U.S. Holds Reuters Staff Near Chopper Crash in Iraq

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - American soldiers on Friday detained three Iraqis working for Reuters as they covered the aftermath of a U.S. helicopter crash near the volatile town of Falluja.
A Reuters driver who was working with the three said they had earlier been fired on by U.S. troops as they filmed a checkpoint close to the site where a Kiowa observation helicopter was shot down by guerrillas.

One pilot was killed and another injured in the crash.

"We were fired on and we drove away at high speed," driver Alaa Noury said. He said Reuters cameraman Salem Uraiby had been filming the checkpoint using a camera on a tripod, and had been wearing a flak jacket clearly marked with the word "press."

More: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4066622

Oops.

[dutchdemocrat]

1. Nasty

Oops is an understatement. This shows what is really wrong about Iraq. And it has to do with being the wrong colour.

[baby_bear]

2. I hadn't heard about this earlier incident

from the same article

<snip>
In August, award-winning Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was shot dead by a U.S. soldier as he filmed in a town on the western outskirts of Baghdad. The U.S. military said the soldier who killed him believed his camera was a grenade launcher.
</snip>

This is NOT good.

s_m

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. However, it's an efficient way of controlling what news leaves

the battlefield.

[pinto]

4. 3 Reuters employees and an NBC cameraman reported arrested.

Cameramen are particularly at risk as armed forces get "skittish"...
Some have been shot by military confusing video cams for shoulder weapons.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Do you have a link with the NBC cameraman info?

[pinto]

8. not yet...

[Judi Lynn]

6. Your suspicion earlier today was right on target. Too bad, isn't it?

Thanks to Sierra Moon for mentioning the Reuters journalist they killed before. Stories coming in after that event would lead you to believe it was TOTALLY avoidable in every way.

This brings up memories of death threats to journalists in Afghanistan. Apparently you're not safe if you're not FAUX. Screw "freedom of the press," as they're teaching us.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. I had to do a double take when Pinto posted the Journalists

were really journalists. Sad, but true. It's getting to where we have to consider everything coming out of Centcom or Military sources as dubious at best.

[cliss]

9. I wonder about that.....

I have read more than once that journalists and cameramen are 'gator bait' in Iraq. Journalists who have clear credentials, or are holding a camera have been shot and killed. The US just shrugs its shoulders and blames it on that 'they looked dangerous'.

A few months ago, one journalist had a camcorder and he was filming outside the Abu Ghraib prison. He was shot and killed. Imagine a tank coming out and killing this man, because he was assumed to be a 'threat'.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. 2003 was a record year for dead journalists in the field

16 in Iraq alone.

[TeeYiYi]

11. Yup . . .

This article makes reference to 37 so far and that was back in May! I wonder what the final tally was. It looks like our soldiers have been taking pages out of the IDF playbook . . .


IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 3 May 2003 IFJ media release:

IFJ Demands End to Military "whitewash" After Top Journalist is Shot Dead in Palestine

<snip>

"This is devastating news for journalists," said Aidan White, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists. "This killing, like other recent deaths in Palestine and Iraq, cries out for a systematic process of independent investigation by respected international authorities.

"There must be an end to military whitewash covering up gross negligence in the chain of military command that leaves journalists dead and injured."

<snip>

Miller's death brings the total number of journalists and media staff killed this year to 37.

http://www.ifex.org/fr/content/view/full/49502

TYY

[oasis]

12. Sweeping problems under the rug is Condi Rice's modus operandi.

She most likely ordered tighter control of the press in Iraq citing "security" concerns from her sources.

Company commanders have no choice but to pass the word down to units involved in daily operations.