Misinformation

[Desdicado]

here is a fine example of false information, provided by Reuters.
Every piece of misinformation is good to discredit Iraq, Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians.
a) First there is the message from Reuters, found at: IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 398 - Wednesday January 23 , 2002 (ISM is produced by the Mariam Appeal www.mariamappeal.com)
b) the second message is the original message of INA, that is quite different from the Reuters press release.
If Western press picks up the message of Reuters, and spread it around the world, it helps to make a possible large-scale war on Iraq and a genocide on the Palestinian people acceptable to the Western audiences.
This is disgusting.

Arafat urges Saddam to stop Israeli attacks - INA.

BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Wednesday urged Iraq's President Saddam Hussein to intervene to prevent Israeli "aggression" against the Palestinian people, the Iraqi News Agency reported.

It said Palestinian Public Works Minister Azzam al-Ahmad had delivered a message to Saddam from Arafat calling on the Iraqi leader "to intervene to stop the savage and bloody Zionist (Israeli) aggression against the Palestinian people".

INA said the message dealt with "the serious situation in the Palestinian occupied territories caused by Zionist aggression and the blockade imposed by the Zionist authorities against movement of Palestinian people and officials".

Saddam said at the start of the Palestinian uprising almost 16 months ago that Iraq was ready "to put an end to Zionism" if Arab rulers did not defend the Palestinians against Israel.

Saddam also ordered the formation of military units to fight with Palestinians against the Israelis. Government figures say nearly seven million Iraqis have volunteered to fight alongside the Palestinians.

Baghdad opposes peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as those signed between Israel and neighbouring countries.


And here is the original INA-report, that can be found at: http://www.uruklink.net/iraqnews/enews25.htm

President Saddam meets Palestinian envoy
President Saddam Hussein met on Wednesday envoy of President Yassir Arafat of Palestine, Palestinian Minister of General Labor, Palestinian ambassador in Baghdad Azam al-Ahmed.

Mr. Ahmed handed President Saddam Hussein a written letter from President Yassir Arafat. The letter pertained to the current serious situation in the occupied territories in Palestine due to the continuous brutal Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people, Moslems and Christians holy sites. The message also touched upon the siege imposed by the Zionist authorities and their use of all sorts of weapons including the internationally banned weapons against civilians.

The letter also included a call on the international community to provide a protection for Palestinians and stop the Zionist aggression against them.

Mr. Ahmed conveyed Arafat's greetings to President Saddam Hussein, wishing him health and happiness and the people of Iraq further progress and prosperity.

"President Saddam Hussein's speeches and addresses of support and solidarity on every occasion and every day reach us in Palestine; they strengthen our morale," Mr. Ahmed said. He hailed the great support presented by President Hussein to Palestinian injured and martyrs' families. He praised Iraqis' steadfastness in facing up to the difficult circumstances resulted because of the embargo.

President Saddam Hussein said some of the western governments are standing with Israel as if they represent one case. Some others are subjected to the Zionist media, yet I believe that the Zionist entity feels defeated, and the westerners will reach a final result that this entity is refused and has no future despite of their procrastination.

What took place in Iraq, Palestine, and southern Lebanon is enough to predict us that the elements of ability are great in the Nation. All we have is to activate ourselves, the president said.

"Convey my greetings to Abu Ammar, President Arafat, and all Palestinians men and women. Tell him that we feel proud of the Palestinians' stand confronting the Zionist entity," the President said.

President Saddam Hussein affirmed Iraq's support to the people of Palestine and to President Yassir Arafat personally as a leader and a symbol of Palestinian people.

Present at the meeting was Foreign Minister Naji Sabri.