Brenda Stardom [ the OTHER WAR - non-embedded JOURNALISTS? ]

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Last 15 Articles

29-3-2003 - the OTHER WAR - non-embedded JOURNALISTS?

Just minutes after I began this report on journalists killed, missing, or beaten in Iraq, another report came in from Rome.

"Seven Italian journalists covering the war in Iraq have gone missing near the southern city of Basra after running into a group of armed men, colleagues traveling with the journalists have said. The special correspondents for various Italian newspapers have not checked in with their offices since 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) Friday, officials said. The foreign ministry said late Friday it was putting all means in place to find out where they were.

My initial focus was on the Israeli and Portuguese reporters who were apprehended. The journalists - two Israelis and a Portuguese television reporter - were allegedly held by US troops and accused of espionage. ''If true, this maltreatment of journalists is a grave violation of journalists' rights. This incident must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice,'' said the Brussels-based IFJ. The journalists, Dan Scemama, of Israel's Channel 1 TV, Boaz Bismuth of the Israeli Yediot Aharonot and Louis de Castro of Radio Television Portugal, were traveling alongside American convoys, but were not officially ''embedded'' with the troops.

This piece had me really tripping because the count wasn't that high yesterday and it doesn't include the 7 Italians just reported missing. Nine Journalists Missing, Others Beaten By US Troops

"Other press freedom organization - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) speaks about more dangerous situation. According to this organization nine journalists are missing in the "front line" and two others - ITN's Terry Lloyd and Australian cameraman Paul Moran, of Australia's ABC TV, already killed. At least two other journalists have been wounded."

"Journalists warned they are targets: The Australian Government has warned journalists in northern Iraq to leave the area. A new travel advice issued for Iraq says there is information pro-Saddam groups may be preparing to target westerners in the north, including media representatives." This page has a chronological list of missing or dead journalists.

I began getting really suspicious about what really happened/happening to all the journalists involved and after reading this, I'm going hmmm, yeah, HELL YES!

"Another novel element of this war that is creating unanticipated problems for the Bush administration is the specter of "embedded reporters". These are television, print and radio journalists "embedded" within and traveling with military units on the battlefield to cover the war, on condition that they do not report sensitive military information. The decision to have these embedded reporters was clearly based on the premise that they would be filing back reports and images of Iraqi soldiers surrendering without a fight, of the systematic crumbling of a decadent regime and of jubilant Iraqi crowds welcoming their "liberators." Contrary to these expectations, these embedded reporters are filing back gruesome reports of executed and captured or missing American soldiers and heart-wrenching stories of devastated Iraqi families - innocent men, women and children killed and maimed by American bombs falling on Baghdad. The Bush administration's exasperation with the press was demonstarted Friday by remarks from senior officials calling media skepticism over the war "silly." It is dangerously unwise for the adminsitration to alienate the press at this time."

Don't you just love the part about the Bush administration's exasperation with the press? How the press's role was uncorrectly assumed? I, like most, were buying the stories about the journalists killed and even those missing. This is a big what if, but what if dry drunk Bush issued orders to take out some of the press, in hopes they'd get the message and leave in droves. Was the word out? I was particularily flabbersgasted about the Portuguese journalist. I watch him on TV.

Nope this just isn't ringing true. "March 28 — With American troops fighting their way to Baghdad, Bush administration officials have opened a second front at home, voicing frustration with news media coverage of the war. In the struggle to shape public opinion, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other administration officials seemed determined to overcome what they see as “mood swings” and second-guessing by reporters and analysts which they fear could sap public support for the war."

Tell it, Donnie. " When a reporter asked Rumsfeld whether his planners had miscalculated the likelihood of the Iraqi people welcoming U.S. troops as liberators, Rumsfeld snapped, “don’t you think it’s a little premature, that question? We’ll know the answer to that as portions of the country are liberated. We’ll have people on the ground embedded with our forces who’ll have a chance to see what happens.” .”

From an article about the deaths of British reporter Terry Lloyd and Australian cameraman, Paul Moran, found while checking out Victoria Clarke.

"Neither of the journalists were "embedded," or assigned to accompany a military unit of the coalition forces.

On Saturday, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke expressed condolences to the families of "journalists who were not embedded with coalition forces that have been killed and wounded."

Clarke urged news organizations to pull back their non-embedded journalists, or so-called "unilaterals," from combat zones in Iraq.

"We ask all new organizations to exercise restraint, especially with their journalists who are out there operating freely and ask them to exercise restraint. There are risks. Combat operations are moving in a fast and unpredictable fashion. The coalition forces will of course exercise extreme care whenever there are noncombatants. However, reporters who get between coalition and Iraqi forces put themselves at extreme risk," Clarke told reporters at a Pentagon briefing.

Those who are working as “unilaterals,” traveling and reporting independently of U.S. or British troops, are most at risk. Other correspondents—including some at NEWSWEEK—have narrowly escaped death. NEWSWEEK’s Jennifer Barrett spoke with Joel Simon, acting director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, about how well protected journalists are in Iraq and how that is affecting the way the war is reported.

"In my view, independent journalism is critical. They are reporting stories that journalists embedded with the troops cannot, such as reporting on what Iraqis think. They are getting some pretty intense stuff."

That pretty intense stuff is the crux of the matter. They have enraged the Pentagon, pissed Bush off immensely and one way or another they're going to be silenced.

OHBOY. Back to the Israeli's and the Portuguese reporter. After they were freed, one of the Israeli's had this to say. "He added that he had received the impression that the American army had done everything it could to ensure that not one independent journalist was reporting from Iraq."

Now I can't help but fear for the safety of Christopher Allbritton from back-to-iraq.com, going it alone after raising money from readers, who according to his last entry, is getting ready to cross into Syria.

I wouldn't have the guts to put my life on the line for a story, but I sure applaud and admire those who do. This has taken too big a toll on journalists already. If I could give them some advice, I'd tell them to get out now, but I know that would fall on deaf ears. This is their heroin.

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost"
--Thomas Jefferson

Brenda Stardom
Portugal