Twisting truth: French media keep public in dark over Libya

France is currently fighting in three wars. It was the first foreign state to intervene in Libya, the largest force in Cote d'Ivoire’s civil war and it has just sent more troops to Afghanistan. But the French media take a different angle.

Watching the French media gives you an unexpected perspective: the Americans are responsible for the rising civilian death toll, and there's no mention of the French contingency.“We’re being fed by propaganda that bears no relation to the truth. We’re told the international community is behind us. But France just wants Africa’s resources”, Stefane Cantin, an anti-war activist told RT.Moe Seaher, an independent journalist, explained that the French government has a very simple way to dictate national coverage: “You will follow our editorial line on foreign policy or you won’t be invited or included to come back and ask questions at press conferences and we will not be cooperative with you when you seek interviews”.But if one turns to the internet, the views of Sarkozy’s policies are much more critical. French people are growing increasingly worried about their country being labeled as imperialist, with little regard for its victims.  Opposition to the war centers on the rising number of casualties and the damage it does to France's reputation. Activists say the French media’s coverage is one sided, but the real story will eventually get through.After almost a decade of war in Afghanistan, news of the dozens of French soldiers and thousands of civilians killed is finally hitting home. “The war in Afghanistan is unpopular, although the media treat it generally quite positively”, said Francois Heisbourg from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.The invasion of Iraq brought the biggest anti-war rallies in history. Now experts say Libya could become Sarkozy's Iraq and despite government efforts, the truth on France’s current wars is also coming out.