'Shoddy’, ‘irresponsible': Journalists on Telegraph Hezbollah piece
5 Min Read
Among the commentators is a former Telegraph correspondent who made sure to distance herself from the British daily's piece, which she slammed as "irresponsible".
-
Cars pass by the terminal of Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (AP)
The Telegraph news website claimed on Sunday that the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah "is storing huge quantities of Iranian weapons, missiles, and explosives in Beirut’s main civilian airport," citing anonymous whistleblowers working at the airport.
The report drew condemnations from Lebanese officials and the Air Transport Union in Lebanon (UTA), who slammed the British daily for reporting on baseless claims that, according to them, would endanger the well-being of the airport and its staff, all of which are civilian.
In addition, The Telegraph's report sparked a wave of criticism from journalists and correspondents who challenged ethical lapses and criticized the outlet for failing to attribute authorship to any writer or staff, raising questions about the credibility of its intent.
"I'd love to know the backstory of who at the Telegraph decided to publish something so transparent that no one (even "Our Foreign Staff"!) was willing to put their name to it," sarcastically wrote Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist's Middle East correspondent and author of 'How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat From Within.'
A shoddy bit of political messaging, but kind of fascinating journalistically: I'd love to know the backstory of who at the @Telegraph decided to publish something so transparent that no one (even "Our Foreign Staff"!) was willing to put their name to it https://t.co/QIWhkVabzJ
— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) June 23, 2024
On her part, Middle East correspondent and investigative reporter Abbie Cheeseman sarcastically commented on The Telegraph's report, saying, "Hoping it goes without saying, but need to clarify publicly, that I am of course not behind that non-bylined piece in the Telegraph about Beirut airport..."
Hoping it goes without saying, but need to clarify publicly, that I am of course not behind that non-bylined piece in the Telegraph about Beirut airport...
— Abbie Cheeseman (@cheesemanab) June 23, 2024
Cheeseman even distanced herself from the daily, clarifying that she "stopped working for The Telegraph last month and had absolutely no prior knowledge of this wildly irresponsible story until it appeared today."
Without providing context on Lebanon's political landscape, the British daily first accused Hezbollah of "terrorism" and went on to cite anonymous whistleblowers working at the airport, choosing not to provide information about their background. The Telegraph's report also failed to present any concrete evidence of the whistleblowers' allegations.
The British daily also did not seek input from relevant stakeholders, such as the Lebanese Ministry of Transport or airport authorities.
Elsewhere, the news outlet seemed to be directly inciting the targeting of the airport, saying that "the disclosures will raise fears that the Rafic Hariri airport, just four miles from the city center, could become a major military target."
The Telegraph's report comes amid an intensifying escalation in northern occupied Palestine between Hezbollah and "Israel". On October 8, 2023, the Lebanese Resistance group commenced its operations against Israeli sites as part of its support for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and linked ending its attacks to the end of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Lebanon denies Telegraph claims, invites officials for airport tour
Earlier, the Air Transport Union in Lebanon (UTA) denied in a statement The Telegraph's report in which it claimed that "Hezbollah stores missiles and explosives at Lebanon’s main airport," saying that these claims were made without any proof offered.
The UTA called The Telegraph's unfounded claims "mere illusions and lies aimed at endangering Beirut Airport and its civilian workers, as well as travelers to and from it, all of whom are civilians."
Moreover, the Air Transport Union held the media outlet, as well as "those who report on it and spread its falsehoods" responsible for the safety of those who work at Beirut Airport in all its facilities, "including the passenger terminal, departure and arrival, the apron, maintenance, and civil air cargo."
Additionally, in its statement, it called on all Lebanese, Arab, and foreign media outlets to come to Beirut Airport "with their camera crews and verify for themselves, otherwise, we consider what is being promoted by suspicious media outlets as incitement to kill us."
The Telegraph report 'ridiculous'
On his part, Lebanon's Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, proclaimed, in a press conference, that "Beirut Airport has been subjected to disinformation for years," adding that instead of publishing a "ridiculous" and baseless report citing anonymous sources, the British daily "should have opted for checking in with the British Department of Transport, which conducted a field visit of the airport on January 22, 2024."
"This is the primary authority responsible for transportation matters at the airport," he stated.
Questioning the paper's credibility, Hamieh asked, "Is it conceivable that a reputable newspaper would change its sources within an hour?"
Additionally, the caretaker minister called on all media outlets and all ambassadors or their representatives to visit the airport tomorrow at 10:30 am for a tour of all airport facilities to make sure that the airport is strictly a civilian infrastructure and that no weapons are being smuggled through it.
"We have nothing to hide," he maintained.
Moreover, Hamieh informed the press, "We are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the newspaper and we will announce the details later."
