U.S. Troops More Hostile With Reporters

[DuctapeFatwa]

With casualties mounting in Iraq, jumpy U.S. soldiers are becoming more aggressive in their treatment of journalists covering the conflict.

Media people have been detained, news equipment has been confiscated and some journalists have suffered verbal and physical abuse while trying to report on events.

Although the number of incidents involving soldiers and journalists is difficult to gauge, anecdotal evidence suggests it has risen sharply the past two months.

In October, the Belgium-based International Federation of Journalists, which includes unions representing 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries, complained of increased harassment of reporters, including beatings of some, since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031112_1340.html

[Barrett808]

1. Good, good -- keep alienating the press

Soon Bush and the neo-con mafia will truly be standing alone.

[gratuitous]

2. Naturally, they aren't talking about the American press

The good puppies of the American media don't do anything provocative, like ask the troops how it's going. Or if they do, they're waiting a few years before they publish the real answers and the real story in the book they plan to write, a book that will tear the lid off all the stuff they're currently putting a lid on.

No, it's up to reporters in other countries to report what's going on in Iraq, without the administration filter/spin.

[xchrom]

3. it's all that democracy

we're bringing.
charming ain't it?

[Don_G]

4. US Reporters Have The Best Credentials

Blond hair and blue eyes.

[VolcanoJen]

5. Kick!

:dem:

[WeirdSceneGoldmine]

6. I'll bet the hostility is proportional to the lack of positive press

If I were dodging bullets and bombs I'd be more sensitive to the words written about my actions and fate. Who here would not?

[Zhade]

8. If I were dodging bullets, I wouldn't have time to be sensitive.

Things are hellish in Iraq.

Troops are there.

They know exactly what the reporters will write, because they're in the thick of what's being written about. I don't think they are attacking journalists for writing about them. This feels more formal to me. Like an order - "no bad press!"

Remember: five days of U.S. bombing since Friday, and almost no word here. Wonder why that is, hmmm?

[Judi Lynn]

7. It fits a pattern, doesn't it? Don't want wittnesses to their actions.

Part of the _Bush official attitude. All from the party of personal responsibility.


(snip) A TV news producer in Baghdad for a major U.S. television network said his crews had been threatened at least 10 times in recent weeks with confiscation of their equipment. He asked not to be quoted by name because of his company's policy against giving interviews to other media. (snip)

(snip) "If you don't like the way the military works, I can't help you," Capt. William Pickett told a group of reporters left standing outside the gate after being invited to cover a briefing Monday with Australia's defense minister, Robert Hill. (snip)