TV applause for Warrior bombing appals activists

Greenpeace has complained to America's media watchdog about cable news talkshow host Tucker Carlson, who praised the French for the Rainbow Warrior bombing in Auckland 20 years ago.

In his June 22 and July 15 shows, the conservative commentator praised the French agents' attack, in which photographer Fernando Pereira drowned.

Carlson said he was "objectively pro-France. You know, France blew up the Rainbow Warrior, that Greenpeace ship in Auckland harbour in the '80s ... It won me over".

At another point, Carlson called the mining of the ship "a bold and good thing to do".

Greenpeace USA's executive director, John Passacantando, told the Washington Post newspaper: "Terrorists do not need any further encouragement to commit their horrific acts."

Greenpeace had asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate and take appropriate steps so that Carlson and his network, MSNBC, did not continue to "violate appropriate broadcast standards".

However, the Washington Post reported that FCC indecency standards apply only to broadcast television, not cable and satellite networks such as MSNBC, and even then were intended to apply mainly to obscenities and profane speech. Carlson could not be reached to comment.

- NZPA