The attack on Libya
is essentially an attack on one person, Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, who is the
present poster boy for evil. Every Gadhafi deed is interpreted as malevolent;
every word as an untruth. The characterizations might be correct, but when the
media uses spurious and contradictory statements to expose his 'untruths,' its
rhetoric become questionable and its reports lose credibility.
Although insurrections and civil war generate mass killings and accusations of retribution, no authoritative reports confirm these occurrences in the Libyan conflict. After rebels retook several cities, reporters had entry and came up with nothing but shrill words. Estimates of casualties are contradictory and without confirmation. Never stated is how many of the deceased are fighters on both sides.
ITN News, Feb 23, 2011
Italy has said 1,000 people may have been killed in Libya after an armed uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
March 04, 2011, Businessweek by Massoud A. Derhally
The conflict in Libya between government troops and opponents of leader Muammar Qaddafi has left 6,000 people dead, the rebel forces spokesman, Colonel Abdullah Al Mahdi, said on Al Jazeera television today.
AAP March 10, 2011
At least 400 people have died and 2,000 been wounded in eastern Libya since the uprising broke out against Muammar Gaddafi, medics told reporters in the rebels' Benghazi base. "There have been 400 dead since the beginning in Derna, Baida, Brega, Benghazi, Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad," Salah Jabar, a medical coordinator for cities held by the rebels in the east, told reporters.
Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, without citing or being asked sources, volunteered on CNN, March 21, 2011 that "at least 8000 dead, equivalent to 500,000 in the United States," have been killed.
CNN lost credibility with its one-sided commentaries and reports.
Arwa Damon, the CNN reporter in eastern Libya, wearing the
Arab keffiyeh to give her legitimacy, never presented interviews, always stated
to the camera what she heard, and quoted rumors that soon grew into facts. As
one example, her presentation of only having heard that Gadaffi soldiers asked
civilians to come out and then shoot them soon became a fact and yet had no
conformation from other reporters.
A typical unconfirmed report which trusts the words of a partial person. Note how the reporter transcribes one resident's words to become 'residents.'
Residents painted a grim picture of the situation in Misrata.
"The situation here is very bad. Tanks started shelling the town this morning," a resident called Mohammed told Reuters by telephone from outside the city's hospital, adding: "Snipers are taking part in the operation too. A civilian car was destroyed killing three children on board, the oldest is aged 13 years."
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