London: In a bid to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, US President
George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on April 10 night launched a new
airborne television station, with a firm assurance that Iraq will not be run by the
US and Britain or by the UN, but by the people of Iraq and the coalition forces will
not stay a day longer than is necessary.
The flying TV station, known as 'Towards Freedom', is located on a specially
equipped Hercules aircraft called Commando Solo.
In his telecast, Bush said, "At this moment, the regime of Saddam Hussein is being
removed from power, and a long era of fear and cruelty is ending. American and
coalition forces are now operating inside Baghdad – and we will not stop until
Saddam's corrupt gang is gone. The government of Iraq, and the future of your
country, will soon belong to you."
Blair said, "Our forces are friends and liberators of the Iraqi people, not your
conquerors, and they will not stay in Iraq any longer than is necessary."
Bush said, "We will help you build a peaceful and representative government that
protects the rights of all citizens. And then our military forces will leave. Iraq
will go forward as a unified, independent and sovereign nation that has regained a
respected place in the world."
Both leaders told the Iraqi people, "Our only enemy is Saddam's brutal regime – and
that regime is your enemy as well."
Bush said in the new era that is coming to Iraq, "your country will no longer be
held captive to the will of a cruel dictator. You will be free to build a better
life, instead of building more palaces for Saddam and his sons, free to pursue
economic prosperity without the hardship of economic sanctions, free to travel and
speak your mind, free to join the political affairs of Iraq. And all the people who
make up your country – Kurds, Shiites, Turks, Sunnis, and others – will be free of
the terrible persecution that so many have endured."
The TV station will use the frequency used by the Iraqi TV, which has now ceased to
telecast following US bombing.
For the flying station, US will provide daily four hours' programmes and the UK one
hour's programme. UK government has engaged privately owned 'World TV' to produce
its programme, including news bulletin, discussions, reviews of press coverage and
coverage of reconstruction of Iraq. For the UK programme, the government has
earmarked 300,000 Pounds.
Similar TV stations were established at the end of conflicts in Kosovo and
Afghanistan, official sources told reporters.
'Towards Freedom' television follows in the footsteps of 'Towards Freedom' radio,
which already broadcasts inside Iraq from the specially equipped aircraft.
The telecast, with sub-titles in Iraqi language, will be mostly during the evenings
in Iraq, when viewership is the maximum.
PTI
