Goodbye Lebanon,its bull**** time again....

Dangerfield

Anybody else been watching Sky News? Whats happened to coverage of the Israeli massacre in Lebanon?

Surprise!

"ATTEMPTED TERRORIST ATTACK IN LONDON!"

Seriously, does anyone else believe this bull****? Obviously just another cheap ploy to divert peoples attention from the real frightening issue in Lebanon.

There is just so many things wrong with this whole ridiculous scenario......

Watching the news these days is very frustrating. There is just so much crap, its difficult to know where to begin examining it. By the time you've focused on one piece (of said crap) and the first tremors of annoyance begin, suddenly theres 10 larger, more stinkin pieces there. It really makes me sick, every aspect.

Creamy Goodness

maybe it could be all made up, but would you say it's made up if like 10 planes dropped from the sky? as the news would still focus on it as much if the planes did blow up.

flogen

Some people are commenting on the coincidental timing of this where a terror alert and serious incident hits the headlines as Blair struggles to justify his position within the country and even his own party.

The fact is that all major stories are bound to bury others and the law of averages suggests that at least one of those others will be a story that makes a politician and/or the government look bad... they might secretly appreciate the breathing space but unless someone can prove otherwise there's nothing to suggest that they orchestrated it.

DMC

You can't blame the British media for going to town on this today. The story in itself is huge and directly affects their viewers/readers, as its local news. Information must be relayed.

You can argue conspiracy theories now, but for the breaking news channels, they got to tell those affected what the deal is here and now. I'd leave the conspiracy theories to the quality Sundays. It will give them something to print during a normally quiet time of the year.

I wonder will the British media get more on Blair's back if he stays in Cliff Richard's gaff in Barbados?

Just on another tangent, you do get the impression, when do news editors decide its time to make another story the headline.... I mean, dozens die in Iraq every day, yet it doesn't lead the bulletins anymore. When you have a big news story such as 9/11, 7/7, the war in Iraq and the current Israeli/Hizbollah conflict, how do news editors judge when its right to lead with some other story, which would be milder in effect and substance?

mr_angry

I think its highly unlikely that the police would give up so much of their time and resources for such a stunt. Especially given their relationship with Blair / New Labour. This looks pretty genuine to me.

flogen

DMC wrote:

Just on another tangent, you do get the impression, when do news editors decide its time to make another story the headline.... I mean, dozens die in Iraq every day, yet it doesn't lead the bulletins anymore. When you have a big news story such as 9/11, 7/7, the war in Iraq and the current Israeli/Hizbollah conflict, how do news editors judge when its right to lead with some other story, which would be milder in effect and substance?

That's the great news question I guess.
Taking all emotion out of the issue for one minute, which isn't easy, news is often described as "an extraordinary thing happening to an ordinary person or an ordinary thing happening to an extraordinary person"; the same goes for places, where an extraordinary thing happens in an ordinary place and an ordinary thing happens in an extraordinary place (what is an extraordinary place? I'll get back to that).

So, consider the fact that something extraordinary is uncommon or rare by definition, the fact that people are dying every day in Iraq is, sadly, more common than anything. It loses its news-worthiness despite the fact that the situation has not changed... which is sad but it's a fact of the media; let's say that a terrorist faction in Iraq detonates a car bomb and kills 200 people, it'll make the news, but let's just say that in the same day another terrorist faction detonates a car bomb in Germany and it kills 20 people, which will be the bigger story?
Going back to the idea of an extraordinary place; I would say that in a way, as extraordinary events have become the norm in a place like Iraq it could be deemed an extraordinary place in an extraordinary situation; so let's say a week goes by where no one dies un-naturally, that'd be sure to make the news. Let's say that a riot is controlled and appeased by the Iraqi forces without bloodshed, that would make the news... then you have your oportunity for fluff pieces, kids going to school with the backdrop of war etc.
All of those ordinary in the extraordinary examples are probably more likely on Fox News, but something like a week without violence in Iraq would certainly have to be noted by even the most anti-war media out there...

FlutterinBantam

Well said Flogen....excellently put across

All news is local... Irish news over the past two days..not incl today..was mainly led by a glider accident in Kilkenny... bad for the people involved but as a news item hardly ground breaking..

which leads me on to the situation today.....terrorists know that anything involving air travel will generate media coverage ... even if nothing happens.

Hobbes

I would say its less of Englands doing and just Israel picking a good time for another attack.

Do you remember anything else that happened during 9/11? I do, Israel attacked Palistine with tanks and took land while everyone was focused at what was going on in the USA.

I've been busy most of the day so haven't seen all the news but as I recall from BBC this morning they said that the Police arrested people who they could not charge (not enough evidence to convict) and also knew the attack wasn't planned for today. My guess they didn't catch everyone on the initial raids and thought the others would be dumb enough to go ahead with the attacks.

mike65

On DMCs - point 4 million have died in Congo but how many could even name the waring parties or the captial of that hell-hole?

Mike.

DublinWriter

mr_angry wrote:

I think its highly unlikely that the police would give up so much of their time and resources for such a stunt. Especially given their relationship with Blair / New Labour. This looks pretty genuine to me.

Yes but, the whole operation was based on intelligence from MI6/MI5.

In so far as serving their political masters, neither agency can be found lacking. WMD in Iraq anyone?

Something about the whole operation smells a bit to me, but it's early days and we might not be getting the whole picture.

Flukey

DublinWriter wrote:

we might not be getting the whole picture.

When have we ever got it? That is the very nature of news, propoganda, spin etc. etc. etc. There is a big difference between what is known and what we are told, especially in situations like this. Almost 43 years on and we are still waiting for the real story of that infamous day in Dallas!

exiztone

Actually, this is a very interesting topic. I wasn't able to find the article, but I was talking with somebody this morning and they were telling me that the Common was due to discuss an intervention to Israel/Lebanon and the next day, this happens and the plan was cancelled. I'd really like to find the article. I guess I'll have to wait for sane peak hours before I can text to ask them.