Newspaper Shuttered, Editor Held In Baghdad

[ckramer]

'Inciteful' Article Brings Raid on Site

BAGHDAD, July 22 -- A local newspaper has been shut down and its manager arrested over an article that U.S. occupation authorities and Iraqi officials considered an incitement to violence and a threat to human rights in Iraq.

Iraqi police accompanied by U.S. troops raided the offices of Al-Mustaqila newspaper, which means The Independent in Arabic. Neighbors said troops broke down the front door, ransacked the office and detained the newspaper's manager, Abdul Sattar Shalan.

According to U.S. occupation authorities, the paper published an article 10 days ago titled, "Death to all spies and those who cooperate with the U.S.; killing them is religious duty." The headline closely echoed recent threats made by clandestine armed groups against U.S. forces and their Iraqi collaborators.

"The Coalitional Provisional Authority supports and encourages the development of a free and responsible Iraqi press," the occupation agency said in a statement today. But it said Al-Mustaqila "has chosen to threaten the basic human rights of Iraqi citizens" and published a "clearly inciteful article," putting it in violation of occupation press rules.

The U.S. authority has banned all Iraqi media from publishing or airing material it views as inciting political, religious or ethnic violence or promoting attacks on U.S. forces here. It has already shut down one Baghdad radio station and one Shiite Muslim newspaper in Najaf on these grounds.

[jrthin]

1. Well, our jack-@ss-in-chief

did say that democracy and freedom are on the march.

[nashville_brook]

2. see, jouranlism *isn't* dead

and we wonder why our press is so cowardly

[shraby]

3. Didn't they do that to Sadr?

Looks like there isn't enough insurgents, they have to start up another bunch.

[Barrett808]

4. Not LBN

The reference to the CPA was the tipoff for me.

[klyon]

5. yup free press just as long as you print what we say

KL

[NYC]

6. After the election, who will make the rules?

"...The U.S. authority has banned all Iraqi media from publishing or airing material it views as inciting political, religious or ethnic violence or promoting attacks on U.S. forces here..."

Also, who defines "responsible"? Will that also change after the election?

"...The Coalitional Provisional Authority supports and encourages the development of a free and responsible Iraqi press,"...

[bahrbearian]

7. BAGHDAD, July 22 ???

[Moderator]

8. locking not Late Breaking News