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Damage done to Gaddafi Compound

CNN's coverage of Libya took a new turn today.  The two main bulwarks of CNN's 24 hour coverage have been veteran Nic Roberts and the young multi-lingual Arwa Damon. (she speaks fluently English, French, Turkish and Arabic).  When they sleep and shower is anyone's guess.

It seems that Roberts (not to be confused with John Roberts formerly of CNN, but now at Fox News) was taken by bus yesterday to see the damage done by a British Cruise missile launched from the submarine HMS Triumph.   The site of the damage was a Gaddafi compound in Tripoli.

Inside the wrecked building pieces of the missile, still hot were examined by Roberts and filmed by his crew.   These were broadcast widely on CNN.

Today Fox News released a story that said that the reporters had been taken to the redoubt as human shields.  They said they did not go because of this  The overworked and professional Roberts objected strongly. 

He (Nic Roberts) called the report "outrageous and absolutely hypocritical," and said that, "when you come to somewhere like Libya, you expect lies and deceit from the dictatorship here. You don't expect it from the other journalists."

The normally calm Roberts, a veteran of the many wars of the middle east, really lashed out at rival Fox News.  He said that their reporter in Libya, who he knows well, rarely leaves the hotel and stayed behind, sending instead a non-reporter, non-technical person, giving that person a camera.

"I see him (Fox reporter, Steve Harrigan) more times at breakfast than I see him out on trips with government officials here," he said. "...We very rarely see the Fox News team ... if I sound angry, it's because I am."

Roberts was mad because he was in fact rushed on the journey to the damage site.  He said that his government guide pushed him back on the bus. 

He was annoyed with the lack of professionalism of Fox.  He further said that he often goes on these orchestrated tours so that he can see for himself and pick up subtle things that are not available in government prepared press releases and videos.

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Monday, March 21, 2011