter Backs Partial-Burial Abortion for Arafat

2004-11-07) -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, R/D-PA, today said that to resolve the condition of Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, who is "hovering between life and death," he favors a procedure which critics call "partial-burial abortion."

"Of course, it's Mrs. Arafat's right to choose," said the future chairman of the senate judiciary committee, "But to end her inconvenience, I would recommend what physicians call an INX, which stands for interment and expiration."

If Mrs. Arafat chooses this option, her husband's body will be lowered feet-first into the grave. When only the head remains above ground, a surgeon will use a pair of scissors at the base of his skull to remove his brain.

"The beautiful thing about his procedure," said Mr. Specter, "is that since Chairman Arafat wasn't really alive, it won't make him a Muslim martyr. Plus, it pro-actively fulfills the requirement of Islam for burial within 24 hours of death."

Link

[Mekorig]

Maybe he do evil things in his life, but is his highr than some USA presidents, or citizens.

[Diebytheflyguy]

The BBC has received some 500 complaints about Plett's broadcast, which was broadcast on its Radio 4 program, "From Our Own Correspondent."

In her report, Plett said: "When the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry . . . without warning."

People are sp uptight! Who really cares if she started to cry? Seems people have nothing better to do, so they send complaints! (*Waits for it*)

[kikuchiyo]

what kind of warning do you get before crying?...it's spontanious (given the right situation) like fainting or yawning...

[wunarmdscissor]

I have felt like crying a couple of times myself.... every time I hear the the report that he has died turns out to be false....

do u feel the same about arial sharon or is he above that because its onlypalestians he orders killed??

do u feel the same about george bush and tony blair, they have the blood of 140 000 iraqis on their hands??

I dont think bush or blair are criminals but by your logic they should be.

[Erikl]

Come on, Wun!

Stop with the damagogue.

Arafat is a terrorist, his actions are mostly directed to kill and slaugther innocent civilians, not combatants.

I don't understand why you defend this scum, anyway.

He didn't kill only thousands of Jews, but also responsible for the death of 10,000 Christians in Lebanon, and 2,000 Jordanians.

This man was directely responsible for most of the blood shed in the ME in the last 30 years.

[wunarmdscissor]

Im not defending him erikl and contrary to what you believe i extremely dislike him.

Thats not the point im making.

[Novo]

I hope you guys realize, how incredibly tiny isreal is. Something like 14 of the country could fit into virginia.

[Seraphina]

Amazing that such a tiny country can cause so much mayhem....

[Erikl]

Amazing that such a tiny country can cause so much mayhem....

350902[/snapback]

Or you can look at it another way: it's amazing how so many people are obssesed with this tiny country... I wish they all just leave us alone for once.

[kikuchiyo]

It only takes 3 people to start a riot.