AP president: US arrests journalist in Iraq to 'control' information

[deminks]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/AP_President_chides_Bush_Admin_for_0319.html

Associated Press president Tom Curley says his news organization does not buy the government's argument that one of its photographers arrested in Iraq was working on behalf of the enemy, and he alleged the US is rounding up journalists in an attempt to control information.

"To say the least, we see things very differently," Curley commented dryly, regarding photographer Bilal Hussein, who was arrested two years ago and remains in military custody.

Noting that at least a dozen other Iraqi photographers have been detained or arrested, Curley stated, "It's impossible not to conclude that the words and pictures these journalists produced were considered unhelpful to the war effort and that their arrests would have served a broader strategy of information control."

Curley also called on journalists to demand that all the presidential candidates make a commitment to reversing a directive issued by Attorney General John Ashcroft shortly after September 11 that radically restricted the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.

(End snip)

Wow, it appears to be unraveling a bit, Chimpy.

[Solly Mack]

1. what to say..what to say

it's all been said

nothing ever gets done

[elizfeelinggreat]

6. yep I feel that way too

and there's a mountain of stuff that never gets done ... can we take one more?

Why do I keep coming here to read stuff that the Republicans don't give a freaking worthless gnat about?

And this guy wants the candidates to address this? What about using your platform to pressure THIS president with more than half a year left in office?

I mean, Tom Curley, President of AP? That's not Joe Blow on the corner! I can't imagine if someone I knew was in that position (held prisoner) and Mr. Curley decides the NEXT president has to do something. Thanks for nothing, buster.

Sheesh.

[malaise]

2. All I'll say is Duh!

Sorry AP remember this old proverb -Hang out with dogs and you'll catch fleas.

[elizfeelinggreat]

7. Tom Curley

should have fleas.

Those who are actually trying to report news (real news) and are targeted deserve better.

It's the drones on their high horses regurgitating WH memos as our evening news that deserve to be under suspicion.

[deminks]

3. kick for the evening

[UpInArms]

4. the Pentagon threatened to kill journalists in Iraq before the invasion

http://www.gulufuture.com/news/kate_adie030310.htm">PENTAGON THREATENS TO KILL INDEPENDENT REPORTERS IN IRAQ

GuluFuture Story March 13th

The Pentagon has threatened to fire on the satellite uplink positions of independent journalists in Iraq, according to veteran BBC war correspondent, Kate Adie. In an interview with Irish radio, Ms. Adie said that questioned about the consequences of such potentially fatal actions, a senior Pentagon officer had said: "Who cares.. ..They've been warned."

According to Ms. Adie, who twelve years ago covered the last Gulf War, the Pentagon attitude is: "entirely hostile to the the free spread of information."

"I am enormously pessimistic of the chance of decent on-the-spot reporting, as the war occurs," she told Irish national broadcaster, Tom McGurk on the RTE1 Radio "Sunday Show."

Ms. Adie made the startling revelations during a discussion of media freedom issues in the likely upcoming war in Iraq. She also warned that the Pentagon is vetting journalists according to their stance on the war, and intends to take control of US journalists' satellite equipment --in order to control access to the airwaves.

Another guest on the show, war author Phillip Knightley, reported that the Pentagon has also threatened they: "may find it necessary to bomb areas in which war correspondents are attempting to report from the Iraqi side."

[Supersedeas]

8. more than one way to keep the Media on script

[crimsonblue]

5. Hmm, this could be in response to a lot of the Foreign journalists in Iraq...

Especially some of those from Britain. Robert Frisk, for example, has interviewed "terrorists" and suicide bombers and their families... Obviously, he is a terrorist too and should be taken to Gitmo. Maybe this will be the last straw for the Media; it sometimes seems like the only thing that can get them off their lazy butts is to be pushed around by the Gov. Backlash coming?