The BBC and Libya's Colonel Gaddafi

Here's a fascinating Telegraph article from 2007 about the 'The BBC's Gaddafi love-in', here's an extract:

'Earlier today, the BBC emailed me a transcript of a forthcoming interview with Col Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. When I had finished reading it, I picked up the phone and rang the BBC press office to check that it wasn’t a hoax. A slightly embarrassed BBC press man conceded that it wasn’t a joke and one of their men, David Eades, had really truly conducted the interview.

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In his opening question, Eades describes the programme as an “opportunity, then, to hear and to speak to one of the political figures with the greatest experience in the world today, and indeed the longest-standing leader of the Arab world. I’m talking, of course, about Brother Leader Muammar Gaddafi. And I’m delighted to say that, via satellite from Tripoli, Mr Gaddafi is with us now. A very warm welcome to you – and as we can note, in extremely good health, despite earlier reports. Thank you also for agreeing to take questions, not just from the chamber here in Oxford, but also from BBC viewers and listeners around the world.”

Brother Leader Gadaffi? Since when has the BBC agreed to address this ridiculous old dictator in this way? And when was the last time a BBC journalist praised the “good health” of an interviewee.

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There is a serious point here. Can you imagine the BBC treating Tony Blair or George Bush or any democratically elected leader with such toe-curling sycophancy? You have to be an ageing dictator to get this kind of treatment from Britain’s public service broadcaster.

I understand, of course, that the BBC faces a real dilemma. Gaddafi would simply refuse to appear on “Have Your Say” if he was going to face any real questions. So the BBC promises to shower him with praise and bowl one patsy question after another in order to get him on the show. In other words, it debases its journalism in order to give airtime to an eccentric despot. Not a very good bargain, in my view.'

So when you hear the BBC describing the excesses of Colonel Gaddafi just remember the fawning interview described above...