BBC Retraction & Apology
Via Drudge this morning, comes this report wherein the BBC is apologizing for erroneously reporting that more innocent Iraqi civilians had been killed by the coalition and its evil bombs than by insurgents and terrorist attacks.
The statistics concerned the number of people killed in conflict-related
violence in the second half of 2004.
The figures said that 3,274 people had died in that period, 2,041 of them as the
result of "military operations".
The other 1,233 deaths were attributed to "terrorist operations".
The BBC reported the figures as suggesting that coalition and Iraqi forces
could be responsible for up to 60% of conflict-related civilian deaths in
Iraq.However, the Iraqi Ministry of Health then clarified that the figures
included not just civilians, but also insurgents and Iraqi security forces.
And it said that the phrase "military operations" referred to Iraqis killed
by insurgents as well as coalition or Iraqi forces.
The ministry said the BBC had misinterpreted the figures.
The figures were not used in John Simpson's report on Sunday's Panorama
programme, as it was still being prepared for broadcast and changes were made.
However, the statistics were given out in other news reports.
"The Iraqi Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying matters that
were the subject of several conversations with the BBC before the report was
published, and denying that this conclusion can be drawn from the figures
relating to 'military operations'," said the BBC in a statement.
"The BBC regrets mistakes in its initial published and broadcast reports."
How embarrassing. I tell you I am shocked, SHOCKED, that the BBC got this wrong. Such a reputable bias-free news organization.
(sarcasm off)
