Venezuela to sue CNN

[Herman Munster]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1936930.htm

Venezuela says it will file charges against US cable network CNN for linking President Hugo Chavez to Al Qaeda.

It says it will also sue a Venezuelan TV network for encouraging Mr Chavez's assassination.

The move comes a day after popular Venezuelan TV network RCTV went off the air after the Chavez Government cancelled its broadcast licence.

Information Minister William Lara has presented what he says is CNN footage displaying pictures of Mr Chavez juxtaposed with those of an Al Qaeda leader.

Mr Lara says CNN also aired a story about the Venezuelan protests but used images taken in Mexico of an unrelated story.

"CNN broadcast a lie which linked President Chavez to violence and murder," he said.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. Oh Boo Hoo Chavey Wahvey. Squelching Free Speech In Your Country Wasn't Enough?

Cry me a river.

[youngdem]

3. Free Speech doesn't include yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater

Or slander or libel.

Chavez is an egomaniac and power has warped him, but that doesn't mean someone should be able to allege he is a terrorist in the same club as Bin Laden when it is patently false.

I hope he sues the shit out of them...It is a shame that Dems and others victimized by the lie machine that is Corporate News Network don't sue them every time they air a slanderous lie that is easily proven false.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. Please Provide Me The Quote That Alleges He Is A Terrorist.

See, cause just having a picture there ain't shit for your argument. If you say they allege he is a terrorist, then it's gonna take more than that. Got a quote?

[Solo_in_MD]

14. Anyone have a link to a clip of this?

It sounds like KCE suing Jack in the Box over their Angus commercial.

[GirlinContempt]

15. Pardon?

[Big Pappa]

20. Lawsuit, Like Chavez has never slandered anyone.

[MadMaddie]

2. I hate to say it but Chavez has the right idea..

CNN, RW talking heads, Bay Buchanan, Melanie Morgan, Coultergeist etc...they absolutely lie, intentionally tell lies.etc...

The victims need to sue all of them and hold them responsible for damaging lies they tell.

[tblue]

6. I don't hate to say it. It's true. There should be a class action suit against the lying US media.

[John Kerry VonErich]

8. On what grounds?

If it's because of the bin Laudin thing, where is the quote and video link to it?

[KurtNYC]

12. When I post the link are you joining the class action suit??

do you really doubt that CNN did what is alleged in the lawsuit? CNN is already backpedalling on this:

The news network acknowledged a video mix-up, and "aired a detailed correction and expressed regret for the involuntary error."

Regarding the Al-Qaeda leader, the network stated that "unrelated news stories can be juxtaposed in a given program segment just as a newspaper page or a news web site may have unconnected stories adjacent to each other."

If this lawsuit pays out then Senator Obama should file about 5 of them. How often have the cable nets put bin Laden's name underneath Obama's picture?

[ConsAreLiars]

16. It is a long established CIA practice to juxtapose unrelated stories or images

in such a way as to associate a targeted figure with some gruesome event. Thus a newspaper might run an innocuous headline about that leader attending some event next to a photo of carnage in some train wreck or such. Grade school level PR practice, not much different than BP ads showing birds and happy bunnies dancing in an idyllic garden.

(edit typo)

[John Kerry VonErich]

25. No

I am trying to figure out the just cause to all this.

[Bake]

27. Really? What's the venue? A US court?

Good luck with that one. Can you spell w-a-s-t-e o-f t-i-m-e?

Bake

[Pavulon]

4. Good luck, maybe he can pull them off the air

citgo will have to go up a dollar a gallon to pay all the lawyers.

[treestar]

7. I saw the headline today

"Chaos in Venezuela." I'm so cyncial my first thought was a CIA operation. They have oil, right? These things don't happen, in say, Uruguay or Paraguay.

Chaos in Venezuela? Socialist and left wing and has oil. :tinfoilhat: firmly on head.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

22. Where did you see this headline? n/t

[treestar]

24. It was the headline on CNN - those banners they put over their film

of people picketing, etc.

[Marie26]

9. Maybe they'll fire Lou Dobbs now.

One can hope.

[roamer65]

10. Get 'em, Hugo. Get 'em!!!

:evilgrin:

[David__77]

11. The left needs to continuously attack the right-wing media.

The right did so, with so much success, for the past 50 years. The media elite think the only danger is in pissing off the right. Things must change in that regard.

[Melynn]

13. Chavez should sue Fox

They lie more then CNN.

[NaturalHigh]

17. I think Hugo is getting nuttier every day.

Is he actively trying to make himself look like a buffoon?

[cynatnite]

18. Crazy Chavez is talking about taking a second station off the air...

Without a free press, democracy ends.

[NuttyFluffers]

21. a station that has allegedly incited the people to assassinate somebody

free speech does not cover that in almost all nation states -- even the USA.

it needs to be investigated, not given a pass.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Good Luck In Collecting...

As President of Venezuela, it would be safe to assume Mr. Chavez would be considered a "public figure" and in most countries there would be no grounds for any suit...and trying CNN in Venezuela? Yeah, good luck with that one.

Inversely, while I'm loath to defend the asshat squatting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but if Chavez could sue for what he considers defamation, how about those comments he made about "sulfur" at the United Nations.

It's this type of crap that destroys the credibility of a Chavez as being nothing more than another politician.

[Bake]

28. Careful! Chavez is another sacred cow around here.

Not that sacred cows don't need skewering from time to time.

Bake

[Vidar]

23. It won't work, but good for Chavez.

[KoKo]

26. Ha! Great News! Let the Corporate Whore Media get International folks Legal Suits against them!

We here in America don't seem to be able to get them...maybe the rest of the world can do it!