Stealth handover stymies journalists ..(locked in room til the turn-over)

[SoCalDem]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001967831_iraqmedia29.html

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Stealth handover stymies journalists

By Howard Kurtz
The Washington Post


The phone calls to the journalists were cryptic. Their cellphones were confiscated. And at the moment they realized they were watching an abruptly scheduled transfer of power from U.S. authorities to the new Iraqi government yesterday, most of the United States was asleep.
Only two big-name television stars, ABC anchor Peter Jennings and CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, witnessed the brief ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq. Moments before they were ushered into the nondescript room, Jennings said yesterday from Baghdad, "a couple of us looked at each other in a highly speculative way and said maybe it had something to do with sovereignty."

CBS' Dan Rather, who was reporting elsewhere in Iraq, said his team had heard from a U.S. source that " 'we can't tell you what it's going to be, but it's going to be something big.' We did not think there was a high probability it would be the handover."

MSNBC broke the news based on a staff member's diplomatic source at 11:23 p.m. PDT, followed by Fox News at 11:30 (reporter Kelly Wright said the handover "could be taking place sometime today") and CNN at 11:33 (European editor Robin Oakley attributed it to British diplomatic sources). Rather got on the air at 11:43, and Jennings, borrowing a colleague's cellphone because his had not been returned, provided a firsthand account at 11:52.


more..............

[thebigidea]

1. boy, this giddiness over the "early" transfer is getting annoying

"Its a Christmas miracle!" exclaims Jennings.

[SoCalDem]

6. They must all be hypnotized.. This WH has "dissed" them from day ONE

and they just keep butt sniffing, like the zeta dog..

One would think that they would have had a conference of journalists at SOME point and someone would have said.. "Let's get these guys...they are lying to us, and it's time to stop"..

This is why I wish that ALL of our people would just quit talking to them at all.. If every dem (except probably Lieberman and Miller & Breaux, of course), would have called a joint news conference, and just announced that after that day they would not be available for ANY comments to ANY media because of the slanted coverage and the lack of any investigative initiative....that would have BEEN newsworthy.. and if they had held together, it would have been very apparent that the media WAS really a shill for the right...


But as always, personal interest and publicity seeking won out.. Only the weakest dems are "chosen" and they are put head to head with the pit bulls of the right, so we never are on an equal footing..

The "journalists" are being played by this admin, and they seem to be okay with it....sad

[NMDemDist2]

2. they had to do it quick so Bushit would have something to beg with in

Turkey

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. They should all now 'do the Bremer'

if they were smart.

[leetrisck]

4. What a bunch of low-life cowards for

a staged event - while Matt Maupin was being killed, marine taken hostage, etc, etc, and bush signs a little note "let freedom reign" What a sickening bunch and bremer and tenor went sneaking out the back door.

[SoCalDem]

7. You have to know that the media chiefs are furious..

It's not a cheap proposition to send the "big guys" over there to report on something, and then have them tricked and locked out of even attending the "event"..

I hope to see some evidence of spines..

[dusty64]

5. Nothing has really changed

at all. It won't be long till everyone sees through the farce, although I kinda expect to see the situation there treated a lot like Afghanistan. Out of sight and out of mind, maybe we'll all just forget and concentrate on our economic "optimism".