Thursday 10 May 2018

Israel says

Israel attacks Iranian military positions in Syria! 

Did you wake up this morning to John Humphrys announcing excitedly that Israel has struck Iranian military bases in Syria?……………… after an Iranian attack on the Golan?

Is this an example of the BBC’s special  “last/first” formulation?

However, despite the Today Programme's dramatic headline, the BBC did indeed report the  “last” incident (which came first)  on the BBC website, so they were aware of it. As usual, it comes under the category “Israel says”.

Iran attacks Israel. (Israel says)
“Israel's military says Iranian forces have fired rockets at its positions in the occupied Golan Heights.
It said around 20 rockets were fired by Iran's Revolutionary Guards early on Thursday and some were intercepted, adding that there were no casualties.”
“Earlier this week, Israel said it had noted "irregular activity" by Iranian forces in the region.” 
(Did the BBC report this at the time?)
“It placed its troops in the Golan Heights on high alert and urged civilians to take shelter.”

The Times of Israel reported the “first” incident, which occurred just after midnight.  
“Some 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases by Iranian forces in southern Syria just after midnight on Thursday, with some of the incoming missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, the army said, amid sky-high tensions on the northern border. 
There were no reports of Israeli casualties in the attack. An army spok 
The Israeli army said the missile barrage was carried out by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Forces. This appeared to be one of the few instances of a direct attack on Israel by Iran, which generally operates through proxies. 
Tehran vowed revenge after the T-4 army base in Syria was struck in an air raid — widely attributed to Israel — on April 9, which killed at least seven IRGC members, including the senior officer responsible for its drone program. 
Syrian state media reported that Israeli artillery fire targeted a military post near the city of Baath in the Quneitra border region, where Syrian regime forces were stationed.
The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson confirmed that the army had retaliated to the alleged Iranian attack, but would not comment on the specific details.



Footage allegedly taken in recent hours of Syrian MLRS 
firing at IDF position on the Golan Heights. Israeli media is confirming that several rockets were fired from Syria's of the border. No word yet on retaliation by Israeli forces or Western powers

Will listeners to the Today Programme get the full picture, (in chronological order?)  We'll have to wait and see how it pans out. 
More later, personal circumstances permitting.

2 comments:

  1. I always think you should go back to the UN aproved partition of Palestine, which the Arab nations and Palestinian Arabs refused to accept, preferring instead to launch a war against the Israelis. Had the Arabs accepted the partition, the likelihood is we would have had peace for the last 70 years.

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  2. The Times of Israel also used the phrase "the army said" and "the Israeli army said" so I think it's a bit trigger-happy to be picking up on the BBC's use of the same terms.

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