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January 31, 2005
ArabSats Iraqi Election Coverage: Al-Jazeerah and al-Arabiyah [edit to update]
Al-Jazeerah and al-Arabiyah election coverage.
Sadly I have not been able to closely follow this, too busy, but some random comments on what I did catch yesterday (following text written at the time, too lazy to edit for time refs):
Interesting story on al-Jazeerah on Iraqi Jews in Israel wishing to vote in the Iraqi elections are going to Jordan to vote. They interviewed a good number, quite interesting and varied point of views. With one or two exceptions all interviews were in very good Arabic. A lot of emphasis on Iraqi nationalism among Iraqi Jews and a desire to return when it’s possible. Among the interesting points from the interviews – and we may have selection bias here, was the expressed view that the Americans have to leave Iraq. Very interesting – no doubt some play to the expected audience and perhaps a view to future relations, but on the other hand the affirmation of nationalist feeling by the largely older men struck me as being… well it sounded very Iraqi.
The discussion on afterwards was quite mixed. Several commentators saw it as an “Israeli interference” while several others saw it as an affirmation of the “Iraqiness” of “their former Jews” and a good thing. Interesting coverage, although trivial issue insofar as the numbers involved were so small. However, I do believe it is a point of reflection on al-Jazeerah. Certainly one can see how their point of view –their bias– is not as some idiot Western commentators have it “jihadi” but rather old school Arab nationalist.
Another item to note, it looks like advertising is picking up on the ArabSats-it may be that there has been a perverse feedback from negative US commentary on al-Jazeerah….
Otherwise, a lot of coverage of the injuries and killed kids from insurgent attacks on the voting centers: rather better for the political situation than the coverage of Americans killing people. What is needed clearly is not more Fallujahs but moving US reaction off the front pages / leads, and refocus on the insurgents. That is not going to happen, by the way, by whinging on about the bias of the ArabSats or other special pleading (which may be translated as “don’t do your job, be our agitprop organ”), but by making reaction better, smarter and more Iraqi. And not using sledgehammers (C-130 gunships) when screwdrivers (Spec forces) are needed.
Of course this has been true for a long time. The hard part is the Iraqi part.
By the way, in terms of communications, I would be remiss not to note that I have been pretty impressed with the quality of the Iraqi election promotion advert campaign. It’s been pretty good, although maybe just a bit too slick. If anything might be mistaken, I think it may be the slickness. Nice appeals to Iraqi nationalism however, and no hesitancy in using Islamic symbols (women in hijabs, etc).
I also would note that the interviews that both al-Jazeerah and al-Arabiyah have been running have been very hopeful and positive in re belief in the elections. I have been impressed. It appears that Iraqis themselves have been impressed with the way the elections came off. That’s an initial impression and it will be spun – I also warn that the feel good feeling that is pretty evident in the areas where things could come off will not last, and could turn very negative if “their” (whomever their is) party/group or whatever doesn’t do as well as expected (in their view). That is, elections are not something automatically conveying legitimacy here in the region: think to the bitterness and questions on the part of the Democrats post 2000 and even this round (noting that I grant the Democrats that they had good reason in 2000 to be upset and question the results). For the disappointed, I doubt there will be any hesitation to call into question the results, and the general population will not approach the idea of elections with the reservoir of trust that we find in the West. Rather their reservoir, their institincts, their gut as it were, is distrust, given 40 odd years of highly suspect and faked elections.
Still, I have to say I am taking away a bit of hope. There is a potential of potential to turn things around here – if first of all the Americans resist the temptation (I am not holding my breath) to clumsily and obviously screw around with the results, and similarly clumsily impose policies on the government. I refer back to the Allaouie government’s initial move to pardon almost all the resistance including those who had killed Americans if they would lay down their arms, something rather clumsily and stupidly reversed under clear American pressure.
Another item to retain in re the interviews, almost 100 percent contained some mention of getting the Americans out. This round, if it works, is not going to produce support for American troops or American oversight of the government, quite the contrary, it is pretty clear that the Iraqi street is seeing this as an opportunity to get the occupiers out.
A point of potential early conflict, the popular desire to see the trigger happy Americans off their streets and the inability of the Iraqi government to field replacements. Hard to see how this is going to be resolved. Certainly any government that does not make some kind of request / demand for the Americans to leave is going to be seen automatically as nothing more than façade number two.
Trivial note, I note that the old style flag seems to have two versions now – one with a Kufic style calligraphy and another with a kind of generic calligraphy for the Allah Akbar.
Do we all recall the idiotic fiasco with the CPA backed “new flag?” Trivial on one level but profoundly reflective of how CPA and its underlings focused on idiotic trivial political imagery, and even there got it all wrong.
Another trivial note: the al-Arabiyah announcer this afternoon had one of the strangest outfits I have seen. Essentially in the place of a blouse, she was wearing a see through lace body stocking type deal, with a sexy turtleneck style neck, underneath a right tight herringbone jacket.
Rather like office wear in my office. And people think women only dress in hijabs….. I’m not sure however that the above is a good thing (although the chick looked right good….).
[Edited]
I forgot to mention that across the talk during the day, the Shia reps had a fine little dance around the issue of the Kurds and autonomy. It sounded promising in the sense that they sounded willing to give the Kurds a bit of rope, but not too much.
Posted by The Lounsbury at January 31, 2005 09:57 AM
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Jan-July 2005
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