NEWSPAPERS editors were threatened with prosecution under the Official Secrets Act last night if they published details of a conversation between Tony Blair and George Bush in which the President is alleged to have suggested bombing al-Jazeera, the Arab news network. Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney-General, informed newspapers editors including that of The Times that "publication of a document that has been unlawfully disclosed by a Crown servant could be in breach of Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act."
Supposedly, Scott McClellan, Bush's press secretary, said he never seriously suggested that al Jazerra should be bombed, but he did not deny the president told Blair that. Analysts assume that Bush was joking. However, before Bush departed, Blair once again brought up the bombing suggestion, and told the President, again, that he did not approve of bombing al Jazerra.
Of course, al Jazerra's office in Baghdad was bombed, and one reporter was killed.
Now we also hear that the Pentagon is paying journalists in Iraq to publish positive stories about the American presence.
In the documentary, "The Control Room," about al Jazerra, the executive producer, Samir, explains that every successful war needs propaganda. He is right. The bush administration wants a specific spin on the news, is willing to pay cash for it, and maybe even bomb al jazerra to prevent any other spin from occurring. This destroys our nation's credibility - free speech is one of the requirements for democracy, a free press is needed also.
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