Seven BBC Lies in a single news article, "Libya: France and Italy to send officers to aid rebels"

Editor's Note: Our columnist, Arturo Rosales sends us this shameless BBC article (republished below), writing:

"I recall that this is what the US did in Vietnam in the early 1960's.....before sending in hundreds of thousands of troops and equipment. Now, where is the UN resolution backing this up? Is this to enforce a no fly zone?"

Original BBC Coat of Arms
Do these images appear to be 'speaking peace'?

It is said that the original BBC motto, "Nation shall speak peace unto Nation" is "most likely based" on text from the Hebrew Bible, specifically the books of Micah and Isaiah, which state: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." But the BBC's history as a colonialist, pro-war, land & resource grabbing enterprise tell a different story.

Here, we identify the 7 outright lies in this BBC report:

Ground invasion of Libya by the west: Indeed, Francois Baroin speaking for the French government "reaffirmed that France had no intention of sending a military force to Libya, saying: 'We do not envisage deploying combat ground troops'." This in itself is a transparent obfuscation. At the very same time the French mouthpiece says they have "no intention ... do not envisage," a ground invasion, France is appealing to the UN for a new resolution to approve the same, explicitly.
"The real issue" - Baroin went on to call a ground invasion, the "real issue" that deserved consideration by the U.N. Security Council. The only 'real issue' is this international war crime is the invasion of a sovereign state as a bulwark against anti-imperialism in Africa and the Middle East and for the theft of Libya's natural resources.
Massacre of Civilians/Endangering Civilians: The lie about the "massacre of civilians" and "targetting of civilians" by the Libyan government has been shown to be a fabrication by a British fact-finding team made up of civilians, and in this video titled, Obama lied about Gaddafi's bloodbath?.

With that lie dismantled, now the BBC promotes a new one, saying that the Libyan government is "endangering civilians," - this following the west's direct massacre of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Palestine - calling those killed and maimed civilians, "collateral damage." When a rag-tag band of religious extremists in Eastern Libya, with arms, advice and aerial bombing supplied by foreign countries, attempts to overthrow a legitmate government and that government responds by first offering a diplomatic solution, rejected by the 'rebels', then subdues them with force - of course some civilians will sadly be killed and injured. Every nation, every government has the right to use force as defense against treason and foreign invasions. Meanwhile, this video shows who has been indiscriminatnly killing Libyan civilians.
The use of cluster bombs: Question - After the US, France, Britain and the UN lied about the Libyan government's "massacre of civilians," why are we to now believe them with their new attempt to justify their unjustifiable war, i.e. Libya's use of cluster bombs? Contrast this new accusation with the west's widespread use of cluster bombs, DU warheads and white phosphorus bombs for over a decade in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine? The story has changed from Libya's "massacre of civilians" to Libya's use of cluster bombs.
The 'Rebels' inspiration: The BBC's fifth barefaced lie in this article is their claim that the 'rebels' were "Inspired by uprisings in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt." Anyone who understands the history and genesis of this war knows that the so-called rebels were 'inspired' by their radical extremism, greed for power and employment by England, France and the United States to overthrow the Libyan government.
The Libyan government's "war crime". The BBC charges the Libyan government with the "deliberate targetting of medical facilities." Why should this claim by the over-titled, "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay" be believed when the UN was conscripted into the war by its western architects? By throwing the term "deliberate" into the statement, Ms. Pillay is asserting something that she nor anyone else could possibly know. When criminals run out of facts to justify their crime, they always resort to their claim to know the evil motivation of their enemy.
The Quagmire: The UN's Ms. Pillay stated, "I urge the Libyan authorities to face the reality that they are digging themselves and the Libyan population deeper and deeper into the quagmire. They must halt the siege of Misrata."

This supports the seventh BBC lie that, "The rebels, based in Benghazi, hold much of the east, while Col Gaddafi's forces remain in control of Tripoli and most of the west."

'Col Gaddafi's forces', i.e. Libya's legitimate military not only "holds most of the west" - they have also all but defeated the uprising in the East. Otherwise, Barack Obama wouldn't "admit a stalemate on the ground while France seeks a new UN resolution" - to invade Libya with ground troops. That corporate media report shows the Libyan government to be overwhelming the western-backed mercenaries and Misrata to be under siege:

As the regime's rockets continued to hit the beleaguered rebel town of Misrata and Nato forces struck Colonel Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, France and Britain were still struggling to persuade other members of the organisation to provide additional warplanes. A meeting of [NATO] member countries in Berlin yesterday broke up without any guarantee that military leaders would get the new resources they have asked for.

Moreover, many of Libya's terrorists (some described as foreign workers) are fleeing East Libya by boat. As early as March 7 they were all but defeated and begging their sponsors for more firepower as reported by Pravda:

"Defeated, the terrorists are begging for the support of foreign troops. A defeat of the royalist insurgents and followers of Bin Laden is a question of hours in Libya. The uprisings - most of them financed by the CIA and organized by Al Qaeda - have ceased. In a few places some terrorists resist with weapons stolen from police, but the revolutionary committees and the Armed Forces of Libya move smoothly and safely, recovering territories and restoring peace and order.

"In defeat, the rebels show their true intentions: "We want a logistical foreign intervention, air embargo, bombing military bases, communications and command in the county, through the UN," said Queidir Muftah, a rebel in Benghazi. In short, they confess to treason and demand that foreigners come to murder their own people. Indeed, this conspiracy is behind the desire of the U.S. government to steal oil from Libya, along with the interest of Bin Laden to set up a base close to Europe to promote terrorist attacks."

Mass exodus of US/NATO-supported fighters as Libyan government forces advance in Eastern Libya.

James Petras recent analysis shows what is behind these BBC lies and the photo essay below his article shows the reality of the Libyan government's success at putting down the west's mercenaries in East Libya. So it appears that if Libya has become the "quagmire" as the UN's "High Commissioner on Human Rights" says, it may very well be a quagmire for the U.S., British, French and a conflicted NATO.

The BBC and other corporate media are no less culpable for this war against the people of Libya than its US/European/Israeli architects, the international arms manufacturers and dealers and the besieged band of radicalized killers in Eastern Libya who have been pulling the triggers ... and dying.

- Les Blough, Editor

Libya: France and Italy to send officers to aid rebels
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
April 20, 2011

France and Italy have said they are to send small teams of military officers to advise Libyan rebels who are seeking to topple Col Muammar Gaddafi.

French officials said fewer than 10 would be sent, while Italy's defence minister announced that 10 would go.

The UK said on Tuesday it was sending a similar team to the city of Benghazi.

Meanwhile, the UN has said the reported use of cluster munitions by Col Gaddafi's forces in the city of Misrata "could amount to international crimes".

"Reportedly one cluster bomb exploded just a few hundred metres from Misrata hospital, and other reports suggest at least two medical clinics have been hit by mortars or sniper fire," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement.

Ms Pillay said the deliberate targeting of medical facilities was a war crime, and the deliberate targeting or reckless endangerment of civilians might also amount to serious violations of international humanitarian law.

"I urge the Libyan authorities to face the reality that they are digging themselves and the Libyan population deeper and deeper into the quagmire. They must halt the siege of Misrata," Ms Pillay added.

Later, two Western journalists were killed and two were injured, one of them seriously, in a mortar attack in Misrata. It took place around Tripoli Street, which forms part of the frontline.

The city's hospital said six people had been killed and 60 injured so far on Wednesday. Many of them had been shot by snipers.

One doctor told the BBC's Orla Guerin that he and his colleagues were exhausted by death and by blood, and asked where the international community was.

'Real issue'

Inspired by uprisings in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, the rebels have been fighting Col Gaddafi's forces since February. The rebels, based in Benghazi, hold much of the east, while Col Gaddafi's forces remain in control of Tripoli and most of the west.

French government spokesman Francois Baroin reaffirmed that France had no intention of sending a military force to Libya, saying: "We do not envisage deploying combat ground troops."

However, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said the idea of such a deployment was "a real issue" that deserved consideration by the UN Security Council.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says that in France, as in Britain, there is concern about the Libyan campaign turning into an open-ended commitment as both governments push to its limits the UN resolution endorsing the protection of civilians in Libya.

Source: BBC