Again false suggestions and incorrect reporting by Dutch Public Broadcast on MH17 and Trump

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I have noticed many incorrect, incomplete and biased statements by the Dutch public broadcast (NPO) about MH17. At January 15 2017 there was another example in tv program called VPRO Buitenhof.

This episode of Buitenhof was a special with an exclusive interview with Dutch PM Mark Rutte. At around 5 minutes into the program the topic about Donald Trump starts. One of the journalists is Paul Witteman who works for leftwing broadcasting station VARA. At  5:38 into the program he quotes a statement about MH17 done by Trump saying  “waarschijnlijk zullen we nooit weten hoe het gegaan is” (tranlated: probably we will never know what happened”. He then asks Rutte to respond.

Indeed Trump said this. However Paul Witteman fails to mention Trump also said in the same interview as the statement, that ” Russia was probably responsible for the downing”

Trump in an interview at October 14 2015 on MSNBC with NBC reporter Katy Tur stated (at 10:40 into the interview)  “We just can’t fight with everybody” and “I think we have to straighten our own problems out right now” broadcast on Wednesday’s”.  Trump stated Russia was probably responsible for the downing. “I think it is horrible,” Trump said of the incident. “But they’re saying it wasn’t them. The other side says it is them. And we’re going to go through that arguing for probably for 50 years and nobody is ever going to know. Probably was Russia.”

CNN, which is not a fan of Trump, made a total different headline out of the interview.

I bloged about this here. 

In July 2016 CNN again asked Trump about his opinion on MH17. The reporter asks why he is defending Russia. Trump responds “No , I am no defending Russia. But they are denying totally. And they do not even say what was it, where it came from. Nobody really knows. And I am sure reports will be done and one day we will find out. But right now Russia is totally denying it.

 

Dutch NOS reported at January 15 2017 about the program Buitenhof here.NOS writes:

Dat Trump heeft gezegd dat nooit duidelijk zal worden wie verantwoordelijk is voor het neerhalen van de MH17, en dat hij Rusland bij voorbaat vrijpleit, maakt de situatie wel lastiger.

Translated: Fact that Trump has said it will never be clear who is responsible for the downing of MH17, and that he absolves Russia in advance, makes the situation difficult.

That is just incorrect. Trump never exonerated Russia, it fact he said Russia is probably responsible for the downing!

At January 16, after I contacted NOS to point out the mistake, the article was adjusted. The “he absolves Russia in advance, makes the situation difficult.” part was removed.

 

 

 

 

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