Gaddafi forces capture and torture BBC news crew

[irishScott]

Yeah... as if they guy's reputation could get any lower.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12695077

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces detained and beat up a BBC news team who were trying to reach the strife-torn western city of Zawiya.

The three were beaten with fists, knees and rifles, hooded and subjected to mock executions by members of Libya's army and secret police.

The men were detained on Monday and held for 21 hours, but have now flown out of Libya.

Government forces are in a fierce fight to wrest Zawiya from rebel control.

Artillery and tanks have pounded the city - which lies 50km (30 miles) from the capital Tripoli - over the last four days.
'Gun against neck'

The BBC team showed their identification when they were detained at an army roadblock on Monday.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

There was evidence of torture on the [other detainees'] faces and bodies”

End Quote Feras Killani BBC Arabic correspondent

* BBC team's barracks ordeal
* In their own words
* Options for intervention
* In pictures: Battle for Libya

They had been seeking, like many journalists, to get around government restrictions by reaching besieged Zawiya.

The three of them were taken to a huge military barracks in Tripoli, where they were blindfolded, handcuffed and beaten.

One of the three, Chris Cobb-Smith, said: "We were lined up against the wall. I was the last in line - facing the wall.

"I looked and I saw a plain-clothes guy with a small sub-machine gun. He put it to everyone's neck. I saw him and he screamed at me.

"Then he walked up to me, put the gun to my neck and pulled the trigger twice. The bullets whisked past my ear. The soldiers just laughed."

A second member of the team - Feras Killani, a correspondent of Palestinian descent - is said to have been singled out for repeated beatings.

Their captors told him they did not like his reporting of the Libyan popular uprising and accused him of being a spy.

The third member of the team, cameraman Goktay Koraltan, said they were all convinced they were going to die.

During their detention, the BBC team saw evidence of torture against Libyan detainees, many of whom were from Zawiya.
'Abusive treatment'
Continue reading the main story
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* Libya conflict in maps

Koraltan said: "I cannot describe how bad it was. Most of them [other detainees] were hooded and handcuffed really tightly, all with swollen hands and broken ribs. They were in agony. They were screaming."

Killani said: "Four of them [detainees] were in a very bad situation. There was evidence of torture on their faces and bodies. One of them said he had at least two broken ribs. I spent at least six hours helping them drink, sleep, urinate and move from one side to another."

A senior Libyan government official later apologised for the BBC team's ordeal.

But the BBC said in a statement that it "strongly condemns this abusive treatment".

"The safety of our staff is our primary concern especially when they are working in such difficult circumstances and it is essential that journalists working for the BBC, or any media organisation, are allowed to report on the situation in Libya without fear of attack," said the statement from Liliane Landor, languages controller of BBC Global News.

"Despite these attacks, the BBC will continue to cover the evolving story in Libya for our audiences both inside and outside the country."
Rebel bounty

Government forces have been mounting a strong fightback against the rebels who rose up in mid-February to end Col Gaddafi's 41 years in power.

The main square of Zawiya reportedly changed hands twice on Wednesday in the fighting between pro-Gaddafi forces and the insurgents.
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Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen: We have decided to extend our surveillance

State TV reported that the army had retaken Zawiya, and showed pictures of what it said were residents staging a pro-Gaddafi rally.

On the eastern front around the Mediterranean oil port of Ras Lanuf, rebels retreated in the face of heavy government shelling and ongoing air strikes, amid reports that oil facilities were blown up.

Col Gaddafi also launched a diplomatic offensive, dispatching envoys overseas on the eve of a summit by Nato defence ministers in Brussels.

High-ranking members of the Libyan leader's inner circle were sent to Cairo, Brussels, Lisbon and Malta to approach government officials.

The Libyan government meanwhile offered a reward for the capture of rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the ex-justice minister.

The amount was 500,000 Libyan dinars ($400,000; £250,000).

 

[Nebor]

I don't understand why people view reporters as some sort of sacred force on the battlefield, like a doctor or a priest or something. They're gathering intelligence on a battlefield. They're surrounded by danger. Bad things will happen to them. I won't feel sympathetic.

 

[irishScott]

I don't understand why people view reporters as some sort of sacred force on the battlefield, like a doctor or a priest or something. They're gathering intelligence on a battlefield. They're surrounded by danger. Bad things will happen to them. I won't feel sympathetic.

They're non-combatants and there is no evidence that they were spying for anyone but the BBC. When stopped at an Army checkpoint they showed their credentials without resistance. If the Army didn't want them there they should have arrested them and sent them back to a non-restricted area, where they could be ejected from the country if need be. American forces got such flack over Abu Ghraib for doing less to potentially guilty prsoners, but you're giving Gadaffi's goons a free pass for doing worse to innocent reporters?

 

[comptr6]

I'm surprised Gaddafi didn;t want to kiss their hands and thank them for broadcasting anti-Israel propaganda 24/7. Oh well. I guess it sucks to be them!

 

[Fear No Evil]

It could be worse, he could be taking their collective bargaining rights away.

 

[JEDIYoda]

They're non-combatants and there is no evidence that they were spying for anyone but the BBC. When stopped at an Army checkpoint they showed their credentials without resistance. If the Army didn't want them there they should have arrested them and sent them back to a non-restricted area, where they could be ejected from the country if need be. American forces got such flack over Abu Ghraib for doing less to potentially guilty prsoners, but you're giving Gadaffi's goons a free pass for doing worse to innocent reporters?

That is the most idiotic thing you could say!!
They are reporters....
Their job is to gather information and report it.
The information they report may seem to be unbiased but it can be used against the enemas...

Thats why during WW2 what reporters reported was very regulated. Some would even say they were censored...lol...

Reporters in and on the battlefield=fair game!

 

[bfdd]

What happens if he wins? I'm not suggesting we, the United States of America, intervene. But what if he beats the rebels?

 

[P4man]

Well, could have been worse; they could have thrown them in jail for 7 years without charges, beat them up regularly and sexually assault them. Thats what some other regimes do to foreign journalists

 

[irishScott]

That is the most idiotic thing you could say!!
They are reporters....
Their job is to gather information and report it.
The information they report may seem to be unbiased but it can be used against the enemas...

Thats why during WW2 what reporters reported was very regulated. Some would even say they were censored...lol...

Reporters in and on the battlefield=fair game!

Journalists are protected by the Geneva Conventions moron. Fair game my ass.

http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/7c4d08d9b287a42141256739003e636b/f6c8b9fee14a77fdc125641e0052b079

Chapter III. Journalists

Art 79. Measures or protection for journalists

1. Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians within the meaning of Article 50, paragraph 1.

2. They shall be protected as such under the Conventions and this Protocol, provided that they take no action adversely affecting their status as civilians, and without prejudice to the right of war correspondents accredited to the armed forces to the status provided for in Article 4 (A) (4) of the Third Convention.

3. They may obtain an identity card similar to the model in Annex II of this Protocol. This card, which shall be issued by the government of the State of which the Journalist is a national or in whose territory he resides or in which the news medium employing him is located, shall attest to his status as a journalist.

 

[P4man]

Journalists are protected by the Geneva Conventions moron.

WHile that is true, Im sure Gaddafi could have quoted some documents published by US authorities to explain how the Geneva convention protection doesnt apply in this case, and why they are allowed to detain the suspects indefinitely without charges while subjecting them to 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. What goes around, comes around, and frankly Im surprised Gaddafi didnt think of this. Perhaps he will when they capture a US camera crew.

 

[wuliheron]

Serves them right for breaking the law. There's so many legal ways for the media to exploit peoples' suffering without getting involved in other peoples' money making scams. They should have just taken a cue from Fox and the other networks and said whatever they thought would earn the highest ratings and splice in some old footage.

 

[Veliko]

Serves them right for breaking the law. There's so many legal ways for the media to exploit peoples' suffering without getting involved in other peoples' money making scams. They should have just taken a cue from Fox and the other networks and said whatever they thought would earn the highest ratings and splice in some old footage.

Which law did they break?

 

[Doppel]

Some of the folks responding in this thread need some level of professional help. It's as if they revel in the injustices of the world.

 

[wuliheron]

Which law did they break?

Why the only real law of the land anywhere, whoever has the biggest stick makes the rules!

 

[Veliko]

Why the only real law of the land anywhere, whoever has the biggest stick makes the rules!

So when someone gets beaten up and abused by the representatives of an oppressive state your only response is "ololololol you deserved it"?

 

[wuliheron]

So when someone gets beaten up and abused by the representatives of an oppressive state your only response is "ololololol you deserved it"?

When we water board somebody in Guitmo without so much as any formal charges or drag someone like Julian Assange through court on trumped up charges and attack his finances everybody cheers and yells for more! Oh, but don't cheer when a few goons rough up a couple of reporters! It's an outrage by an "oppressive" state.

Personally I don't see it as any better or worse then watching football. It's a bunch of idiots sometimes paid outrageous sums to risk crippling themselves. The only real problem is when the sides are unevenly matched and its no contest. Takes all the fun right out of the game. In this case the idiots tried for a Hail Mary pass and fell flat on their faces. It's worth a chuckle and then soon forgotten.

 

[JD50]

WHile that is true, Im sure Gaddafi could have quoted some documents published by US authorities to explain how the Geneva convention protection doesnt apply in this case, and why they are allowed to detain the suspects indefinitely without charges while subjecting them to 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. What goes around, comes around, and frankly Im surprised Gaddafi didnt think of this. Perhaps he will when they capture a US camera crew.

Oh so this is a valid defense now? Cool, I guess we can use that for everyone that was detained at Gitmo, since many of the countries that those detainees are from are known for their brutality.

 

[JD50]

Well, could have been worse; they could have thrown them in jail for 7 years without charges, beat them up regularly and sexually assault them. Thats what some other regimes do to foreign journalists

You're aware of the atrocities that Sudan has committed aren't you? Well, what goes around comes around, right?

 

[Veliko]

When we water board somebody in Guitmo without so much as any formal charges or drag someone like Julian Assange through court on trumped up charges and attack his finances everybody cheers and yells for more! Oh, but don't cheer when a few goons rough up a couple of reporters! It's an outrage by an "oppressive" state.

Two points.

- No, "everybody" does not cheer.
- What does that have to do with this anyway?

Personally I don't see it as any better or worse then watching football. It's a bunch of idiots sometimes paid outrageous sums to risk crippling themselves. The only real problem is when the sides are unevenly matched and its no contest. Takes all the fun right out of the game. In this case the idiots tried for a Hail Mary pass and fell flat on their faces. It's worth a chuckle and then soon forgotten.

What on earth are you on about?

 

[JD50]

Two points.

- No, "everybody" does not cheer.
- What does that have to do with this anyway?



What on earth are you on about?

That guy and P4man apparently think the world was all flowers and cupcakes before Gitmo opened up, so anything that happens now can be directly tied to what they think the US did at Gitmo.

Whatever, it's a ridiculous diversion these guys are trying to pull, the OP has absolutely nothing to do with anything the US has done.

 

[wuliheron]

Two points.

- No, "everybody" does not cheer.
- What does that have to do with this anyway?

What on earth are you on about?

It's not that hard to understand really. The price of freedom in the free world has been going up as the economy goes down. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the press becomes just another form of entertainment and propaganda. Fox news, the World Weekly News, they're all the same anymore.

One man who escaped the old Soviet Union was asked by reporters what his impression of the US was to which he replied, "We knew we were being lied to!" Meaning that Americans are oblivious to the fact they are being lied to. That was a long time ago and thankfully now we aren't quite so pretentious. We can just sit back and enjoy the show. For all I know these reporters paid someone to rough them up just for a good headline.

As they say, "That's show biz." Break a leg.

 

[Veliko]

It's not that hard to understand really. The price of freedom in the free world has been going up as the economy goes down. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the press becomes just another form of entertainment and propaganda. Fox news, the World Weekly News, they're all the same anymore.

One man who escaped the old Soviet Union was asked by reporters what his impression of the US was to which he replied, "We knew we were being lied to!" Meaning that Americans are oblivious to the fact they are being lied to. That was a long time ago and thankfully now we aren't quite so pretentious. We can just sit back and enjoy the show.

*gets a headache*

For all I know these reporters paid someone to rough them up just for a good headline.

As they say, "That's show biz."

This is the only part of your post that is relevant. Your justification for saying "Serves them right for breaking the law" is that there is small possibility that those journalists paid someone to assault them.

You are mental.

 

[Scotteq]

Apparently, the Arabic letters for "BBC" look a lot like the ones for "Fox"...

 

[Atreus21]

ALERT: Good thread topic being derailed by morons.

 

[Nebor]

They're non-combatants and there is no evidence that they were spying for anyone but the BBC. When stopped at an Army checkpoint they showed their credentials without resistance. If the Army didn't want them there they should have arrested them and sent them back to a non-restricted area, where they could be ejected from the country if need be. American forces got such flack over Abu Ghraib for doing less to potentially guilty prsoners, but you're giving Gadaffi's goons a free pass for doing worse to innocent reporters?

They're not spying FOR a nation, but on a broad scale, they're gathering information for the Western world. Gadaffi cut off the internet and phones for a reason, to limit information flow. Allowing reporters in to publicize the situation runs contrary to his interests, so I fully understand his treatment of the reporters.