{"article":{"id":257787,"heading":"UNICEF's Christmas appeals, Sir Alex Ferguson and gaping contradictions","author":"Cem Ert\u00fcr","created":"2012-12-28 13:50:03","modified":"2026-10-25 17:02:54","last_modified":"Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:02:54","article":"

ferguson\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2012\/12\/27\/18728943.php
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\r\nUNICEF's\r\nChristmas appeals, Sir Alex Ferguson and gaping contradictions<\/span>
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\r\npropaganda\r\nalert<\/span>
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\r\ncompiled by Cem Ertür
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\r\n27 December 2012
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\r\nAs the United Nations Security Council passes a resolution for the\r\ndeployment of foreign troops in Mali [1] and the United States\r\nannounces its plan to deploy troops to 35 African countries in\r\n2013  [2], UNICEF and The Independent launch a campaign\r\n“to help child soldiers in Central African\r\nRepublic”.
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\r\nManchester United manager Alex Ferguson is promoting the UNICEF\r\nappeal. 
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Sir\r\nAlex Ferguson, the [Manchester] United manager, today appeals for fans\r\nof the club – which is said to have 75 million supporters\r\nworldwide – to make donations to this newspaper’s\r\nappeal for funds to help the leading children’s charity\r\nUnicef in its work negotiating the release of children under the\r\ncontrol of rebel militias in the Central African Republic, one of the\r\n10 poorest countries on the continent.   [3]
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\r\nOnly three weeks ago, Mr Ferguson was busy presenting war medals to\r\nBritish soldiers who served in Afghanistan:
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\r\n[1]  Western Mail, 7 December 2012
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\r\n[2]  Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson presents a\r\nsoldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh with an Operational Service
\r\nMedal for Afghanistan, Chester Racecourse, Cheshire, 6 December 2012
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Soldiers\r\nfrom the Royal Welsh regiment were presented with Afghanistan campaign\r\nmedals by Sir Alex Ferguson at Chester Racecourse yesterday.
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\r\n1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (1 R WELSH) returned from Operation\r\nHERRICK 16 in October, after a six-month tour of duty [in\r\nAfghanistan’s Helmand Province]  [...]  
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\r\nSir Alex [Ferguson] said [...]:
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\r\n“I want to thank these lads for the service they've given our\r\ncountry without them Great Britain wouldn't be Great Britain. We all\r\ndepend on them. I've got great respect for the Armed Forces.”\r\n[...]
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\r\nSir Alex said he has recently been involved in helping to raise funds\r\nfor two charities which support the Armed Forces:
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\r\n\"I think we all owe them (the Armed Forces) a debt. There's a fantastic\r\nfeel for all the troops from the whole of Britain.\"  \r\n[4]
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\r\nWar propaganda under the guise of humanitarian aid: UNICEF's Children\r\nof Syria Winter Crisis Appeal ad\r\nin a London Underground
\r\ntrain, December 2012   [5]
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\r\nnotes:<\/span>
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\r\n[1]  Mali new prey to West\r\nimperialist quest<\/span>
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\r\nby Finnian Cunningham, Press TV, 22 December 2012
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.presstv.ir\/detail\/2012\/12\/22\/279500\/mali-new-prey-to-west-imperialist-quest\/
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\r\n[2]  US deploying troops to 35\r\nAfrican countries<\/span>
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\r\nRussia Today, 24 December 2012
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\r\nhttp:\/\/rt.com\/usa\/news\/us-deploying-troops-order-749\/
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\r\n[3]  Manchester\r\nUnited’s plea to free the children of war <\/span>
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\r\nby Paul Vallely, The Independent, 26 December 2012
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/voices\/comment\/manchester-uniteds-plea-to-free-the-children-of-war-8431211.html
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\r\n[4]  Sir Alex Ferguson presents\r\nAfghanistan medals<\/span>
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\r\nMinistry of Defence website, 7 December 2012
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\r\nhttp:\/\/army-uk.info\/news_detail.php?id=4774
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\r\n[5]  Syrian Human Rights\r\nNetwork calls on UNICEF to condemn armed groups' crimes against\r\nchildren in Syria<\/span>
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\r\nSANA, 11 December 2012
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.sana-syria.com\/eng\/21\/2012\/12\/11\/456765.htm
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\r\n
\r\nfrom\r\nthe archives:<\/span>
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\r\n 
\r\nA\r\nconfused mind: Is Dame Helen Mirren for or against war?<\/span>
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\r\nby Cem Ertür, San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center,\r\n19 December 2011
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2011\/12\/18\/18703001.php
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\r\nBritain's\r\nsports stars at the service of war propaganda<\/span>
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\r\nby Cem Ertür, San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center,\r\n11 November 2011
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\r\nhttp:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2011\/11\/11\/18698944.php
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\r\n______________________________\r\n\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2012\/12\/27\/18728943.php","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"As the United Nations Security Council passes a resolution for the deployment of foreign troops in Mali and the United States announces its plan to deploy troops to 35 African countries in 2013, UNICEF and The Independent launch a campaign \u201cto help child soldiers in Central African Republic\u201d.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2012\/12\/257787.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}