Iraq: U.S. Military Responses Imperil Journalists

[True_Blue]

(New York, September 24, 2003) Overaggressive reactions by U.S. military forces in Iraq are putting journalists and other civilians in unnecessary danger, Human Rights Watch said today.

On September 18, U.S. army troops opened fire on an Associated Press (AP) reporter and photographer in the town of Khaldiya, 50 miles west of Baghdad. No one was injured, but the photographer's car was badly damaged.
On August 17, U.S. forces shot and killed a Reuters television cameraman, Mazen Dana, outside the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. According to the military, they mistook his camera for a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). U.S. military authorities told Human Rights Watch on September 23 that they investigated that incident and concluded that the soldiers had acted within the rules of engagement.

Dana was the 12th journalist killed in action in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Five of these deaths were from U.S. fire.

more....
http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/09/us-iraq092403.htm

[Voltaire99]

1. Please take care, Robert Fisk

He goes where corporate journalists fear to tread, and I wouldn't put it above the US military to shoot him for his devastating exposés.

Take care, Robert.

[Flying_Pig]

2. Has there ever been a war where so many journalists have been

killed, especially in so short a duration and limited geographical area? Why do I get the feeling that assassinations are taking place?

I remember the Vietnam war quite well, and sure don't remember this many media people being killed. Anyone know where "comparable" stats might be available, so we can take a closer look this? I think a case can me made that the U.S., on orders from the PNAC cabal, is killing journalists. Statistics might be able to help prove this accusation.

[sattahipdeep]

3. Karim Kadim and driver Mohammed Abbas

better quit talking to Solomon.

U.S. Troops Detain 2 AP Staffers
in Iraq

Tuesday September 23, 2003 10:19 PM

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. soldiers detained an Associated
Press photographer and driver on Tuesday, handcuffing them,
forcing them to stand in the sun for three hours and denying
them water or use of a telephone.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3183523,00.html

They want the film of the 3 yr old boy shot in the chest.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7310485%255E1702,00.html

Stray bullet hit a 3-year-old boy in the chest

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en39114&F_catID=&f_type=source

Does John Solomon work for cia?
John Solomon
supervises the Associated Press's
investigative unit which has been
looking into what the government knew
before September 11th and what it has
been doing since.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030922/ap_on_re_us/terror_mastermind_13

Who's telling the truth?

News of the death of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was
intentionally suppressed so that officials could
play on the power of his name to follow up leads
and contacts.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/DJ30Df01.html