alienation news

Australian Media Comments on Hostage Crisis

This is how Russia's 'Pravda' saw the Australian reportage of the hostage crisis:
Sunday morning - Australian public is told that the rescue operation was somewhat a failure. News reports focus on the fact that 90 hostages were killed and some 500 are still in hospitals, suffering from 'gas poisoning'. Today's 'Sun-Herald' informs us on page 1: 117 KILLED AS SOLDIERS STORM THE BUILDING. The origin of the count is not clear, perhaps the newspaper treats Chechen terrorists and their victims equally, while seeing spetznaz as indiscriminate killers at the same time.
The apology to families issued by President Putin tends to be seen here as a form of admission of guilt. Chechen gunmen are called 'rebels' and the word 'terrorism' is never used. Commentators tell the public about the 'Russian war in Chechnya' somehow implying that Russia is an aggressor currently occupying a sovereign state of Chechnya.