Publish the al-Jazeera Memo!
In a previous post I reported on a leaked Downing Street memo, containing information regarding Bush's alleged desire to bomb al-Jazeera's headquarters, Blair's advice to refrain from such folly, as well as information pertaining to the UK's criticism of the heavy-handed handling of the liberation of Fallujah by American troops.
This document, incredibly, is now subject to an Official Secrets Act gagging order. In plain English, anyone (in the UK) found publishing this document risks going to jail. It must be the first time in British journalistic history that the press is bound and gagged by the Official Secrets Act, a tribute to the control-freakery of HMG.
Boris Johnson of The Spectator, shortly followed by Ian Hislop of Private Eye, soon declared they would publish the memo if it came their way.
Blairwatch, a popular blog (no prizes for guessing their subject matter), has joined in and launched a blogosphere appeal, which undersigned has pledged allegiance to: I too will publish the memo if it becomes available. At the time of writing some 221 bloggers have signed up to the appeal.
You too can join in and contribute to transparency and democracy (click banner). See y'all in gaol!
Keywords: al-Jazeera, Bush, Blair, Iraq, Afghanistan, Quatar, propaganda
posted by Gert @ 4:29 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Aha! Snap!
Looking at the timing, we must both have been working on similar pieces at the same time.
Btw, though I've thankfully no personal experience, being in clink mustn't be all that bad. It didn't seem to bother Archer too much, did it? ;^)
No, but as traitors we may end up being hanged and quartered!
Again, amazing how these stories permeate so quickly through blogland, that's really encouraging.
I think bloggers can really contribute to the public debate, let's keep it up!
gert,
As bloggers' "comments" glitch is now sorted, it's a case of better late than never.
When even the Times starts treating and reporting seriously on bloggers, maybe web logs are about to "come of age". So, darn right, we must keep it up.
Post a Comment
<< Home