LONDON, 13 April 2003 — The BBC’s coverage of the Iraq war in general and the looting in Baghdad in particular has drawn sharp criticism from the British government and rival media organizations for being overly negative toward the achievements of the coalition forces.
“The BBC has had a terrible war,” the Daily Telegraph said in its editorial yesterday, acknowledging the courage of the public broadcasters’ correspondents in the field but accusing it of bias.
The BBC had sought “to put the most pessimistic construction on events”, the conservative daily said, holding London editorial staff and presenters responsible.
A report on Friday morning on the disorder in Baghdad by the BBC’s defense correspondent currently stationed in Baghdad, Andrew Gilligan, drew sharp criticism from Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office.
“To lurch, as some people appear to have done, into the idea that the situation in Baghdad is worse than before the coalition arrived is to try to rewrite the history of one of the brutal regimes we have had in the 20th century.
“Try telling that to relatives of people who were fed head first into shredders. Try telling that to the residents of Baghdad who saw someone beaten to death with their tongue cut out,” Downing Street said.
In his report, broadcast on the flagship Radio Four, Gilligan said: “People here may be free, but they are passing their first few days of freedom in more fear than they have ever known before, actually.
“I mean the old fear was, you know, habitual, low-level. This is a much greater fear, that their property is going to be invaded, their daughters will be raped and they will be killed,” he added.
The BBC responded to the criticism: “Andrew has been in Baghdad since before the war started and has witnessed events there firsthand.”
