3287) I Smell A Fisk!

“Beware, for some liars tell the truth”

- Ancient Arab Proverb

 

After reading a number of articles dedicated to discrediting a renowned investigative journalist and leading international corespondent otherwise known as Robert Fisk, I took it upon myself to familiarise myself with this icon of journalism and the focus of heated controversy and much debate. Mr. Fisk’s credentials are well-nigh second to none, in fact I regularly came across references to him as “probably the best International Correspondent in the world…”, attributed mainly to his colossal experience on the frontline and his satirical skill and firebrand style of writing…In fact so hard pressed was I to find even the faintest hint of criticism that I started to believe that surely Mr. Fisk was an anomaly amongst his peers, an outstanding and truly marvellous example of literary perfection and infallible integrity to be put on the highest of pedestals for the entire journalistic order to behold…

That was before, of course, I googled “Robert Fisk Liar”…

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Now it is vital that I point out before continuing any further (mainly to protect my Heinie from any potential litigation), that this post is not intended to question whether or not our Bob has a tendency to exaggerate, disinform, fabricate, falsify, employ propaganda or lie in his rather sensational and over-excited feature articles. Rather, I’m simply reporting a reoccurring accusation which seems to arise time and time again from individuals and organisations representing various extremes of the political and social spectrum, a rather curios fact given that you would expect at least some people to take his word for granted given his glamourous and lengthy resume. It is also rather distressing to read a number of further accusations made by his own colleagues illustrating in detail his tendency to “jazz-up” his material to dramatic effect, one source in particular recounting an episode where he likened three neglected tanks in Iraq and a few resting soldiers to an impending military confrontation, See: Robert Frisk called a liar by peers . In fact, so consistent is Mr. Fisk in his profound use of sensationalism at the most epic proportions to fulfil his suspicious and rather inconsistent agenda that his peers coined a rather fitting phrase to describe this chronic disposition, See: Fisking.

We would have been forgiven for thinking that the eponymous Mr. Fisk, the only man to interview Osama Bin Laden three times and a resident of the Middle-East for over 30 years, was the best situated candidate to effectively cover the “Arab Spring” movement and it’s proxies given his vast experience and knowledge of the region. We would also have been forgiven for assuming that Mr. Fisk would probably be the least likely of all potential candidates to have any specific bias or mistakenly accept pro-governement or opposition propaganda as fact…sadly, our man of literary talent has proven us wrong on both counts.

Bob Fisk, during his tenor covering various regional conflicts, has managed to get it very wrong on a number of occasions, one good example being his insistence that their was never any mistrust or potential threat of violence between the Sunni and Shia community in Iraq after Saddam and that they would all get along like “friends”, See: Robert Fisk is a bloody liar!. Another favourite example would be his scathing attack on president George Bush for supposedly accepting Turkey’s denial of an Armenian genocide, when in-fact what Mr. Bush was trying to explain was given the turbulence in the Middle East it wasn’t the time to antagonize regional allies, see: Robert Fisk is a liar: President Bush denies holocaust A further instance involved an overly sympathetic article published on his 2001 experience in Afghanistan after being attacked by a mob of locals, many of whom had lost loved ones in U.S. bombing raids and drone attacks and saw Fisk, some would argue quite rightly, as scapegoat, see: UK journalist beaten by Afghan mob .

Finally the most damning and relevant example of Robert Fisk’s attempt at using self-generated propaganda to satisfy his personal agenda would have to be during his coverage of the Iraq war and the subsequent waves of Kurdish refugees escaping the Saddam regime and streaming into the border area between Iran and Turkey. With Iran unwilling to deal with the Kurds and the international community turning a blind-eye, the Turks accepted responsibility for hosting these political refugees and deployed their army to erect various refugee camps to accommodate this huge influx of people and provide security for them on the border region. With pen at the ready and for reasons unbeknownst to those involved, along come Mr. Fisk who proceeded to launch a merciless literary attack on the Turkish army and their treatment of the Kurds, in one instance accusing soldiers of “stealing blankets from the refugees which they sold for a profit”. After much public slander and growing frustration with the Western Allies who ignored the growing humanitarian crisis , Turkey apprehended Mr. Fisk as part an investigation into the validity of his accusations, which, after being proven false, resulted in him being unceremoniously asked to leave Turkey and being labeled by the Turkish Government a “liar” and a “provocateur”.

“That is how Robert Fisk’s animosity towards Turkey and Turks began, and how it finally took a hold of him. He was, of course, quickly recruited by the ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia) represented in the U.K. by Lord Eric Reginald Avebury (Yes the same Lord Avebury who also represents the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights in London), to work for them and profit by disseminating their public message and propaganda. Ever since his expulsion from Turkey, Robert Fisk seems to subscribe to the philosophy that it is “better to lie for the Armenians, than not to tell the truth about the Turks,” See: Robert Fisk, A pathological liar?

Lord Avebury with Bahraini Human Rights Extremist Chehabi

A fitting expansion on Mr. Fisk’s philosophy illustrated in a most relevant quote:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

– Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels

In conclusion and in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, I invite Mr. Fisk to openly confess his failure to address the situation in Bahrain with an objective eye and would remind him that his actions have cost our country and the general, peace-loving public dearly in satisfying his rather devious and avaricious agenda…

I still smell a Fisk!

-ends-

 

By Ali F Alzayani

Twitter: @aalzayani

Related posts:

1. Robert Fisk on Bahrain: Integrity for Sale


2. Mr. Fisk, were we truly “invaded” as you say? Let’s see…


3. Seriously Mr. Fisk?

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Comments for “I Smell A Fisk!” At the "Bahrain Independent"

Lara Kaplan June 20, 2011
Video: Robert Fisk: COMPELLED TO LIE (for Armenians)
Checking the facts on the way British journalist Robert Fisk attempts to validate what is strangely one of his greatest passions, the Armenian genocide claim. Three Fisk videos admiringly prepared by similarly unquestioning Armenians are examined
http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2010/12/3187-robert-fisk-compelled-to-lie-for.html

Ali Alzayani June 20, 2011
Thank you for this video, very interesting and pretty damning! Further evidence that Robert Fisk is definitely not the finest example of objective journalism…

SasperEllla June 20, 2011
And I smell a wonderfully written delightful article. Thank you for the first, truly satisfying take on this disgrace of a journalist . Very well said.

Scout Finch June 20, 2011
A pleasure to read :)

Hotair Baloon June 20, 2011
Ali F Alzayani,
Congratulations, well written.
Regards
HB

TruckTurkey June 20, 2011
Dear Alzayani,
Your article is cool. If u let me ? publish !
http://angelsof1915.blogspot.com/2011/06/bahrain-independent-i-smell-fisk.html

Doug June 21, 2011
Very well written. Mr Fisk is truly ‘a gun for sale’.

Mariam Janahi June 21, 2011
Great article Ali. I too still smell a Fisk but this time through tweets by Nabeel Rajab, the second Fisk. Nabeel is still persisting on telling lies even now that some of the Shiites, I believe, have started seeing the true picture. Nabeel and his allies (Al Shehabi, Al Khawaja, Al Wefaq) are continuing on their path, even though the national dialogue is days away. I saw Nabeel Rajab walk into at Al Wefaq gathering and receiving a standing ovation from the audience. I guess its difficult to lose all of that attention!!! even at the price of tarnishing his own country.

Noora June 21, 2011
one word: wow!

Ahmed Basha June 21, 2011
Well done with this Ali.
I am totally disappointed with journalism and totally disappointed with how we digest matters. There is something definately wrong with people when someone like him is appreciated.

A. Alzayani June 21, 2011
Thank you all for your kind comments.

Sarah Bn Ashoor June 21, 2011
Well Done Ali!

Sam June 23, 2011
Whether Mr Fisk got it right all the time is not the question. The oppressive regimes in the Middle East have always been liars. People like Fisk are thus never popular there. After all, if you have it in you to kill civilians of your own people, to lie is nothing in comparison.


A. Alzayani June 24, 2011
The Middle East is about as diverse as Europe…where were you when the French were flying cargo planes full of French-Roma to Romania in a bid to ethnically cleanse France and the killings of hundreds of French youth during the riots in the suburbs…what about the concentration camps setup in the U.K., Italy and Spain to isolate immigrants who managed to get across the border and the bloody battle of Genoa where police massacred hundreds of students and tortured detainees mercilessly… See: http://loranablog.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/italian-police-license-to-torture-gently-offered-by-berlusconis-government/

We had almost exactly the same number of civilians killed in Bahrain as Greece (Bear in mind that the riotting civilians in Bahrain were much more violent than the Greeks with more policemen dying in Bahrain than riotters), but yet no international outcry.

I think the main problem in the world is that the majority of people who have never been to this region have an innate prejudice and dislike for the Arab world due to rising Islamaphobia and just assume that we are all a bunch of Quran wielding extremists being ruled by evil despots…Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s 2009 Quality of Life Index ranked Dubai as the 15th best city in the world to live in…most European cities where much further down the list…they take into consideration a number of factors including political freedoms.

The law makes no excuse for ignorance so why should you…
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Source: www.bahrainindependent.com/2011/06/19/i-smell-a-fisk/
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Related Posts At This Site:

1. Robert Fisk, A Pathological Liar? - Is The Incorrigible Armenian Bootlicker At It Again?
2. Video: Robert Fisk: COMPELLED TO LIE (for Armenians)
3. Armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2007/04/1593-ataturks-1926-interview-proven-as.html
4. Armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2005/07/336-andonian-documents-attributed-to.html
5. Armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2005/07/5-aram-andonian-and-talat-pasha.html
6. Armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2007/09/1950-robert-fisk-and-armenian-question.html

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