WAR ON IRAK: CENSORED

Scoop.nz: War Pictures Cause Yellowtimes.Org To Be Shut Down, Again

Somebody doesn't like hearing the truth. Okay, for a second, lets scratch that and choose a slightly less politically charged term. Someone doesn't like to be disputed with alternative views, counterclaims, research and fact. Someone wants you, the reading public, to only gather one-sided, monotone, Orwellian dispatch. News the way they "fashion" it. Or as CNN will have you believe, the "most reliable source for news."

And so, once again, the staff at YellowTimes.org was threatened with a shutdown:

"We are sorry to notify you of suspending your account: Your account has been suspended because [of] inappropriate graphic material."

Within hours, the site was shut down.

What's next? Martial law?

An e-mail hours later was more explanatory: "As 'NO' TV station in the US is allowing any dead US solders or POWs to be displyed (sic) and we will not ether (sic)." Of course, at the time of this e-mail, TV stations across the U.S. were allowing the images of U.S. POWs to be brought to the public's attention.

CNN grilled an Al-Jazeera spokesperson on the (de)merits of airing such footage today. When asked by the Al-Jazeera spokesperson why it was allowed for U.S. stations to broadcast footage of Iraqi POWs, CNN's Aaron Brown said, "because their families wouldn't be watching".

Not true. CNN is broadcast around the world and is available to Iraqis. There are millions of Iraqis living outside Iraq who may recognize an Iraqi POW as a family member.

Not withstanding, to say "their families wouldn't be watching" is not an excuse. If it is a violation on the Iraqi side, then surely, it is as well on the U.S. side.

(Monday's front page of the Washington Post has a picture of an Iraqi POW being handled by U.S. troops.)

Spiegel: Bomben gegen Saddam-TV
Schwerer Rückschlag für die Iraker an der Propaganda-Front. In der vergangenen Nacht zerschossen die Alliierten in Bagdad die TV-Sendeanlagen. Der Befehl dazu kam offenbar von ganz oben: Angeblich hat Präsident Bush selbst die Anweisung gegeben.