US hails Freedom for Iraqis as newspaper is shut down

[Judi Lynn]

US hails Freedom for Iraqis as newspaper is shut down

uploaded 23 Jul 2003


BAGHDAD, July 22 (AFP) - The US-led coalition in Iraq has closed down a local newspaper for the first time, accusing it of incitement to murder in an article published earlier this month, officials said Tuesday.

"It was our duty to close down this newspaper," Al-Mustaqila, or The Independent, a senior coalition official said on condition of anonymity.

"Al-Mustaqila newspaper published on July 13 a clearly inciteful article entitled 'Death to all spies and those who cooperate with the US; killing them is a religious duty'," the coalition added in a statement.

"The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the Iraqi police service therefore judged that Al-Mustaqila poses a significant security threat to Iraqi citizens, placing it in violation of international humanitarian law, as well as in breach of CPA order number 14," it said. (snip/...)

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[Outvoicer]

1. yes...

Freedom American Style is a very tricky thing to create.

The recipe requires 99% rhetoric.

1% actual freedom.

Spin at all hours and viola...

Bush's "Freedom" Souffle

[lkinsale]

2. I'm not sure inciting to murder as a religious duty is defensible...

...as free speech.

[w4rma]

3. an Iraqi Constitution doesn't exist yet (n/t)

[Sick of Bullshit]

4. If you're an Arab, it is not defensible as "free speech"...

but if you're Annthrax Coulter and you say "I think we should kill all their leaders and convert them to Christianity", then it is

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Jacobin]

5. Sounds like a paper Ben Franklin would have been proud of

Freedom fighters and the Iraqi press will have to go underground.