Rumsfeld's visit not only attracted attention from protesting political activists, international press organizations complained about Norway's handling of the event. Wednesday's press conference by Rumsfeld and Krohn Devold in Jåtta, the home of NATO's Joint Warfare Centre and Norway's joint military headquarters (FOHK) south of Stavanger, is closed to Arab news channel Al-Arabiya, Spanish news bureau EFE and the BBC's Norwegian correspondent.
Defense Ministry press spokesman Martin Lohne rejected criticism around the press seance. "We have simply given Norwegian media priority. This is a rare chance for them to pose questions to an American Defense Secretary," Lohne said, and added that all international media will see the press conference on live TV. Per Edgar Kokkvold, secretary general of the Norwegian Press Association called the ministry's decision to restrict admission rather unwise. "It is unfortunate if it creates the impression that the Norwegian hosts do not wish full openness," Kokkvold said...read on
As emailer Ole said to me: "It still blows my mind that the Norwegian Defense Dpt would decide to boot the BBC."
Its not surprising to many of us. I call it "The Town Hall effect" in play.
