Wikileaks video struggles to get airing on US TV

Yesterday Wikileaks released a decoded video showing the killing of a dozen people, including a Reuters news agency photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen and his driver, Saeed Chmagh in Baghdad in 2007. The footage, which is harrowing not only in what it depicts but also the attitude of the Apache attack helicopter crew to those who were shot to death, spread across the internet, driven by Twitter users who were quick to pick up the story.

On the other hand the mainstream press in the US has been more reticent about the incident and for a period yesterday MSNBC blocked all search attempts using the term "wikileaks". Even as I write this CNN is not showing the whole video but rather a truncated version which has scenes from the start of the video and not footage which shows the helicopter crew a firing upon a civilian van which had drawn up to help the Reuters driver who was injured in the initial attack and resulted in the serious injury to two young children inside.

The video is also at odds with the account by the Washington Post published at the time where those who took part in the operation stated that the chopper, code named Crazy Horse was responding to insurgent fire and that every effort had been made to deal humanely with the dead and wounded. As Capt. James Hall, a chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, who arrived on the scene minutes after the incident said to the Post, July 13, 2007.

"We pulled up and stopped, and I could hear them over the intercom say they couldn't drive the Bradleys in because there were too many bodies and didn't want to drive over them,"

On the other hand the transcript taken from the Apache's radio traffic just after the attack (see here for the transcript on the Wikileaks site) reveals a different story.

"I think they just ran over the body,"

"Ha, ha."

"Yeah"

"Maybe it was just a visual illusion, but it looked like it."

"Well, they're dead, so."

New Democracy's scorched earth economic policy

Greece does not produce cars not does it manufacture computers. It relies instead upon tourism, shipping, agriculture and construction. So, when you read that the contractors who built the Greek stand at the world's most important trade fair in London have been forced to go to court due to to the country's government's unwillingness to pay them on time then you have to wonder what the hell is going on. It seems that the previous conservative New Democracy administration carried out a scorched earth policy as far the country's economy is concerned.

It wasn't enough to borrow huge amounts of money "off the books" so putting futures generation in hock for decades to come. That would have been too simple. In addition they left a legacy of debt and mistrust in virtually every area of public life, including Greece's vital tourist industry which now owes millions to advertisers such as CNN, Google, MTV and even 67,000 euros to London taxi drivers. It was only the last minute intervention of recently appointed junior minister for the economy Kostas Papakostas that averted the mortifying spectacle of the English bailiffs seizing Greece's national Tourism Organisation (EOT) assets as a result of a court order due to outstanding debts stemming from a trade fair in 2008.

Not that any of this worries the future leadership of New Democracy. You'd think that running the country's economy into the ground and being on the business end of the worst electoral defeat in a generation would give people pause for thought. Nothing of the kind. The four, sorry now three candidates for the leadership of New Democracy have done little else since their election debacle of October 4th than fight amongst each other over how the next party leader will be elected. There has been little or no discussion over why their party have seen its worst defeat since 1981 or why despite winning power three times since its inception in 1974 New Democracy has not once been able to serve a full four year term.

Looking at the three remaining candidates Dora Bakoyianni, Antonis Samara and Panayiotis Psomiadis you cannot but be reminded of the Titanic. The current backroom deals over who is going to become leader of New Democracy on have as much relevance as arguments over who is going to share the captain's table on that unfortunate vessel.

RYANAIR MAG

RYANAIR MAG, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The ever budget-conscious boss of Ryanair has suggested the discount airline may start charging passengers for using the toilet on board its flights.

Michael O'Leary said the airline had revived inquiries into whether the airline could install coin-operated toilets on its fleet.

"People might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he said in a BBC interview, adding "We're always in Ryanair looking at the ways of constantly lowering the costs of air travel and making it more affordable and easier for passengers to fly with us."

CNN

See here from the logical next step in this process ;

Speaking to CNN

Well, that was nerve wracking. I just got interviewed over the phone by somebdy for CNN while it was broadcast live. It didn't help that my antiquated phone seem to choose this particular time to start to act up.

They asked if I had seen anything like the current situation. I told them that whilst violent confrontations are nothing new I have never seen this level of violence and never for so long. Usually, these protests end after a day.

Also the reporter wanted to know what those protesting wanted. I think that what is happening can't be seen in terms of a political agenda or programme but rather as an outburst of rage over a range of social problems young Greeks face. The murder of 15 year old Andreas Grigoropoulos was just the straw that broke the camel's back for many.

Also they wanted to know what ordinary people thought of what was happening. I suppose there are a number of reactions. Many are shocked and disgusted by the material damage caused whilst others share the anger of those on the street.

Talking to CNN about the Greek riots

in about an hour I'm expecting a phone call from CNN. They want to interview me about the riots that have been going on in Greece over the last couple of days.

Even the state run TV channels, which usually follow the government line to the letter are now talking about the murder of 15 year old in Athens on Saturday night. It seems that eye witnesses are saying that the two officers got out of their patrol car after getting into an argument with a group of thirty teens in the Exarchia district. apparently, one of the officers throw a flash bomb at the group whilst the other fired at them three times resulting in the death of Andreas Grigoropoulos.

The police have a long and inglorious history of over reaction and violence. In part encouraged by the fact that even the most outrageous breeches of the law usually get over looked or punished lightly. Case in point was the savage beating on live TV of Cypriot student, Avgoustinos Dimitriou November 17, 2008. None of the eight oifficers involved spent time in jail. Indeed, the hapless student was charged with resisting arrest and tried recently in Thessaloniki.

In addition there have been a string of deaths of immigrants involving the police. Here in Thessaloniki last year Nigerian national,Tony Onouha, who died after falling from the balcony of a cafe in Kalamaria while "being chased by officers" according to the official report.

Last year the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) also noted in its report considerable number of allegations of abuse by police officials of foreign nationals in custody including the case of a detainee allegedly tortured with pliers while in custody in the northern Greek city of Alexandroupoli.

I, myself fell victim to these thugs last year when I was beaten by riot police during a peaceful demonstration on Tsimiski. My crime? Taking pictures of them.that cost me a broken nose, dislocated shoulder and extensive bruising.

As seen on CNN

A picture I took was on CNN's homepage. I'd posted it along with a report on their Ireport page. A few hours later somebody phoned me and asked me about what happened and if they could use my picture.

Glad to see the back of it

"Police had warned they would confiscate all banners, signs or objects that might be thrown and arrest anyone who showed signs of protesting."

According to the BBC the Greek police seem to have cancelled the Greek constitution and our civil liberties for the day. Obviously, the right to protest peacefully doesn't count if the Olympics games are involved. I'll be glad to see the back of the Olympic torch.

For CNN's take on this click here.

Greece bans foreign media from covering Olympic torch ceremony

According to reports by CNN and Associated Press the Greek government will not allow foreign media to cover the Olympic torch's Acropolis leg. Eager to avoid a repeat of the protest by French journalists during the ceremony to mark the lighting of the flame the Greek government has sought to control what the rest of the world sees.

No mention was made of protests by Danish activist outside the IOC offices in Athens nor similiar protests in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. However the state run NET channel did briefly show club wielding police threatening Greek demonstrators who had attempted to unfurl a banner along the route of the Olympic flame in Athens.

In a petition signed by hundreds of Greek journalists the Greek government was accused of aligning itself with China's totalitarian regime and "participating in a festival of hypocrisy". Their angry response was prompted by what they saw as attempts by the Greek state run media to censor pro- Tibetan protests in Olympia.

See here for the full text of the press release.

NowPublic

Tags: China | Greece | Associated Press | Beijing 2008 | CNN | Olympic Games | tibet | World

The little blog that could

Picture by Teacher Dude

I just got name checked by CNN over a story I wrote about yesterday (see here). Well, If you dig down deep enough and click on From The Blogs you'll find a link to this blog. Still, it's a start. All right, Mr DeMille I'm ready for my close up.