FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
FITUG e.V.Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1598000/1598240.stm
Sunday, 14 October, 2001, 14:33 GMT 15:33 UK
Security fears over Bin Laden videos
Bin Laden's media statements concern No 10 Broadcasting executives have been called to a meeting at Downing Street to discuss their use of television footage of Osama Bin Laden.
The government has expressed concern over the use of televised messages by Bin Laden and members of his al-Qaeda network this week.
A Downing Street spokesman said there were particular worries about video tapes smuggled out of Afghanistan by Osama Bin Laden and released to the Arab television channel al-Jazeera.
Some fear that the tapes may contain secret coded messages to terrorists in the UK.
Broadcasters respond
A date for the meeting has yet to be fixed.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We have been invited to a meeting at Downing Street to discuss the use of images of Bin Laden and al Qaida associates.
"We will be attending. We will listen to what they have to say."
The director of BBC news Richard Sambrook said only a fraction of the footage had been shown and the footage had been dubbed in English - a process over which he said Bin Laden would have had no control.
The ITN says it has received an invitation to the meeting and was considering its response.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "We do feel it is important at this time to discuss with the broadcasters some of the issues that arise when you have a conflict where the media access is controlled by an organisation that is harbouring terrorists, and which has been pumping out lies and propaganda from the start.
"We look forward to having a constructive dialogue on this."
Time magazine has reported that intelligence officials believe the tape broadcast on the first day of the air strikes contained a coded warning to start more attacks.
A former al-Qaeda follower, now working for American intelligence, said that Bin Laden had used a phrase he would not normally use.
In the tape he said: "I swear to God that America will not live in peace before peace reigns in Palestine, and before all the army of infidels depart the land of Mohammed."
The magazine reported that the CIA's informer told them Bin Laden did not normally say "I swear to God" - meaning the phrase could be a code word used to tell his followers to put plans for new attacks into action.
The al-Jazeera television channel has already defended its policy of giving air time to Osama Bin Laden, saying that it is vital to tell the whole story of America's action against him and his organisation. Ahmed Sheikh, the channel's news editor, told the BBC that any news channel which considered itself to be objective would have aired the statements released by Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda.