Media protest after journalists seized

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1291444,00.html

Media protest after journalists seized

Claire Cozens and agencies
Thursday August 26, 2004

Media organisations are preparing a formal protest to the Iraqi authorities after dozens of journalists in Najaf, including the entire BBC team, were forced from their hotel at gunpoint and detained by local police.

Around 60 journalists from local and foreign news organisations including the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Independent as well as the BBC, were held for almost an hour while police officers delivered what one correspondent described as an "unexpected press conference at gunpoint".

"A number of BBC staff were detained last night for approximately 40 minutes. We are considering a joint protest," said a BBC spokesman.

Correspondents in the Najaf Sea hotel said around a dozen policemen, some masked, stormed into the rooms of journalists and forced them into vans and a truck.

..more..

[truthisfreedom]

1. democracy in action! watch, ladies and gentlemen, as the prez delivers it

to the people of Iraq, one victim at a time!

[boobooday]

2. Wow. With *'s help . . .

The Iraqis are really getting the hang of this democracy thing. Liberation in action!!!

[whistle]

8. Hohohooo, that poster is priceless....

...At first I thought the image of Dubya was actually Wolfowitz. That has to be KKKarl Rove in the lower left and the blonde Condolezza Rice fits perfectly. Who knows, if justice is served on all BushCo operatives, Alcatraz may have to be reopened.

[Justice]

3. Sure, Now We Will Hear About How Bad Things Are,

now that the media has been threatened. They squeal like stuck pigs.

[zanana]

4. WTF?

I'm speechless. I knew that the Iraqi "police" would be a front for the administration, but this is so brazen and shocking I'm unable to express how disgusted I am.

[truthspeaker]

5. this is (at least) the second time this has happened

a similar incident was reported on August 17:

http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10478772%5E401,00.html

IRAQI police have threatened to kill every journalist working in the holy city of Najaf, where US forces are locked in a tense stand-off with Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army.

[thebigidea]

6. Oh no! Not a "formal protest"! Rumsfeld must be shaking in his boots!

The Pentagon has nothing but contempt for journalists - DiRita this morning actually claimed that the press didn't break the torture scandal, that it was Sanchez's one line back in January that did.

Remember Wolfie insulting the press, claiming they were too cowardly to leave their hotels or somesuch?

Brave, Brave Wolfie.

[G_j]

10. how about a "formal protest" from Rumsfeld?

ha ha

[whistle]

7. This sounds like the journalists who were bombed and....

...killed in their hotel in Baghdad by U.S. forces entering the city while the invasion was taking place last April. The military totally covered that up as well. I know of no investigations into the circumstances that resulted in that incident, but it certainly appeared to be a coercive chilling tactic by our military to control all journalists during this war.

[PATRICK]

9. Heroism of(mainly foreign) media

In defying the Iraqi intimidation, the ban, the rousting to brave the battle zone and enter the mosque- spoiling completely a rather stupid lie from the Iraqi puppet regime. Now it is all unraveling and much too late except to dig a deeper hole.

Yet there is one bastion still protecting the Iraqis and occupying forces
from the simple rays of truth. the American media still stumbling and ignoring, still unable to report a shred of what is actually occurring and what it means.

So as not to bother the American people who should be concentrating on W's triumph in NYC.

I think we can all admire the courage and tenacity of the various foreign media if not the US journalists who don't have a GD idea what to do with their mikes.

Although, I am sure we have an excellent proposition.

By the way didn't the Alamo boast thirteen days holding out against the Mexican army? Lightly armed street militia have stymied the invincible US army for months. And the Mexicans TOOK the Alamo.