At the end of a frantic day in Istanbul, I must make a confession.
I was tempted.
This afternoon I attended a news conference by President Bush and Tony Blair -- arguably the two most powerful people in the world.
After passing through the tight security cordon, and waiting for a couple of hours in a holding room at the Hilton hotel Istanbul, I found myself face to face with the two main architects of the war in Iraq.
The world's media was watching as President Bush and Mr Blair hailed their success in the war against Saddam Hussein.
And as I sat there, headphones clamped to my ears and listening to the news conference, the temptation to speak out was overwhelming. What would happen, I wondered, if I removed my artificial leg, waved it in front of Bush and Blair, and proclaimed "See this. This is the outcome of your war. Iraq may have been liberated, but I -- and hundreds of others like me -- will be burdened with this artificial limb every day for the rest of my life because of the conflict you created."
Dozens of cameras were there. An outburst would probably have made front page news around the world. But what would it have achieved, except for a fleeting 15 minutes of fame?
Without doubt, my career as a journalist would be over.
The leaders would offer sympathetic words -- but little else.
Call me a sell out, but I bit my tongue -- and kept silent.
I was tempted.
This afternoon I attended a news conference by President Bush and Tony Blair -- arguably the two most powerful people in the world.
After passing through the tight security cordon, and waiting for a couple of hours in a holding room at the Hilton hotel Istanbul, I found myself face to face with the two main architects of the war in Iraq.
The world's media was watching as President Bush and Mr Blair hailed their success in the war against Saddam Hussein.
And as I sat there, headphones clamped to my ears and listening to the news conference, the temptation to speak out was overwhelming. What would happen, I wondered, if I removed my artificial leg, waved it in front of Bush and Blair, and proclaimed "See this. This is the outcome of your war. Iraq may have been liberated, but I -- and hundreds of others like me -- will be burdened with this artificial limb every day for the rest of my life because of the conflict you created."
Dozens of cameras were there. An outburst would probably have made front page news around the world. But what would it have achieved, except for a fleeting 15 minutes of fame?
Without doubt, my career as a journalist would be over.
The leaders would offer sympathetic words -- but little else.
Call me a sell out, but I bit my tongue -- and kept silent.
posted by Stuart at 22:21
2 Comments:
"Bit my tongue -- and kept silent" is what most of us must do since our opinion will not change the current situation. My sympathy for your lost. Have a good day.
Your career as a journalist is far too important to waste on a feel-good moment. There can be no democracy without a free and diligent media.
Not having lost my leg to a landmine I can only guess at how tempting it must have been to vent at those men, but at the end of the day thats all it would have been, venting. You can do so much more by ensuring that those who wield immense power are held accountable through honest, accurate and unflinching reporting of their actions. Please don't flinch Stuart.
Andrew.
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