Last year I watched Control Room, the documentary on the Middle Eastern news provider Aljazeera that Donald Rumsfeld inferred being in the right place at the wrong time (i.e. they’re tipped off by terrorists).
I don’t know about Rumsfeld’s assertions, but one thing is certain after watching the movie: these people are human and fragile, as one of their correspondents died in a bombing attack during the initial leg of the Iraq war.
Now a new British memo has revealed that Bush may have wanted to target their headquarters in Qatar for destruction.
PRESIDENT Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a “Top Secret” No 10 memo reveals.
But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash.
A source said: “There’s no doubt what Bush wanted, and no doubt Blair didn’t want him to do it.” Al-Jazeera is accused by the US of fuelling the Iraqi insurgency.
The attack would have led to a massacre of innocents on the territory of a key ally, enraged the Middle East and almost certainly have sparked bloody retaliation.
A source said last night: “The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.
“He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.
“There’s no doubt what Bush wanted to do – and no doubt Blair didn’t want him to do it.”
One British official calls it a harmless, joking comment, but other sources say it was very serious.
Who are we to believe?
I will say one thing. During the course of watching Control Room, we got to know a Marine by the name of Josh Rushing. At the time, it appeared as if he seemed slightly conflicted about the news he had to deliver, but he did so with honor and conviction. He now works for Aljazeera.
Take that as you will, but what does it say about this organization?