The Julian Assange Story

Video Source: Russia Today

The Julian Assange Story – Documentary (2020 Feb 24)

WikiLeaks founder’s journey from whistleblowing hero to exile

Julian Assange has spent over a decade in the spotlight, pursued and loathed by the US government for revealing its darkest secrets. Through his brainchild, WikiLeaks, Assange has published millions of leaked classified documents and correspondence on America's wars, politicians, military and corporations.

 Julian Assange at Ellingham Hall

Months after his dramatic removal from Ecuador's London embassy, Assange is set to begin his battle for freedom by contesting the attempt to extradite him. Washington wants to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act, one of its most draconian laws. If extradited and convicted, the transparency advocate could face up to 175 years in a US prison

WikiLeaks founder's removal from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

Assange's anti-secrecy activities have recently been under the microscope, and his allegedly quirky personality became the subject of relentless media scrutiny. Assange is a divisive figure: a free-speech champion to some and a dangerous maverick to others.

However, little is known about Assange's personal life. For a broader perspective on Julian Assange, his inner thoughts and motivation, RTD correspondent Konstantin Rozhkov travelled the globe to meet his closest friends, father and former colleagues.

 Julian Assange's father, John Shipton

John Shipton, his father, offers his take on Julian's formative years as a programming prodigy in Australia. British journalist, Vaughan Smith talks about hosting the WikiLeaks headquarters at his country mansion. A one-time Ecuadorian consul in London, Fidel Narvaez recalls the time he spent inside the embassy with the WikiLeaks founder and staffers. The filmmaker, Johannes Wahlstrom, talks about working with Assange on the Cablegate files.

 Julian Assange in HMP Belmarsh in London

The Assange Story pieces together their accounts for an intimate portrait of the man behind the world's biggest anti-secrecy organization.

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Julian Assange Updates

Assange loses extradition court battle 14 days to apply to reopen case

Source: Russia Today

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lost his marathon court battle in UK Supreme Court. The judge has granted him 14 days to make an application to reopen the extradition case.

Assange was not present in court to hear the ruling.

The judge ruled that the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued against Assange for his extradition to Sweden was legal under the Vienna Convention.

Assange’s legal team asked for a 14-day extension to reopen the case on the basis that they thought the ruling would be made under the UK legal system and were not adequately prepared.

Under UK law an EAW can only be issued by a judge and therefore Assange’s lawyers had argued the extradition order against him was invalid as it was made by a Swedish prosecutor.

The judges ruled that under the Vienna Convention the prosecutor was a “judicial authority.”

As a result the whistleblower may be sent to Sweden, where he has been accused of sexual assault and rape by two former WikiLeaks volunteers.

Assange says the allegations are baseless and are founded on political motivations after his website released thousands of diplomatic cables and documents sparking outcry from world governments.

There are fears that Assange will eventually be transferred to the US, where he would join Private Bradley Manning, who is currently facing court-martial for handing over classified documents to the whistleblower’s website

Assange’s premiere: Credit protest, Twitter trends & M.I.A.'s theme

A still frame shows Julian Assange as he is interviewing Hezbollah leader Sayyid Nasrallah as broadcast by RT on April 17, 2012

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/assange-show-response-credits-mia-media-282/

Julian Assange’s interview with Hezbollah leader Sayyid Nasrallah sparked a wave of media reaction and saw Twitter trends set as Assange’s crew blacked out show credits in a controversial protest.

Watch the full show on RT's video page

Assange’s team told RT "Many of the people who were credited in the Collateral Murder video [exposing US troops killing Iraqi civilians in 2007] are now wrapped up with the US Grand Jury against us as a result. The 1st Amendment in the US and its protection of journalists is under assault by the US government and we have redacted the names of the crew in protest."

Credits black-out?

The decision by Assange’s production crew to blur the show’s credits to protect themselves from possible threats by security agencies was “…a nice touch but there may also be serious political and legal reasons for this,” according to RT’s Crosstalk host Peter Lavelle.

“The US, Israel, Canada and The Netherlands deem Hezbollah a “terrorist group,” while the UK and Australia deem Hezbollah’s military wing a terrorist group, and there may be laws against contact with this political party”, explained Lavelle.

“In a recent US Supreme Court decision (Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, June 21, 2010) the Court upheld material support provisions that prohibit otherwise protected free speech. The Court said that Congress could prohibit conflict resolution, humanitarian aid and other groups from providing training or expert advice to terrorist groups, even when that assistance is aimed at preventing violence.”

See the blanked-out credits in the video below



The long anticipated premiere saw tweeters take #ExpectAssange and #TheWorldTomorrow to global trend status on Tuesday. The Mainstream media’s response, foreseen by RT and the Wikileaks co-founder, runs the gamut from “hats off” to the more predictable “that’s off.”

“Interviewing Hassan Nasrallah [is a] clever move by Assange. He's a perfectly legitimate Lebanese power player to i/v and will generate headlines,” tweeted Jerome Taylor, a reporter with The Independent newspaper.

“How fitting: Julian Assange's first guest is Hassan Nasrallah, both in dire need of some good PR after creating messes, for being obnoxious,” remarks Emile Hokayem, a Mid-East analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, via her Twitter account.



A collection of Twitter responses to the premier of "The World Tomorrow" show

Business Insider International was impressed. “While watching Julian Assange's new [RT] talk show, "The World Tomorrow", is not going to convince anyone that the embattled Wikileaks founder isn't a megalomaniac, we have to say we were pleasantly surprised by the relatively tasteful show.”

“Assange show less-than-gripping. Were questions agreed in advance? And how much is Kremlin paying Julian?” was the response from The Guardian’s Luke Harding, a former Moscow correspondent who fell out with Assange after publishing a book on the Wikileaks cables affair.

Before the premiere, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan had suggested some might call for RT to be censured over the highly controversial subject of Assange’s first interview. A truthful voice to many, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and his Lebanese Hezbollah party are branded terrorists in six countries and he himself has not made a Western media appearance in a decade.

M.I.A. doubles Assange effect

Artistic support for Assange’s cause (he’s been under UK house arrest without charge for 500 days) was audible in the “The World Tomorrow” theme tune – coming from none other than M.I.A. herself.

The Sri Lankan hip-hop star says she met Assange in London prior to the show’s launch. M.I.A. has been an outspoken supporter of Wikileaks since the website’s early days, even dedicating an album to the online whistleblower. In turn, Wikileaks referred to M.I.A. (real name Maya Arulpragasam) as the “the Julian Assange of pop music.”

Despite the multi-media storm over Assange’s first guest, and the stance taken by his crew against what they perceive as threats to their wellbeing, The World Tomorrow guest list remains tightly under wraps.

Expect the unexpected.

Nasrallah to Assange: Hezbollah talked to Syria opposition; we want dialogue, US & Israel want civil war

Nasrallah to Assange: Hezbollah talked to Syria opposition; we want dialogue, US & Israel want civil war

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/assange-hezbollah-nasrallah-syria-263/

Hezbollah urged the Syrian opposition to engage in dialogue with Assad's regime, but they refused.

Hezbollah leader Sayyid Nasrallah confirmed this in his first interview in six years, the world premiere of Julian Assange’s The World Tomorrow on RT.

Watch the full show on RT's video page

Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah told Assange that Hezbollah supports Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as Syria supported resistance in Lebanon and “hasn't backed down in the face of Israeli and American pressure.”

Nasrallah, a freedom fighter to millions though a terrorist to the US, Israel, Canada and the Netherlands, says Assad’s regime “served the Palestinian cause very well.”

This is why Hezbollah supported the so-called Arab Spring in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt and elsewhere, but when it came to Syria, Hezbollah urged the opposition to engage in dialog with President Bashar al-Assad.

“This is the first time I say this – We contacted […] the opposition to encourage them and to facilitate the process of dialogue with the regime. But they rejected dialogue,” he revealed. “Right from the beginning we have had a regime that is willing to undergo reforms and prepared for dialogue. On the other side you have an opposition which is not prepared for dialogue and it is not prepared to accept reforms. All it wants is to bring down the regime. This is a problem.”

Nasrallah called for balance on the Syrian issue as “armed groups in Syria have killed very many civilians” though international blame is leveled squarely at President Assad.

Several Arab & non-Arab states are arming and funding the rebels while in the Hezbollah leader’s opinion Al-Qaeda simply wants to turn Syria into a battle ground.

“There is fighting in Syria – when one party retreats, the other will advance, it will go on as long as doors to dialogue are shut,” he told Assange.

Stressing that Hezbollah supports dialogue, Nasrallah points out that without it, "civil war is the only alternative." In his words "this is exactly what America and Israel want… Arab states are ready for tens of years of dialogue with Israel but won't have two months to try a political solution in Syria."



'Israel is illegal state'

To this day Nasrallah believes Israel “is and will be an illegal state… It was established on the basis of occupying the lands of others,” he says. “If I occupy your house by force it doesn't become mine in 50 or 100 years.”

While “Hezbollah does not want to kill anyone”, the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is establishing a democratic state on Palestinian land where Muslims, Jews and Christians live in peace but the US “won't let people listen to Hezbollah.”

“Our priority is still the liberation of our land and the protection of Lebanon from the Israeli threat", he told Assange, "Israel's hi-tech surveillance will never crack the code of the Lebanese resistance – they use local village dialects.”

Assange show premieres

Sayyid Nasrallah is the first guest on Julian Assange's The World Tomorrow – one of the most anticipated news programs of 2012.The first-episode, with Nasrallah's identity kept secret until broadcast, coincides with the 500th day of financial blockade on WikiLeaks.

The 10-episode series features Assange in conversation with “iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders.” Speaking before the premiere, Assange revealed he expects a storm around the show, with media labeling him an "enemy combatant, traitor who interviews “terrible radicals from around the world.”

The announcement that RT would host Assange's show created a global media stir, with many questioning the RT/Assange link-up. In a pre-show interview Assange explained his rationale.

“A lot of the things that we have been trying to report have not been carried accurately in the mainstream press. There are many, many fine exceptions, but when we look at international networks there’s really only two that are worth speaking about, and that’s RT and Al Jazeera.”

'Zionist Bicom behind UK Press TV ban'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222562.html

The Zionist Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre (Bicom) has collaborated with the state-controlled British Office of Communications (Ofcom) to ban the alternative English-language channel Press TV in the UK, a political analyst says.

“With anti-Iran sabotage activities high on its agenda, Bicom has worked closely with Ofcom towards eliminating a critical voice: Press TV,” Ismail Salami, Iranian author and Middle East expert, wrote in an article published on Press TV on Sunday.

Ofcom revoked Press TV's license and removed the channel from the Sky platform on January 20 for what it claimed to be the news network's breach of the Communications Act. The British media regulator also served Press TV's London office with an order to pay a 100,000-pound fine.

“An office with intimate ties to the [British] Royal Family, Ofcom has issued the verdict under the sway of some influential parties in the government and the Bicom firm to boot,” Salami added.

He went on to explain the activities and objectives of the Israeli-sponsored company, pointing out that as a “London-based” organization “tasked with inseminating the Zionist political ideology, Bicom also funds those who are in one way or another involved with anti-Iran activities.”

“Apart from garnering support for the Zionist regime among Britons, the office also serves as a bridge between the Mossad and MI6,” with its current head, Lorna Fitzsimons, a member of the parliamentary lobby group Labor Friends of Israel (LFI), Salami elucidated.

The Iranian author also pointed to the October 2011 scandal over Adam Werritty -- an “influential member” of Bicom and “an unofficial chief of staff” to the former British Defense Minister Liam Fox -- and his efforts to subvert the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Werritty was financially backed by murky sources such as Bicom. And he was considered an influential member of the organization and a highly regarded agent for Mossad,” he noted.

“Reports also suggest that Werritty had regularly met Iranian anti-government groups, Israeli agents and right-wing US groups with a long-standing interest in subverting [Iranian] President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and overthrowing the Islamic government,” Salami elaborated.

The Middle East expert noted that, “With the closure of Press TV's office in London and the removal of the channel from the Sky platform, Britain is now deluded into believing that her efforts have resulted in splendid fruits and that she has been able to gratify the whims of the Zionists.”

“Alas! Poor Ms. Britain! There is never an impediment to the free flow of truth!” Salami concluded.

PressTV ban says West democracy fake

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222336.html

Senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi says revoking Press TV's UK broadcasting license runs counter to Western claims of democracy and freedom of speech.

“Press TV has carried out its duty, but they [British officials] took a political and preferential approach [towards the news channel],” said the head of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

The Iranian lawmaker condemned the British Office of Communications (Ofcom) for its blatant violation of freedom of speech by revoking Press TV's license for what it calls breaching the broadcasting code.

Earlier, Ofcom also hit Press TV with a fine of 100 thousand pounds. The British media regulator stepped up pressure on Press TV after the news channel covered British police crackdowns on anti-austerity protesters in London and other cities in the country.

Ofcom is said to have close ties with Britain's royal family. The cables released by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks show that Press TV's programs on the royal wedding, which many in the country describe as extravagant, has angered the royal family.

Boroujerdi added that visual media is obligated to cover significant events and developments and hence nothing can justify UK's unacceptable decision to take Press TV off air.

He concluded that such approaches prove that the West pretends dictatorships are democracies.

British Government's appalling decision

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218303.html

We see another draconian decision being made here in London to silence yet another TV channel that has always attempted to tell the truth.

Britain's Office of Communications (Ofcom) has moved a step closer to total censorship of the British Media when it decided to remove the Iranian English-language news channel from the Sky platform.

This decision is yet another nail in the coffin of democracy that David Cameron boasts so much about........what democracy?

Press TV has since its inception broadcast a very balanced view on a multitude of international topics. It has in my opinion been the very foundation of free speech and has always attempted to bring guest speaking onboard from both sides of the argument.

I guess the saying “The truth hurts” has at long last struck at the heart of the British Government with some stories that Press TV has been able to uncover.

What I find rather ironic is the fact that the BBC has now also fallen victim to Government censorship and my question would have to be “what is now left to watch that has not been doctored by the Government or our secret services”?

For many years I was always proud of my country and as a dedicated citizen served in the armed forces but I now have to say in my retirement that the image of my country has now been badly tarnished.

We have now become a country that focuses on far away wars, created mass hysteria about the possibility of some untrue Islamic attack, started systematic rape of Middle Eastern natural resources such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. We are now looking at conflict with Syria, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan with the ultimate target being that of Iran.

We are a country that is ravaged by out of control massive fraud and corruption that involves senior executives of many companies, banks, financial institutions and extremely senior politicians, including our own pass and current Prime Ministers.

We are sending our troops off to faraway lands to fight for no just cause and at the same time using weapons of mass destruction that are killing many thousands (if not millions) of innocent civilians and contaminating our own troops with severe medical consequences.

Press TV is but one of a few that has flown the flag of “free speech & democracy” that we the British have been so proud to promote and yet we have now allowed our current government to remove this unbiased channel from our shores.

It was the words of Press TV's CEO, Dr. Mohammad Sarafraz that hit the nail on the head in his response to Ofcom:

This letter is written in response to your government-controlled organization's decision to ban Press TV's broadcast in a desperate effort to silence an alternative voice in the UK.

Your decision to remove Press TV from the Sky platform was made after confidential documents from the US Embassy in London about Washington and London's concerted effort to block Press TV in Britain were leaked.

I could not have said it better myself but unfortunately we are not likely to see a change of heart by David Cameron or the British Government....they have a beautiful explanation when it comes to such matters...........as they would say “It is not in the interest of the British public.”.....my response would be to such a pathetic response “Why don't you ask the British public what they want to watch”......I guess we already know the reply and our request would fall on deaf ears......now that's true democracy for you!!!!

I myself have played a major part in actively becoming involved with Press TV both in Tehran and in London and found their topics extremely balanced and interesting..........I believe they always attempted to show both signs of the coin and frequently found myself up against some hard line Zionist or some US Congressmen that always kept the debate very much alive.

I found the closing comment by CEO Mohammad Sarafraz very inspirational when he said the following:

“What the British government fails to grasp is that the truth cannot be concealed forever, and those in the UK that want to hear Press TV's alternative voice will inevitably find a way to watch the channel of their choice. History will be unforgiving of such futile efforts to suppress free speech.”

From my perspective one can only hope that the Press TV “Flagship” continues to sail on with its gallant Captain (Mohammad Safarfaz) at the helm and that the crew of this wonderful channel of “Truth” continue to expose those that wish to deceive us...........Press TV reminds me of some very meaningful sayings by Ghandi which in my opinion fit perfectly with their ethos:

“There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e., the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state to which you may belong, from all that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being”

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS.”

Jefferson once said: "If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest." "Conquest is not in our principles; it is inconsistent with our government." Another very famous American William Jennings Bryan made the following comments during one of his many public speeches:

In 1859 Lincoln said that the Republican Party believed in the man and the dollar, but that in case of conflict it believed in the man before the dollar. This is the proper relation which should exist between the two. Man, the handiwork of God, comes first; money, the handiwork of man, is of inferior importance. Man is the master, money the servant.” Jefferson said “Equal rights to all and special privileges to none.” Lincoln added “This should be a government of the people, by the people and for the people”

How things have changed since those early days and many famous people have now destroyed the very principal of good ethics and morality.......the top of the list would have to be such people as Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Bremer, John Bolton, Condoleezza Rice and Paul Wolfowitz, George Bush Snr and Jnr, Obama, Blair, Brown and now our dear David Cameron. They have extended their own “Geo Political Master Plan” by progressively raping the world of its resources. They all state that Globalisation is good and that they all want to “Make Poverty History”..........for my part it is totally the opposite........”Globalisation has increased poverty” and only serves one purpose, to break down trade tariffs allowing the west to destroy their markets.

One has to fully understand that Western Imperialism breeds Self Induced Conflicts and Terrorism and the two together create Massive Poverty.
Lincoln stated “The safety of this Nation was not in its fleets, its armies, or its forts, but in the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.”

Finally Bryan puts everything into perspective “It is not necessary to own people in order to trade with them. We carry on trade today with every part of the world, and our commerce has expanded more rapidly than the commerce of any European empire. We do not own Japan or China, but we trade with their people. We have not absorbed the republics of Central and South America, but we trade with them. It has not been necessary to have any political connection with Canada or the nations of Europe in order to trade with them. Trade cannot be permanently profitable unless it is voluntary. When trade is secured by force, the cost of securing it and retaining it must be taken out of the profits and the profits are never large enough to cover the expense. Such a system would never be defended but for the fact that the expense is borne by all the people, while the profits are enjoyed by a few.”

“Imperialism would be profitable to the army contractors; it would be profitable to the ship owners, who would carry live soldiers to the Philippines and bring dead soldiers back; it would be profitable to those who would seize upon the franchises, and it would be profitable to the officials whose salaries would be fixed here and paid over there; but to the farmer, to the labouring man and to the vast majority of those engaged in other occupations it would bring expenditure without return and risk without reward.”

As we enter into a New Year one would have to ask the question will this bring in WW3........the west certainly has every intention of starting one and Iran clearly appears to be the prime target........however I would ask of you all “When has Iran ever attacked anyone” who helped in promoting the war between Iraq and Iran in the 1980´s, yes folks you have it right,the main offenders were the US and the UK who deliberately gave Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction and who both wanted Iraq to win the war. Both these nations intentionally elongated the war to their own advantage. That my friends certainly reveals the “True Axis of Evil.”

Whatever the New Year brings us we must all remember that those that are suppressed or who live in absolute poverty will always survive as they have the spirit to live on....the final comments from Ghandi says it all:

“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind”.

My own thank go to the good ship “Press TV” and may God Bless all who sail in her........”Bon Voyage”

Peter Eyre - Middle East Consultant- 29/12/2011


DISCLAIMER: The authors' views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Press TV News Network.

EU rejects restrictions on Press TV Ltd.

Britain's National Westminster (NatWest) Bank has frozen assets belonging to independent television production company Press TV Ltd.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/188070.html

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has rejected Britain's restrictive measures against independent television production company Press TV Ltd.

Responding to a letter written to the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton about restrictions imposed on the company, the EEAS confirmed on Wednesday that the London-based Press TV Ltd. “is not targeted by the UN Security Council's sanctions against Iran.”

However, the EU department, which functions as the EU's foreign ministry and is under Ashton's authority, said it could not “influence the decisions of EU private operators taken in view of such restrictive measure.”

The long-awaited letter advised Press TV Ltd. to convey its complaint to the European Court of Human Rights.

In its letter of December 7, 2010, the National Westminster (NatWest) Bank announced its closure of Press TV Ltd.'s bank accounts, stating that NatWest has refused to explain the reasons behind the move.

NatWest, which is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, blocked GBP 200,000 of Press TV Ltd.'s income, while legal advisors argue that banks cannot freeze the accounts of media that has been operating under the regulations of the host country.

Press TV condemned the illegal step taken by the UK government, arguing that it has not received a court order classifying Press TV Ltd's programs as being in violation of British rules.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British state-owned banking company in which the UK Treasury holds an 84-percent controlling share.

Britain's government plunged into controversy when a recent Wikileaks cable revealed that London was trying to find ways to silence Press TV Ltd. as a production company.

Press TV Ltd. was incorporated to produce news, factual programs and documentaries to be sold to the Tehran-based Press TV News Network. The company produces programs that report on current affairs around the world, some of which are critical of UK and Israeli politics.

"We entered into a commercial agreement with NatWest, not a political one," said the London-based firm, adding that it was appalled by NatWest's decision.

"However, when we witness the violent attacks on our Satellite Van, our vehicles, our cameramen and our equipment, the recent demonetisations campaign by the BBC and ITN of Ken Livingstone, and the threats to our presenters, such as George Galloway in the Houses of Parliament, and the death threats to our colleagues, the detention and imprisonment of our British reporter and the theft of our equipment by Israel in international waters, with the British government not showing any reaction to any of the above incidents, it is reasonable for us to question their position, particularly following the Wikileaks cable in The Guardian about Her Majesty's government's alleged intentions to close down Press TV Ltd.”

UK mobilizes offshoots to kill Press TV

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184061.html

The British government has mobilized all its communications and media facilities in a desperate attempt to force Iran's English language news channel Press TV off-air.

The facilities in question include the pro-Zionist newspaper The Sunday Times and other right-wing media outlets. Also contributing to the attempt is the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the so-called media regulatory body whose managers are directly installed by the Queen and have to report to the monarchy.

Ofcom has been instructed to mount pressure on Press TV with the help of Zionist media giant Rupert Murdoch's newspaper, The Sunday Times. The paper recently published a politically motivated article to distort facts about Press TV and put more pressure on the Iranian news channel.

Press TV Ltd. is a British production company which is making programs critical of Western imperialism. Its partner in Tehran, sheds light on the dark, undemocratic aspects of the British political structure, especially the hereditary rule of the royals. It also lays bare London's double standards toward Middle East developments and their links with Britain's historical presence in the region.

Press TV's regular coverage of crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territories are definitely among the strict red lines that British media policy-makers will not easily tolerate.

Outgoing Israeli ambassador to the UK, Ron Prosor, once wrote in The Daily Telegraph that “Britain is increasingly becoming a hotbed of anti-Israeli sentiment. Attitudes once considered marginal or extreme have drifted dangerously close to the mainstream.”

The WikiLeaks website also published cables of the US State Department, in which the British Foreign Office had told the US embassy in London, back in February 2010, that it was "exploring ways to limit the operations of… Press TV."

Therefore, the previously secretive campaign to halt Press TV's work is finally out in the open.

The disputed article published in The Sunday Times was written by Dipesh Gadher, 36, who considered himself a judge.

Before providing any facts, Gadher described Press TV as the “domestic enemy,” accusing the news channel of broadcasting unfair images of Britain.

Gadher, who became the deputy news editor at the paper in 2008, also accused Press TV of adopting non-professional news-writing regulations.

While, Gadher has ignored the definite rules of free and fair journalism, he stopped short of giving the readership any documented facts for his claims against Press TV.

Presenting fake statistics and distorting the documented facts on Press TV are visible all through his politically motivated article.

The administrative documents could easily dismiss Gadher's claims that Press TV's British presenter George Galloway is paid 25,000 pounds a month and that Press TV Ltd. -- a firm which makes programs for the Iranian channel -- had £2.7 million in savings.

Gadher claimed that Press TV's programs are politically motivated and risk the reputation of the British government, whereas many critics believe Press TV's coverage of the events, including the crackdown of student protests in London in early 2011, is balanced, unbiased and based on the facts on the ground.

The article also criticized Press TV over a public opinion poll about the royal wedding. The results of the poll revealed that 65 percent of people felt the royal wedding was an unnecessary official expense imposed on UK tax-payers.

Gadher has ignored the fact that by criticizing the poll, it has criticized those Press TV readers who participated in the survey, simply for expressing their opinions.

All this comes as British authorities have failed in their efforts to point to any problems with the quality or content of programs broadcast by Press TV.

The WikiLeaks report clearly shows that the British government has no other way but to seriously disrupt press TV's activities in Britain.

In line with this scenario, the London-based National Westminster Bank, Commercial Banking office froze the business accounts for Press TV Ltd. in April without any prior notice, claiming the accounts would be permanently closed in February 2011.

Reports also indicate that the staff at Press TV Ltd. have been intimidated and threatened by members of the anti-Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group in London.

The British government has, however, does not seem to have taken any measures to stop the intimidation, and threats continue on the part of the MKO forces.

Press TV's website has carried out a survey, based on which a majority of almost 6600 respondents believe the UK government is bent on silencing the news network for its reports exposing London's misguiding policies.

According to the survey, 77.82 percent of the participants believed that the primary objective behind the Britain's intensifying pressure on the Iranian news network is to silence the broadcaster because it sheds light on the dark side of British policies.

A total of 15.16 percent of the survey respondents also said the UK is attempting to discredit the channel in the eyes of international public opinion.

The remaining 7.2 percent participants said the UK seeks to remove Press TV from Sky platform or impose a punitive fine on the channel.

Britain has long been playing a destructive role in Iran, an example of which is the true extent of its involvement in the 1953 coup that toppled the country's democratically elected government of Mohammad Mosaddeq and replaced it with the tyranny of Pahlavi regime.

The state-funded British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) played a central role in that coup as evidenced by the documents.

In 2008, BBC launched a Persian channel, BBC Persian Television, which is critical of the Islamic Republic's establishment and its policies. Yet, the British government cannot tolerate a tiny but heavyweight English news channel airing from Tehran.

UK hell bent on silencing PressTV: Poll

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/183952.html

A new survey highlights a predominant view that the UK is bent on silencing Iran's English language Press TV news network due to its reports exposing London's misguided policies.

According to the survey of 6605 people conducted by Press TV, 77.82 percent of participants stated that the primary objective behind the UK government's intensifying pressure on the Iranian news network was to silence the broadcaster because it sheds light on the dark side of British policies within and outside its borders.

A total of 15.16 percent of the survey respondents expressed the belief that the UK was attempting to discredit the channel in international public opinion.

The remaining 7.2 percent participants said the UK sought to remove the channel from Sky platform or impose a punitive fine on Press TV.

The government has launched a smear campaign against Iran's Press TV following the extensive coverage the new network provided regarding a number of major issues gripping the European power, including the unprecedented student protests over tuition hikes that were met with a brutal police crackdown on protesters as well as the march by hundreds of thousands against UK government's public spending cuts.

Recent documents released by Wikileaks appear to confirm the notion that UK officials have been discussing measures to restrict Press TV's UK operations.

In April, the National Westminster Bank, Commercial Banking office froze Press TV Ltd's business account without any prior notice, claiming the accounts would be permanently closed in February 2011.

Meanwhile, in an article published on January 16, 2011, British journalist and broadcaster Lauren Booth charted UK's efforts to assist the US in blocking the company that sells documentaries and series to the Iranian news network with an identical name.

Booth, who is former British Premier Tony Blair's sister-in-law, reiterated that the Israeli-backed pressure began when the company started its activities four years ago, as part of an effort to "use Ofcom as some kind of offshoot Hasbara body."

Press TV has also been singled out for its challenging and critical coverage of the British royal family and their flagrant disregard for the common UK citizen amid the Europe-wide economic crisis.

In the latest efforts by the UK to bring further pressure on Press TV, the London-based Office of Communications (OFCOM) came up with a ruling that the Iranian broadcaster's airing of a 10-second extract from an interview with Iran-born, Western journalist Maziar Bahari while he was being held in an Iranian jail breached the regulator's rules.

On July 1, 2009, Press TV reported on an armed attack on a Basij military base in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The story included a ten-second clip of an interview conducted with Bahari, in which he said, “On Monday, June 15 [2009], I sent a report about the attack against the base, a military base of Basij to Channel 4 News as well as to Newsweek Magazine.”

Major state-sponsored British media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporations (BBC) and Channel 4 aired the manipulated footage that showed what appeared to be an incident of unrest near Tehran's Azadi Square, during which a number of Basij forces were shown shooting at what was claimed by the British media to be 'peaceful protesters,' although it was evidently not clear who and what the targets were.

Press TV later aired a more detailed version of the same event that clearly showed images of rioters attacking a Basij military base with stones and petrol bombs, while the guards were making great efforts to defuse the situation and prevent assailants from accessing the base's arms cache, which contained hundreds of weapons.

The longer footage clearly showed that the previous reporting by the state-run BBC and Channel 4 had been biased and distorted as they deliberately failed to show attacks by rioters on the military base which prompted the guards at the military base to react.

OFCOM was formed under Britain's Communications Act of 2003 that brought five different British media regulators together.

A quick look at senior decision makers at OFCOM demonstrates that the regulator is mostly made up of former Channel 4 and BBC executives, some of whom are well-linked to and influenced by powerful pro-Zionist politicians.

Colette Bowe, the 63-year old OFCOM chairperson, is reportedly paid £200,000 a year to coordinate the body's different committees. Bowe enjoyed the exclusive support of Peter Mandelson, the main economic planner of the Labour party who is a Jewish politician with an obvious Zionist mindset.

Millie Banerjee, who was reappointed to the Board of OFCOM in October 2007 after serving for a five-year term, held a non-executive post in Channel 4 between 2000 and 2002.

Tim Gardam, who was appointed to the OFCOM board on January 1, 2008, is a broadcasting sector veteran with a 25-year career that began at the BBC.

Gardam is currently a member of Content Board and chair of OFCOM's Nations committee, a member of the DTT Allocation Committee and a member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Although OFCOM officially lacks the authority to examine the content and accuracy of state-funded BBC programs, the official British broadcaster is entitled to introduce candidates for positions at the regulatory body.

OFCOM oversees the technical aspects of BBC programs but not their content.

Meanwhile, the staff at Press TV Ltd have been intimidated and threatened by members of the terrorist Mujahedin-Khalq Organization (MKO) in London. Yet, the British government has turned a blind eye to such incidents and may have even facilitated their efforts as MKO elements in Britain continue their intimidating acts.

UK govt. orders protest footage censored

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181830.html

The internet video sharing website YouTube has censored the footage of protests outside Birkenhead county court based on a request by the British government.

Some 600 activists from the British Constitution Group staged protests against a ruling on former member of UKIP Roger Hayes who has refused to pay council tax outside Birkenhead county court.

Hayes had challenged the local council to protest the government's moves which he sees as sacrificing Britain to globalist interests.

He has also attempted to prove that council tax is illegal.

Demonstrators chanting “freedom” and “arrest that judge” said they put Judge Michael Peake “under civil arrest” by surrounding him when he was going out of the court building him before police officers intervened and wrestled the judge away from the protestors.

Roger Hayes argued in the court that he has no contract with the government to pay council tax as there is an intricate distinction between himself as an individual and as a corporation, arguing that, therefore, council taxing is illegal.

Censorship of the YouTube footage related to the incident shows the government's fears of wide circulation of such information that could lead to national unrest similar to the 1990 troubles.

Back some 20 years ago, Britons staged massive poll tax riots, and forced Margaret Thatcher's government to end poll taxes.

Viewers trying to access the footage on YouTube receive the message “This content is not available in your country due to a government removal request”.

Those who follow up the message to learn more are told “YouTube occasionally receives requests from governments around the world to remove content from our site, and as a result, YouTube may block specific content in order to comply with local laws in certain countries”.

Analysts say the “local laws” commitment of YouTube allows the British government to limit, if not violate, its citizens' rights to express themselves.

Al-Jazeera's uneven coverage criticized

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181694.html

The Qatari-based news network, al-Jazeera, has been severely criticized over its biased coverage of popular uprisings in the Arab world.

While al-Jazeera gained worldwide prestige for its ground breaking coverage of the Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan revolutions, the satellite news broadcaster has remained almost silent over massive anti-government protests in Bahrain and Manama's brutal crackdown on popular uprising.

It is widely believed that since the Qatari troops are helping Manama as part of a Saudi-led effort to suppress any notions of democracy in Bahrain, al-Jazeera, which is largely funded by Qatar's ruling family, avoids covering events unfolding in the neighboring country.

Many analysts say that Emir of Qatar has a direct influence on the nature of programs broadcasted in al-Jazeera.

The news network, however, has remained silent over the accusation so far and al-Jazeera staff have refused to explain about their agency's uneven coverage of "Arab Spring."

Al-Jazeera is also accused of blowing opposition movement in Syria out of proportion.

The Qatari-based network's biased policy towards Bahrain and Syria has caused dispute among the news network workers.

A number of well-known journalists, including Ghassan Ben Jeddo, have resigned from the TV over the way the channel was dealing with the events in the Middle East.

"The reason behind my resignation was that al-Jazeera professionalism resorted to gutter journalism, which has turned the channel from a media source to the operations room for incitement and mobilization," Jeddo said referring to al-Jazeera's coverage of events unfolding in Syria, stressing that targeting Syria means targeting the resistance.

Amid dropping a number of its political programs and firing its crew, al-Jazeera is dedicating more time to live reports from anti-government movements in the Middle East and North Africa.

Press TV challenges Ofcom ruling

Iranian-born Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181727.html

Press TV has challenged the British media regulator's Monday ruling, reiterating the politically fabricated nature of claims that initiated the case against Iran's 24-hour English language news channel.

In a letter to the London-base Office of Communication (Ofcom), a Press TV legal advisor cited a BBC interview with the sole complainant in the case, fugitive Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari, just hours after the regulator passed down its controversial ruling against the Iranian network as 'newly emerged evidence' that challenges the credibility of the case.

According to the letter, Bahari made several contradictory statements during his interview with the state-funded BBC that raises serious questions about the credibility of his statements.

Bahari claimed in the interview that he was lured into submitting to a Press TV interview back in 2009 with the promise of release from jail on condition that he would “condemn Western media” and that his alternative option would be to wait six years in jail for his actual trial, after which he may face execution.

Press TV's legal challenge, however, argues that it “neither asked Mr. Bahari to condemn Western media, nor did Press TV broadcast any footage of Mr. Bahari doing so.”

In fact, the only footage that Ofcom has had (and used) for its investigation and adjudication of the case against the Iranian news channel is a ten-second clip in which Bahari says, “On Monday, 15 June [2009], I sent a report about the attack against the base, a military base of Basij to Channel 4 News as well as to Newsweek Magazine.”

Press TV's legal advisor further argues, “Given that Mr. Bahari claims that the only way of being released from prison was for him to have condemned Western media, and that the fact that Press TV did not broadcast any condemnations by Mr. Bahari of Western media, and the fact that Mr. Bahari was released nonetheless, it begs the question as to whether any of what Mr. Bahari claims or has claimed is factually accurate.”

Among other issues raised in the legal challenge, Press TV also expressed shock and disappointment about Ofcom's violation of its own regulations in pursuing the recent case against Iran's English-language news channel.

It specifically mentions that Ofcom requires that complaints must be submitted within 20 days of a broadcast and that broadcasters are required to retain material for 60 days, not 166 days in the case brought against Press TV by a British state institution, in which Mr. Bahari served as a convenient instrument.

Press TV's legal challenge against Ofcom's biased ruling also refers to Bahari's mention of a confessed and convicted female Iranian murderer and adulteress Sakineh Ashtiani, in his BBC interview on his case against the Iranian broadcaster, emphasizing that tying the totally irrelevant issue to the Ofcom case versus Press TV, clearly indicates Mr. Bahari's subjective attitude and his eagerness to incite hatred against the network and to encourage a wave of media criticism against it.

Press Release: Ofcom ruling on PressTV

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181338.html

In response to today's Ofcom ruling, Press TV has issued the following statement:

On 1st July 2009, Press TV's Tehran newsroom reported on an armed attack on a Basij base in the Iranian capital. The story included a ten-second clip of an interview conducted with Mr Maziar Bahari, in which he was quoted as saying, “On Monday, 15 June [2009], I sent a report about the attack against the base, a military base of Basij to Channel 4 News as well as to Newsweek Magazine.”

This interview was conducted in prison. Neither the Press TV journalist, nor the other reporters who were also conducting interviews, saw any signs of distress from Mr Bahari. The journalist explained the context of the interview to Mr Bahari and obtained his permission to ask questions. The reporter saw no indication that Mr Bahari had been mistreated. Press TV strongly rejects Mr Bahari's claims against it.

Press TV has never been in a position to respond to Mr Bahari's claims of what he experienced during his detention, either prior to or subsequent to his interview. Press TV played no role in these events, nor is it privy to information to either confirm or deny his allegations.

Mr Bahari's detention at the time was of a public nature, a fact that Mr Bahari himself has confirmed. However the circumstances surrounding the interview could have been made clearer to the audience.

The interview was aired on 1st July 2009. Mr Bahari did not file his complaint against Press TV until 21st December 2009, some 166 days after the broadcast. This was despite Ofcom's complaints procedure requiring all complaints “be submitted within 20 working days of the broadcast of the programme.”

Ofcom still accepted the complaint and Press TV fully assisted its investigation.

The delay was also beyond the 60 days that Ofcom requires broadcasters to retain recordings. For this reason Ofcom only had access to the footage that was broadcast; footage that Ofcom itself regarded as “so short that it was of little probative value,” rather than the unedited version which Press TV believes would have cleared its name. Instead Ofcom had to rely on Mr. Bahari's own take on events.

Press TV is concerned. On 31st March 2011, Maziar Bahari was seen sitting next to British Foreign Secretary William Hague addressing a “Human Rights Conference” in London, in which Iran was mentioned repeatedly. There is concern that a trend is emerging to politicise media matters related to Press TV.

In no part of Mr Hague's speech on “human rights” did he make references to the current human rights status within countries such as Bahrain where armed forces have been firing upon protesters.

Accurate reporting and journalism are extremely important to Press TV and its viewers. As a young news organisation, often facing hostility from the mainstream media, Press TV shall continue to strive to be the voice of the voiceless, covering stories from across the world.

Press TV a thorn in the side of UK govt

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181473.html

The UK government has launched a smear campaign against Iran's English language Press TV News Channel, spreading lies to undermine the successful media outlet.

This scenario, published in a report in The Guardian newspaper, is part of a broader conspiracy, Press TV had earlier predicted will be in the making by the British.

Iran's 24-hour English language news channel Press TV has managed to win hearts and minds among the world's public, the British in particular, to the detriment of the UK government.

Press TV's success to attract a wide-range of audience among the British is becoming particularly worrying for the UK government, so much so that it has assigned its media apparatus including so-called media regulating body Ofcom and state-sponsored newspapers to conspire to restrict the news channel, which has been founded to be the voice of the voiceless in the world.

The latest conspiracy launched against Press TV by the London-based Office of Communications (Ofcom) hovers around some allegations leveled against the news channel by a fugitive reporter whose bailed freedom was a mistake the Iranian Judiciary system should never repeat in future cases.

Maziar Bahari's story dates back to the last presidential elections in Iran in 2009, which was followed by some unrests and sporadic clashes between supporters of the failed candidates and security forces who are responsible for establishing peace and security.

At the time, the UK's state-sponsored televisions British Broadcasting Corporations (BBC), and Channel 4 aired some footage of an unrest in which some military personnel were shown shooting at what was claimed to be peaceful protesters.

The footage, which was professionally engineered to be biased in favor of the UK imperialist policies against the Islamic Republic of Iran, was supplied to the channels by Bahari, the Iranian born Newsweek writer whose mission was to inflict sabotage, as he later confessed, rather than reporting facts and realities on the ground.

Press TV channel later aired a longer piece of the same event which showed images of rioters attacking a Basij (voluntary) military base with stones and petrol bombs, and the guards who were trying to prevent assailants from reaching the base's armory.

Bahari, whose presence at the scene of the incident raised serious questions whether it was a pre-planned ploy to distort facts, was later arrested at the scene and charged.

Ten days into detention, Bahari appeared in a press conference with his consent and admitted to giving "false and biased" reports about the events that erupted in Iran after the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“Most of the work I did for BBC and Channel 4 had to do with highlighting problems in various areas… the journalist work I did revolved around daily news and issues such as the parliamentary and presidential elections,” Bahari told reporters including Press TV's.

“Western media are an inseparable part of the capitalist machine of Western liberal democracies. A Western journalist who comes to Iran… is mainly concerned with the interests of the West, which are defined in relation to each issue at every period of time,” he added.

Bahari was released on bail on October 20, 2009 and fled the country to Britain, where he was warmly received by foreign secretary, William Hague.

Later, he became the main architect of a plot hatched by the British government and got underway by its media arms including Ofcom, and newspapers, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and The Daily Telegraph to undermine and/or restrict the successful Iranian news channel Press TV, something that was predicted and written about earlier.

Britain steps up pressure on PressTV

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/180714.html

The British government has unleashed a new wave of pressure on Press TV in the latest example of infringement on freedom of speech.

The British government is apparently seeking to use Ofcom regulations as a pretext to impose penalties on Press TV news network and the independent London-based Press TV limited company.

It is speculated that in a politically motivated move, the British Office of Communications, better known as Ofcom, is pursuing a case against Press TV for broadcasting an interview with a Newsweek journalist. The telecommunications regulator is drawing on Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari's complaint that includes claims of unfair treatment and unwarranted infringement of privacy in the making and broadcasting of a Press TV program.

While PressTV is preparing to publicize the case and its arguments against Ofcom, many analysts say Ofcom's move adds another piece to the puzzle of the British government in its bid to further limit Press TV's activities.

It appears that Press TV's policy of breaking the western monopoly on media and its critical examination of certain red lines for the western media has been the main reason behind Britain's efforts to pressure the Iranian news channel, with cases like that of Bahari serving as a means to Britain's ends.

Press TV has given full coverage to student protests in Britain, shed light on the dark, undemocratic aspects of the British political structure, specially the hereditary rule of the royals, and laid bare London's double approach to Middle East developments and their links with Britain's historical presence in the region.

Such topics, along with Press TV's regular coverage of crimes by the Israeli regime in Palestine and Lebanon are definitely among the strict red lines that British media policy makers will not easily tolerate, a fact supported by a host of indications.

The US State Department cables published by WikiLeaks demonstrate that the British Foreign Office told the US embassy in London back in February 2010 that it was "exploring ways to limit the operations of… Press TV".

The WikiLeaks documents revealed that the British authorities reconsidered their decision in the face of legal difficulties at the time but were still looking at other means to address the issue, including the possible use of new anti-Iran sanctions to justify such measures.

This comes as British authorities have failed in their efforts to point to any legitimate problems with the quality or content of programs produced by Press TV. The Wikileaks report clearly shows that the British government has got no other way but to seriously disrupt press TV's activities in Britain.

Last month, the National Westminster Bank, Commercial Banking office froze Press TV Ltd's business account without any prior notice, claiming the accounts would be permanently closed in February 2011.

Meanwhile, in an article published on January 16, 2011, British journalist and broadcaster Lauren Booth charted UK's efforts to assist the US with blocking the company that sells documentaries and series to the Iranian channel of the same name.

Booth, who is former British Premier Tony Blair's sister-in-law, said the Israeli-backed pressure began when the company started its activities four years ago, as part of an effort to "use Ofcom as some kind of offshoot Hasbara body."

Booth said letters of complaint written by people linked to the Israeli Embassy in London and its supporters were sent to the broadcasting regulator whenever Press TV aired news items that shed light on the thuggery, blackmail and racism inherent in the Israeli government policy.

She added as the complaint letter campaign has not been much successful, hacking of emails, Facebook accounts and mobile phones were used to cause tensions between colleagues.

The staff at Press TV Ltd have been intimidated and threatened by members of the MKO terrorist grouping in London. Yet, the British government has turned a blind eye to such incidents and may have even facilitated them as the MKO are continuing their threats.

Press TV website plans to publish detailed information on the recent case staged by Ofcom in the near future

Britain steps up pressure on PressTV

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/180714.html

The British government has unleashed a new wave of pressure on Press TV in the latest example of infringement on freedom of speech.

The British government is apparently seeking to use Ofcom regulations as a pretext to impose penalties on Press TV news network and the independent London-based Press TV limited company.

It is speculated that in a politically motivated move, the British Office of Communications better known as Ofcom is pursuing a case against Press TV for broadcasting an interview with a Newsweek journalist. The telecommunications regulator is drawing on Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari's complaint that includes claims of unfair treatment and unwarranted infringement of privacy in the making and broadcasting of a Press TV program.

While PressTV is preparing to publicize the case and its arguments against Ofcom, many analysts say Ofcom's move adds another piece to the puzzle of the British government in its bid to further limit Press TV's activities.

It appears that Press TV's policy of breaking the western monopoly on media and its critical examination of certain red lines for the western media has been the main reason behind Britain's efforts to pressure the Iranian news channel, with cases like that of Bahari serving as a means to Britain's ends.

Press TV has given full coverage to student protests in Britain, shed light on the dark undemocratic aspects of the British political structure specially the hereditary rule of the royals and laid bare London's double approach to the Middle East developments and their links with Britain's historical presence in the region.

Such subjects along with the crimes of the Israeli regime in Palestine and Lebanon are definitely among the strict red lines British media policy makers will not easily pass, a fact supported by a host of indications.

The US State Department cables published by WikiLeaks show that the British Foreign Office told the US embassy in London back in February 2010 that it was "exploring ways to limit the operations of… Press TV".

The WikiLeaks documents revealed that the authorities reconsidered their decision in the face of legal difficulties at the time, but were still looking at other ways to address the issue, including using possible new anti-Iranian sanctions to justify their measures.

This comes as having failed to find any legitimate problem with the quality or content of the programs produced by Press TV, the Wikileaks report clearly shows that the British government has got no other way but to seriously disrupt press TV activities in Britain.

Last month, the National Westminster Bank, Commercial Banking office froze Press TV Ltd's business account without any prior notice saying the accounts would be permanently closed in February 2011.

Meanwhile in an article published on January 16, 2011, British journalist and broadcaster Lauren Booth charted UK's efforts to help the US halt the company that sells documentaries and series to the Iranian channel of the same name.

Booth who is former British Premier Tony Blair's sister-in-law said the Israeli-backed pressure began when the company started its activities four years ago, as part of an effort to "use Ofcom as some kind of offshoot Hasbara body."

Booth said letters of complaint written by people linked to the Israeli Embassy in London and its supporters were sent to the broadcasting regulator whenever Press TV aired news items which shed light on the thuggery, blackmail and racism inherent in Israeli government policy.

She added as the complaint letter campaign has not been much successful, hacking of emails, Facebook accounts and mobile phones were used to cause tensions between colleagues.

The staff at Press TV Ltd have been intimidated and threatened by the members of the MKO terrorist grouping in London yet the British government has turned a blind eye to such incidents and may have even facilitated them as the MKO are continuing their threats.

PressTV website will soon publish detailed information about the recent case by Ofcom

Britain eyes on blocking Press TV

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156611.html


The British Foreign Office has tried to abuse UN sanctions on Iran to limit the operation of the country's news broadcaster Press TV in Britain, according to information published by the whistle-blower website, WikiLeaks

US State Department cables published by WikiLeaks show that the British Foreign Office told the US embassy in London back in February that it was “exploring ways to limit the operations of… Press TV.”

The WikiLeaks documents revealed that the authorities reconsidered their decision in the face of legal difficulties at the time, but were still looking at other ways to address the issue, including using possible new anti-Iranian sanctions to justify their measures.

Based on the secret cables, the action on Press TV was meant to pressure the Iranian government, which Britain claimed was jamming the signals of BBC Persian TV, after London failed in its joint efforts with Paris and Washington to lobby the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which regulates satellite transmissions, to rule against Tehran over BBC Persian.

The WikiLeaks files disclosed that the decision “to limit the operation of IRIB's [Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting] Press TV service” was dropped as the Iranian English-language broadcaster was operating in line with British law.

“Licences [to broadcasters in Britain] can only be denied in cases where national security is threatened, or if granting a licence would be contrary to Britain's obligations under international law. Currently neither of these standards can be met with respect to Press TV,” the documents read.

“But if further sanctions are imposed on Iran in the coming months, a case may be able to be made on the second criterion," the cables added.

Gilani lashes out at Cameron's stance

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani



Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=136741§ionid=351020401


Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has dismissed remarks by his British counterpart that Islamabad is guilty of exporting terrorism.

In an address to Pakistan's Senate on Thursday, Gilani noted that his government will take up the issue with Britain via diplomatic channels.

He also sharply criticized David Cameron's remarks questioning Pakistan's sincerity in the war on terror, saying that US-led NATO forces could not bring peace in Afghanistan. The prime minister pointed out that the sacrifices of Pakistani armed forces personnel in war-battered Afghanistan are much greater than those of the multinational force.

"They should assist for capacity building of our law enforcement agencies. Such a criticism would cast negative impact on war on terror," Gilani said.

Cameron risked provoking a diplomatic row with Pakistan on Wednesday when he came close to accusing Islamabad of exporting terrorism.

“We should be very, very clear with Pakistan that we want to see a strong, stable and democratic Pakistan," Cameron said.

“We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able, in any way, to promote the export of terror, whether to India or to Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world," Cameron said in a speech to Indian business leaders in Bangalore, India.

In the past, Britain had warned against the threat of terrorism that emanates from Pakistan. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown once said that the bulk of the threat of terrorism to Britain came out of Pakistan's restive tribal regions near the Afghan border.

Ex-spy chief denies Taliban links

Gul has been accused of planning bomb attacks
in Kabul, a charge he has denied [Reuters]

By: Andrew Wander

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/07/201072691457502592.html


A former head of Pakistan's intelligence service has denied claims contained in leaked US military documents that he provided weapons and support to the Taliban.


General Hamid Gul's name appears in eight separate intelligence reports that were posted on the Wikileaks website on Monday as part of the biggest military leak in history.

Gul told Al Jazeera that the charges were a "pack of lies" aimed at implicating Pakistan in violence in Afghanistan.

"I have no involvement whatsoever," he said. "I'm not involved because I have no means and no wherewithal. This is absolutely, utterly wrong."

The leaked documents show that US officers gathered intelligence suggesting that Gul ordered suicide and roadside bomb attacks on Nato troops, and met with senior Taliban officials to plan operations against international forces.

If true, the documents would confirm what the Afghan government has maintained; that senior Pakistani intelligence figures are involved in arming, training and funding the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Planning attacks

In one classified "threat report", Gul is said to have ordered the planting of magnetic mines, to be hidden in snow on roads, where they would attach themselves to passing military vehicles and could then be remotely detonated to wreak havoc in Afghan cities.

"Gul's final comment to the three individuals was 'make the snow warm in Kabul' basically telling them to set Kabul aflame," the report said.

Another accuses him of meeting with Arab fighters in Pakistan's tribal area to plan a series of suicide bombings in Afghanistan.

Gul is also named in a report that outlines plans to kidnap UN workers to use as a bargaining chip for Pakistanis imprisoned by the US in Afghanistan for involvement in the conflict.

But the former spy chief insists he is being used as a "convenient whipping-boy" for the failings of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, and points out there is no hard evidence against him.

"They took my case to have me declared an international terrorist to the UN sanctions committee and it was vetoed, or placed technical hold on, by the Chinese because they could not produce any evidence," he said.

Prior allegations

The leaked documents are not the first time that Gul has been linked to the Afghan conflict. Earlier reports have said he is contact with senior insurgent leaders, including feared commanders Baitullah Mehsud and Jiluddin Haqqani.

Gul denies having met the men and describes himself as an "ardent friend of Afghanistan," although he is known for his vocal opposition to the US-led military presence in the country.

"I consider American and Nato forces as aggressors- in pursuit of a vicious agenda for the region, especially Pakistan and believe that the Afghan national resistance is fully justified," he said in 2008.

He insists this opposition is "strictly a moral and academic position" and says he had "never provided any material or financial support to the resistance."

But Haroun Mir, the deputy director of Afghanistan's Centre for Research and Policy Studies said he thought Gul was indeed linked to senior Taliban figures.

"He is still very active in this insurgency in Afghanistan," he said on Monday. "He has been seen in meetings with top Taliban leaders."

Complete fabrication?

Reports naming Gul are among hundreds included in the leaked documents that implicate the ISI in supporting the Taliban.


Some of the documents contain allegations of elaborate and implausible plots.

One warned that the ISI and local groupss were planning to spike alcoholic drinks and "use them for poisoning" international troops in Afghanistan; another that the ISI were offering bounties on the heads of Indian workers in Afghanistan.

Some analysts have cast doubt on the veracity of many of the claims made in the intelligence reports, pointing out that few of the alleged plots ever showed any signs of getting off the ground.

"Just about everything which I have been through on this category is rubbish," Michael Semple, a former deputy head of the EU mission in Afghanistan, said.


"Not just rumour, but complete fabrication. This applies to the tales of the adventures of Hamid Gul. He is a man with a reputation and he is a propagandist, so fabricators tell multiple tales about him."