Complaints over anti–American comments by 'Question Time' audience

Broadcasting

A special edition of the BBC's Question Time programme to debate the terrorist attacks provoked a barrage of complaints after many audience members expressed strongly anti-American views.

Almost 500 viewers telephoned the corporation to protest that Thursday night's live programme was unfair and insensitive after the former US ambassador Philip Lader was left close to tears.

The comments were prompted by a question asking whether the attacks in America represented a failure of US foreign policy "with millions of people around the world despising the American nation".

An audience, with a large Muslim representation, exchanged heated views with panellists Sir Paddy Ashdown, Tam Dalyell MP, Mr Lader and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, a col-umnist for The Independent.

A senior BBC executive admitted the programme "went awry". A BBC spokesman said: "The right issues were discussed and a broad range of opinions were aired – many supporting the USA. We did not set out to cause offence but we recognise some viewers were taken aback by the programme and regret any offence caused."

Mr Lader had to fight back tears when he was shouted down as he attempted to express his grief and sadness over the attack.

Many of the 5.6 million viewers felt that there had been an imbalance in the audience, with a disproportionate number of people from an anti-American perspective.

Hundreds of viewers rang the BBC to complain that the corporation was insensitive to broadcast such a programme so soon after the disaster.

Question Time, which is presented by David Dimbleby, prides itself on hand-picking its audience to try to ensure a fair political balance.

* The French ambassador to Israel was fending off a barrage of criticism yesterday for suggesting it was wrong to compare the atrocities inflicted on the United States with Palestinian assaults on Israel.

Within hours of the tragedy, Israeli officials drew comparisons between the attack and their own predicament; Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, reportedly described Yasser Arafat as "our bin Laden". The French ambassador, Jacques Huntzinger, said it was "completely irresponsible" to compare them because the context was different. Jewish groups demanded an apology.