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Entries in BBC (3)

Monday
Mar302009

Pakistan: Attack on Lahore Police Station Kills Up to 60

Latest Post: Mehsud Claims Responsibility for Lahore Attack; 18 Dead

UPDATE (3:10 p.m. BST/7:10 p.m. Lahore): Dawn is quoting Pakistani security sources that eight attackers were killed, including two who blew themselves up, and six detained. Geo News is saying four attackers killed and four detained, with eight policemen "martyred" and 95 wounded. Military spokesman is also telling CNN eight security personnel killed; previous statement of 30 people killed is being blamed on "wrong information".

UPDATE (12:30 p.m. BST/4:30 p.m. Lahore): There is still confusion in press accounts. The Pakistan newspaper Dawn is reporting, "The police have overpowered the gunmen and the operation has concluded", but "official confirmations of the development are...awaited". It puts the death toll at "only" 13 although "it is likely to rise".

Al Jazeera is reporting up to 50 dead, with security sources saying at least four gunmen killed and six seized. The Daily Telegraph in Britain is citing reports of 60 dead from Pakistani television stations, with police statements of 92 wounded. About 25 gunmen were involved in the attack.

UPDATE (12.15pm BST/4.15pm Lahore): Reports suggest that Pakistani security forces have retaken the training centre, arresting at least one suspect. CNN says that at least 10 are dead, with local media reporting the number of dead as high as 25. The BBC, however, says there could be 40 dead.

Morning Update: A gun battle is continuing in Lahore between Pakistani security forces and attackers who invaded a police training centre Monday, throwing grenades and firing at officers taking morning roll call.

The attack killed 20 and wounded 25. Pakistani Rangers and police, supported by the Army and helicopters, have taken up positions around the centre.
Thursday
Mar192009

That Obama "Review/Muddle" on Iran

Related Post: Target Iran? This Week’s US-Israeli Talks

iran-mapMoments ago, in a post on the US-Israeli talks this week on Iran, we suggested that "review" and "muddle" might mean the same thing in the current policy process of the Obama Adminstration.

The BBC lends weight to this possibility, ironically, in a story headlined, "US policy towards Iran shaping up". The story begins with the revelation, "The Obama administration is finalising its policy for engaging Iran. The approach is likely to involve a combination of small steps to initiate contact between the two countries and may include an overture in the form of a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, according to Western diplomats and senior US officials."

Read further, however, and this "engagement" is by no means certain. The first difficulty comes in the timing of the initiative:
A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that he expected the letter to be sent to Mr Khamenei before the Iranian elections this summer, although Washington's allies would prefer this step to be taken after the vote, to avoid influencing the election.

More importantly, it is unclear what place a letter --- if it is being considered --- would have in an overall US approach to Tehran and even who is making that determination. The BBC story says, "US officials insist that no final decisions have been made and no announcements are expected for at least another 10 days while Dennis Ross - the top official in charge of reviewing US policy towards Iran - conducts an assessment."
Ross, however, is only one cook stirring the broth. Any assessment has to make its way to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and of course the White House.

So there may be the drama of a proposed letter but there is still no clarity on what exactly is happening between Washington and the fist, clenched or unclenched, of Tehran.
Tuesday
Mar102009

The BBC and the UN Report on Torture: Shhhh, Don't Tell Anyone

Related Post: United Nations: US Tortured, Britain Followed
Related Post: Text - UN Report on Counter-Terrorism, Human Rights, and Torture

bbc-logoAn hour ago I wrote about the United Nations report which has condemned the United States for creating a system of rendition, detention, and interrogation which violates basic human rights and allows torture and which has criticised countries such as Britain for their complicity in that system. I concluded that the report might be considered worthy of attention because it "comes from the UN, the international body to which the US and UK belong".

I apologise for my error: British newspapers are picking up on the initial report in The Guardian, but for the BBC, the story does not exist.

I have listened all morning to the Beeb's flagship radio news programme, Today. Not a word: the only reference to "torture" came from the daily religious meditation, "Thought for the Day", in which a Reverend Tom Butler reassured us that the Church no longers torture although there could be a "gray area" over issues like indefinite detention without charge.

The BBC News website is torture-free. So is Sky News, which prefers "Rock Chucking Chimp 'Proves Apes Plan Ahead'". Which, funnily enough, was a story I heard on the Today programme 20 minutes ago.

When a person is tortured by the State, that is not news. But if a person is tortured by a rock-chucking chimpanzee employed by the State....