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An image from AlAkhbar English. The story has been published on several websites in Arabic and English. Everyone loves a good rumor! Al Babwa stands out because it doesn’t love its own stories enough to post them to Twitter, but has been incredibly fortunate in finding others willing to do it instead.
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Report: MauritaniaMedia sources in Mauritania reported on Monday that the recent visit to the country by the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Than…
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1. The flagship website of the Jordan-owned Al Bawaba Network, albawaba.com quoting Mauritanian Siraj newspaper, but neglecting to mention the Arab Press Network (http://www.arabpressnetwork.org/) description of it as a “pro-Islamist daily edited by Ahmad Al Wadi’a, a leading spokesperson of the Islamist movement”. For an indication of the quality of “news” favored by AlBawaba.com, check out this page from June 2011 highlighting another rumor, about the Emir of Qatar’s wife Sheikha Mozah allegedly spending $2m on plastic surgery to trim her derriére. Oddly enough, there are no tweets from @AlBawaEnglish to promote their story.
The Al Bawaba Network also operates menareport.com. -
Sheikha Mozah looks forward to 2022 World Cup Qatar by watching her rearSheikha Mozah conducted 12 of the rear plastic surgery at a cost of $ 2 million As always taking these celebrity or ‘royal’ spun rumors w…
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2. A more influential Twitter user, the Iranian journalist Borzou Daragahi, aka @borzou, Pulitzer-listed former Baghdad bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times and now Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times and based in Cairo. If you’re reading this Borzou, I hope both you and your editor find it interesting to see you included in this group.
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“#Mauritania moving more & more into “resistance” camp; allegedly “expels” #Qatari emir bit.ly/xCyZtr
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““@borzou: #Mauritania moving more & more into “resistance” camp; allegedly “expels” #Qatari emir bit.ly/xCyZtr“
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“RT @borzou: #Mauritania moving more & more into “resistance” camp; allegedly “expels” #Qatari emir bit.ly/xCyZtr
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3. @atlantisconsult & @atconsultmaroc Sister accounts for a “security & intelligence” services company, according to their Twitter bios:
Atlantis Consulting es una corporación de ámbito Internacional . Atlantis Consulting is an International field corporation Security & Intelligence
Atlantis Consulting est une société espagnole de niveau international crée pour répondre aux demandes existantes dans les secteurs de la sécurité etIntelligence
We know very well what kind of intelligence service is typically interested in spreading rumors on social media. The kind involved in cyber warfare and spreading misinformation or disinformation.
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Other accounts that repeated the rumor as fact include @Arabic_News ”Independent news & views from the streets of the Arab world” - http://www.roadstoiraq.com and @GLobalLinkInc - with a logo-style avatar that reads “Consulting International” but no url in their bio.
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Here’s the rest of the happy band of tweeters, included here as a courtesy because I wouldn’t want to miss anyone out.
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“Report: Mauritania “expels” Qatari emir | Al Bawaba bit.ly/xIL9ug @Albawaba
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“http://www.albawaba.com/news/report-mauritania-expels-qatari-emir-408319#.TwvoHEvqp9Y.twitter State guests ho to aisay
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“#Mauritania expels #Qatar emir bit.ly/yrP5xz Quote: “These are not revolts, these are conspiracies” #arab Spring
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“RT @larkidesi: #Mauritania expels #Qatar emir bit.ly/yrP5xz Quote: “These are not revolts, these are conspiracies” #arab Spring
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“DTN Syria: Report: Mauritania “expels” Qatari emir: Media sources in Mauritania reported on Monday that the rece… bit.ly/An3MDM
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Here’s the ‘@Happy_Arab’, Rashad alDabbah, of Orange County & Jeddah, generously giving Arabic language Twitter account @AlBabwa a mention in his tweet of their English news version of the story. What a fascinating bio Rashad has: “Saudi-American of Palestinian & Armenian descent. I organize the community in @LittleArabia and beyond. Communications Director, Syrian American Council. http://happyarabnewsservice.blogspot.com ”
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“Report: Mauritania “expels” Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad | Al Bawaba bit.ly/xqLITH @Albawaba #Qatar #Mauritania
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Last word goes to Ahmed Alfi.
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“How will this play out??? Report: Mauritania “expels” Qatari emir albawaba.com/news/report-m…
@atiqman #Qatar Emir did visit, the rest: uncertain. #Mauritania friends were busy getting tear gassed http://snup.us/nRD & arrested http://snup.us/nRC today so I didn’t ask about Siraj yet
I do know that a week after the visit the media are still having a field day with this story, despite ignoring:
~ the deaths of two civilians in Mauritania in the past week (1, a driver shot by police in his car, 1 killed by army shooting on a bus)
~ Another incident with the army opening fire on civilians, apparently with no casualties
~ arrests of 12 youth activists and students
~ increasing police aggression
~ escalating protests.
While all this is happening, here are media representatives in Mauritania apparently blissfully unaware that their country is on a fast track towards crisis and happily being interviewed about the stupid rumor! http://snup.us/nRE
Integrity and investigative skills amongst journalists are rare commodities. Good work
[...] towards to end of 2011 by the Emir of Qatar. You might remember the bizarre and groundless rumour about Aziz and the Emir having fallen out. The way the police reacted so violently to the protests [...]