TV footage of war is a primary source of information. We turn into big round pairs of eyes which automatically follow whatever is happening on TV — from scenes of the fire-lit sky in Baghdad, uniformed soldiers, ordinary Iraqis running at the sound of sirens to analysts having their fifteen minutes of fame, spewing out all their theories that relate — or don’t relate — to what is happening in Iraq.

• People sit glued in front of their TV sets, grasping a remote control that is the only tool as they search for “Breaking News”, the telling phrase written in red across their screens.

• Every detail of the military operations in Iraq is seen by million of TV viewers — how much is cut or censored depends on which side of the conflict the viewers identify with. How much truth is left for ordinary viewers? Military censors on one side decide how much can be reported by journalists. TV stations have their own guidelines on what to broadcast and what not to. Interpretations of what is seen of course vary and peoples’ opinions can easily be influenced by the most dramatic, most movingly expressed — call it what you will, but this kind of reality TV is influencing people in many different ways.

• Someone said that we are watching two different wars — one on CNN and one on Al-Jazeera. Each channel is following its own plan in order to achieve a desired effect. Again, how much of the coverage is true? Each station has its own agenda and we, the viewers, have to put the pieces of the puzzle together and decide for ourselves what is happening.

• Flicking from one channel to another, I stopped for a minute at Abu Dhabi, broadcasting live from Baghdad. The correspondents are panicky; at one point when the bombing started, they began to shout: “Baghdad is burning!” sending a wave of terror into their viewers. A friend said her mother wept when she heard those words. I switched immediately to BBC where the same story is being reported. Only there it’s calm, a business as usual tone, active but composed.

• Al-Jazeera shows US soldiers captured by Iraqis and people gather to watch the scenes of terrified prisoners making different comments, ranging from vindictive to sad. An old woman watches and sadly shakes her head, saying; “I wonder how their (the captured soldiers’) mothers feel now?”

• Donald Rumsfeld on CNN talks about how he expects Iraq to follow international law in treating prisoners of war. A friend observes, “What about following international law in how the prisoners in Cuba are treated? What about flouting international law and the UN to go to war against Iraq?”

• Reality footage aside, in step the commentators, and they are numerous and ready to go. They begin trotting out all kinds of theories, implications and predictions. Some of them hit the right button with some viewers though others only arouse anger. One psychologist on a satellite channel said that it is now proven that the West hates Arabs and Muslims.

He said, “It’s time to raise your children with an awareness of that hatred. They have to know who their enemies are.” He went on to defend his point by saying that the American and British governments were elected by the people and that polls in those countries indicate that the majority of Britons and Americans support their leaders. He brushed aside a comment by the interviewer who reminded him of protests going on all over the world, even in Britain and America by saying they are only a small minority which doesn’t count.

Such outrageous statements rightly produced lots of phone calls, some supporting the man and others disagreeing. What was obvious was how the influence of such remarks on viewers is completely unpredictable. We know that those remarks do indeed — and sadly — represent the thoughts of some people but surely neither the remarks nor the ideas should be encouraged.

• Anti-war protesters march in front of police lines, desperate to be heard. Some are struck by riot police.

• No matter who wins this war, it’s become obvious that in today’s world, there is no place for censorship. There is always a way to find what is happening. The media will be the only winner in this war or in any future war, for that matter.

Arab News Opinion 25 March 2003