Reporters' Distribution in The Hague Hotels Reflection of Political Affiliation, and Hariri's Guests Are the Most Fortunate
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Hague - Naharnet feature
The positioning of journalists who flew to The Netherlands to cover the first session of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon reflects the division and the rift in the Lebanese society towards the trial of the alleged assassins of former premier Rafik Hariri as representatives of local media outlets checked into different hotels in The Hague and the municipality of Leidschendam, each according to their political views and their opinions on the works of the STL.
Journalists whose television channels are affiliated with the March 8 camp, particularly OTV and al-Jadeed TV's reporters, will spend the coming days in Mercure Hotel in Leidschendam, near the headquarters of the STL.
Meanwhile, former PM Saad Hariri's team has selected several journalists and media outlets' representatives to provide them with a “conformable” trip to the Netherlands, as they were flown on board the private plane of al-Mustaqbal Party's leader.
The private jet's direct flight arrived in The Hague at 5:00 pm while other journalists had to make stops in different European capitals, such as Rome, Paris, or Brussels, before reaching Amsterdam by plane and then head to The Hague by land.
In addition to reporters, several family members of politicians and officials that were targeted in assassinations during the past 10 years were also on board Hariri's plane.
The former PM's guests will stay at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel and Hilton Hotel in the Dutch city as tens of rooms were booked to welcome them and transportation was provided to transfer them to the headquarters of the STL in Leidschendam.
A number of “independent” journalists, meanwhile, checked into less luxurious and more humble hotels in The Hague to take part in covering STL's opening sessions. These reporters will use public transportation, such as taxis, buses or trains to go to the court's headquarters on Thursday.
Hariri arrived on Wednesday evening in The Netherlands on board a private jet.
He was accompanied by a number of his family members, his political and media team as well as several politicians that will attend the opening session of the trial of the suspects in the assassination of his father, late PM Rafik Hariri.
15 January 2014, 22:35
39
I'm glad Naharnet still has the sense of investigative journalism.
We, all of us Lebanese, have paid a lot of money for this tribunal and waited a long time; The people expect the utmost professionalism with a reasonable skepticism which started off not in favor of the tribunal, but we expect the "Truth", and the Lebanese will not easily blame another Lebanese; So this tribunal should provide UNQUESTIONABLE, Without a glimmering of a doubt, and rock solid proof who they will convict. The world is watching!
15 January 2014, 23:23
11
What did I just read?
OMG!!!! Some reporters have to take taxis while others get chauffeurs.
Lolololol OTV and Aljadeed reporters staying in poor people hotels. Hariri journalists ftw, amazing hotels!
More seriously, you absolutely cannot call any idiot who files any party's propaganda a journalist. They are propagandists, not journalists, and this article (while trying to be a scoop) only reinforces this idea.
15 January 2014, 23:27
109
@Icey-Pop
It's a "useless report" because it exposes the underhanded ways of Hariri?
If the report was in some way putting down the Hezb you'd be calling for the journalist to win the Pulitzer Prize.
16 January 2014, 11:04
51
jealous of his sugar daddy? i'd rather die of hunger then have to sit on king abdul's lap for a treat.
16 January 2014, 16:28
01
FT saad has enough for himself to live comfortably. however you are your orta accuse him of funding the entire FSA with his pocket money..it reminds me of the pro-HA dekanji who lives near my house. every time i see him he comes out with new conspiracies.
16 January 2014, 02:35
44
The grace and generosity of the Hariri family is never-ending! Bless you Saad!
16 January 2014, 03:59
52
M14 and M8 parties are afloat with money (grants from foreign benefactors) and their reporters have high end accommodations because their parties are financed
The Independent President Sleiman has modest means and so do the independent reporters. The independents of Lebanon are the ones worthy of our support.
16 January 2014, 05:32
22
@gabby14
Though your comment is on the cruel side, still it is hilarious!
16 January 2014, 06:21
23
The Europeans are very stupid in thinking that Hizballah terrorist group has a non terrorist political arm (including its media such as Manar TV) and a terrorist military arm... How can a terrorist military wing exist under so called non terrorist political leadership?... Every single person in Hizballah is a terrorist... Many of their supporters are wanna be terrorists...
16 January 2014, 16:10
00
because the europeans are chronic appeasers and politically correct to a fault.
16 January 2014, 06:24
22
Problem is that the sewers in The Hague are much cleaners and do not smell nearly as bad as the sewers of Dahyeh... So the Manar reporters will not feel at home in the sewers of The Hague...
16 January 2014, 11:06
62
yeaaa the white man's s...t smells so nice! you'd know about it, judging from your brown nose.
16 January 2014, 12:24
31
With all due respect to Hariri, he shouldn't be transforming the STL into a political and media circus. I would expect him to tackle this serious matter like a statesman and, most of all, as the son of Rafik Hariri. This jetsetting in private jets with his crew of bought journalists is just too blingbling and not befitting. I would also expect any self-respecting political journalist to remain independant and not accept gifts from the people he/she is supposed to be writing objectively about.
16 January 2014, 19:57
00
I wouldn't take a rolls Royce to the beach or a Ferrari to a safari trip and they're both very expensive cars... you would agree that, if not handled responsibly, this STL has the potential to blow up Lebanon.
It was acceptable to politicise the STL issue 9 years ago to get the investigation underway and the court set up and it was definitely a risk worth taking in the name of the higher principles of truth and justice.
With open sectarian war in Syria and tit for tat exchange of car bombs in Lebanon, we don’t need the STL to become yet another fuse. The court is there, truth will be uncovered and nothing can change that anymore. The political fight is over, now it is up for justice to take its course.
Saad Hariri as the son of the victim should obviously be there and he can use whatever transportation means he wants or can afford. However, I do not agree with turning this into a political show to score some meaningless points. It frankly feels a bit cheap and not very elegant.
16 January 2014, 14:37
00
This article is ridiculous and shameful to this website...it should be removed
