It took some grilling by Sen. Michael Ronaldson, but Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s News Director John Cameron finally admitted that Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hezbollah indeed are all terror organizations.
We appreciate Senator Ronaldson for taking up this important issue with ABC and find the results extremely encouraging. We also encourage HonestReporting’s Australian readers to take note of this development and hold ABC to its proper guidelines – that terrorists should be called terrorists.
See the following give and take between Ronaldson and Cameron on page 86 of this transcript (pdf. format). If Sen. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells’ involvement rings a bell for Australian readers, here’s why.
Senator RONALDSON—Do you view Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organisation?
Mr Cameron—There are answers provided in the piece of paper that has just been handed to me where we have done so on a number of occasions, and I presume it has been sent to you.
Senator RONALDSON—Are you confirming that the ABC views Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organisation?
Mr Cameron—We have described in these examples here—
Senator RONALDSON—Is the answer yes or no? The answer clearly is yes, is it not?
Mr Cameron—The answer is yes.
Senator RONALDSON—It is now on the public record that the ABC acknowledges Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organisation. Have you given any directions, either de facto or otherwise, to your journalists that they are not allowed to describe this organisation as a terrorist organisation?
Mr Cameron—I do not think that I have, no. I think, again, it is case by case, but we would not as a matter of course describe every group involved in terrorism, every time we mention them, as a terrorist group.
Senator RONALDSON—Are they a terrorist group one day and they are not the next, and they might be a terrorist group the day after?
Senator FIERRAVANTI-WELLS—It depends who is describing them as a terrorist group. That is the answer. It depends who it is and what suits the occasion.
Senator RONALDSON—There seems to be an element of that. Again, your views are on the public record. What about Hamas? Do you view it as a terrorist organisation?
Mr Cameron—Again, in a case-by-case situation, I am sure—
Senator RONALDSON—You cannot have a case-by-case terrorist group. Please do not treat this committee with such contempt. It is either a terrorist organisation or it is not. You have acknowledged that Islamic Jihad is a terrorist organisation. What about Hamas?
Mr Cameron—If Hamas has been involved in acts of terrorism, we would have called it that at the time. I am sure we have and I am sure we have examples of same.
Senator RONALDSON—Is it a terrorist organisation as well?
Mr Cameron—In the situations that you are describing and that I am describing, yes, they are.
Senator RONALDSON—Is Hezbollah a terrorist organisation as well?
Mr Cameron—It is exactly the same answer to the previous question. The situation changes with the story. We would not always, as I say, per se call every group involved in terrorism a terrorist group every time we mentioned them.
Senator RONALDSON—You would not call a terrorist group a terrorist group unless it had been involved in acts of terrorism. Once it has been involved in acts of terrorism, as you said to the committee before, it then shows demonstrably that it is a terrorist group, and that is the way it is described.
A press release from Senator Ronaldson’s office sums up the background info:
ABC Finally Concedes that Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hezbollah are Terrorist Organisations.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has finally conceded that Palestinian groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah are terrorist organisations.
Four years after the ABC’s international chief John Tulloh banned journalists from calling the groups terrorist organisations, the ABC has now admitted they are terror groups.
The change of heart has followed three years of forensic questioning of ABC executives by Liberal Senators Santo Santoro, Michael Ronaldson and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.
The admission from ABC news director John Cameron, that the Palestinian groups are terrorist organisations, came at Senate Estimates this week (May 24, 2006).
“This is a long overdue but nevertheless very welcome concession from the ABC”, said Senator Ronaldson.
“The ABC has finally been forced to drop its immoral double standard, where terrorists were terrorists in any part of the world except Israel and the Palestinian territories”, he said.
“I now call upon the other national broadcaster, SBS, to do the same.”
ENDS
Thursday May 25, 2006.
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