Main headline in the right-wing rag today: 'Next stop Britain? The Afghan boys groomed as Taliban suicide bombers who are fleeing Calais' Jungle to head to UK'.Check out that bit in the middle again: "The Afghan boys groomed as Taliban suicide bombers", which to most people reads like some Afghan asylum seekers who are trying to access the UK are suicide bombers trained by none other than the ruthless Taliban.
But if you read the article*, a totally different story emerges. It turns out the Afghan boys in question are two 12-year-old kids who are in fact fleeing the Taliban. One of them said: "'It was not safe in my country because the Taliban were always trying to kidnap me and give me training for suicide attacks", adding that "[the Taliban] tried so many times to kidnap me. Luckily I escaped."
Too late, however, for your average dull-witted Daily Mail reader. No doubt 'Johnny expat', 'Steve_supportRboys', 'Cathy British-N-Proud' and 'FedUp' have all already interiorised the notion that Taliban suicide bombers are trying to invade Britain.
The next time a Daily Mail columnist write about social cohesion, or about Labour's lies and spin, they should be slapped in the face with a wet mullet.
[*UPDATE 22 SEP 2009: The "story" has been completely removed from the Mail's online edition. As if it had never been there. Details here.]
6 comments:
It's not easy for these kneejerk reactionaries to get their head round the fact that "suicide bombers"TM are often acting under duress. It's well documented, they just tend to ignore it.
You may have to clarify that one Tom, otherwise I may start suspecting you're trolling...
I don't understand, Claude. I read this blog because I was impressed by the Melanie Phillips/BNP scoop. Why would I be trolling?
These same papers report mentally ill women and people tied to car steering wheels as "suicide bombers." Am I not allowed to say that they're nothing of the sort in that case?
Alright. Thanks.
Just asking for a clarification. It's very easy to misunderstand online. Sorry if that sounded blunt.
No problem, I sometimes comment in haste too.
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