The BBC smears Corbyn, but doesn’t dare tell the truth about Theresa May and terrorism [OPINION]

In yet another case of clear-cut bias, the BBC photoshopped an image of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn alongside terrorist Osama bin Laden. A man with whom Corbyn had absolutely no connection.

Now, just imagine the uproar if they’d done the same with Conservative leader Theresa May and, for instance, the Manchester bomber. Yet arguably, May had much more of a connection with that terrorist, because her time as Home Secretary and Prime Minister are at least partly responsible for the awful tragedy in Manchester, and for the terror attacks in London.

You won’t be seeing that connection photoshopped into a BBC image any time soon, though.

The BBC shows its true colours

On 5 June, the BBC outrageously photoshopped an image of Jeremy Corbyn to include Osama bin Laden. It then broadcast the image as part of the opening sequence on its flagship Daily Politics show. This was no aberration, but another example of the state broadcaster showing anti-Corbyn bias.

There has never been any connection between Corbyn and bin Laden.

However, there is an argument for associating May with at least one of the terrorists involved in the recent atrocities in Britain.

May attacked from all sides

Professor Michael Clarke was Director-General of the prestigious RUSI (Royal United Services Institute). He was also a former specialist adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee; was appointed to the Prime Minister’s National Security Forum in 2009; and joined the Chief of Defence Staff’s Strategic Advisory Group in 2010. But on 6 June, Clarke made his views crystal clear, telling his interviewer that each of the three recent terrorist attacks may have been preventable.

This was no throwaway line by a politician, but an honest response by a leading expert on defence and security issues. In effect, it was an indictment of government terrorism policy.

Only the day before, a former senior policy adviser to David Cameron didn’t mince his words either. He said:

Theresa May responsible for security failures of London Bridge, Manchester, Westminster Bridge. Should be resigning not seeking re-election… who is in the end politically responsible/accountable? she was in charge last 7yrs…

Failures

Indeed, under May’s watch there was a catalogue of failures by both MI5 and the police to follow through on warnings and intelligence. And in the latest terror attack, two of the terrorists were reportedly known to the British police or security services.

It was also under May that MI5 reportedly conducted an ‘open door’ policy for the Manchester-based LIFG (Libyan Islamic Fighting Group).

One such fighter told Middle East Eye that MI5 returned their passports and that counter-terrorism police at Heathrow Airport were told to let them board their flights. And the Manchester bomber may have been one of the people allowed under the radar.

State-sponsored terrorism

None of this is surprising.

For there is insider (MI5) and documentary proof (MI6) that a previous Conservative government had been sponsoring Libyan militants.

A recently published dossier by Nafeez Ahmed and Mark Curtis, meanwhile, provides comprehensive details on Britain’s links with foreign- and UK-based extremists. In particular, the LIFG: the same al-Qaeda-affiliated organisation with which the Manchester bomber’s family are reportedly associated.

Theresa May desperate to hide the truth

May has not made any attempt to explain why the recent terrorist attacks were not prevented. Controversially, she also refuses to publish a ‘sensitive’ report into the funding links between Saudi Arabia and terrorism. It is a report that would likely be critical of the sale of billions of pounds’ worth of arms to the Saudis.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that May and her media stooges are doing their utmost to deflect criticism of her and her colleagues onto Jeremy Corbyn – a man who has previously received an award from The Gandhi Foundation for “his consistent efforts over a 30 year Parliamentary career to uphold the Gandhian values of social justice and non‐violence”.

But May must not be allowed to blame others for her own failings. That’s not leadership. It’s cowardice.

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Featured image via Flickr Creative Commons