Murder of Journalists

sammi josammi jo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
It looks as if the Bush Administration/Central Command regards journalists from outside of the US as "some variety of threat"...perhaps even "enemy combatants". Is this because they might be reporting material outside the constraints of US propaganda? An extraordinary number of journalists based outside of the US have been killed or targeted by US troops in this war, or fired for reporting non-sanitized material



Why does our government regard the American people who are paying through the nose for the war, namely you and me, as not being capable of handling the truth about it? The old excuse of "national security" doesn't wash, unless we-the- people are also regarded as part of the enemy.



A selection from hundreds of links:



http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5E1702,00.html



http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?do...-eng.oggitalia



http://www.informativos.telecinco.es/desarrollo_454.htm



http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...040807469.html



http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...=SpecialEvent3



http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=24644



http://www.gulufuture.com/news/centcom_lies040703.htm



http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...040807499.html



http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=1220790



http://www.rense.com/general36/ssob.htm



http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=24917



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._hotel_bomb_dc



http://www.gulufuture.com/news/centcom_lies040703.htm



http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...ath=Columnists



http://argument.independent.co.uk/co...p?story=394406
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 107
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sammi jo

    [B]It looks as if the Bush Administration/Central Command regards journalists from outside of the US as "some variety of threat"...perhaps even "enemy combatants". Is this because they might be reporting material outside the constraints of US propaganda? An extraordinary number of journalists based outside of the US have been killed or targeted by US troops in this war, or fired for reporting non-sanitized material



    Why does our government regard the American people who are paying through the nose for the war, namely you and me, as not being capable of handling the truth about it?.....




    actually, it looks to me like you have reporters getting as close as possible to action in a war zone. a lot of US reporters have died as well. when you're filming soldiers you're close to soldiers. when you're close to soldiers, there's a good chance you may be targeted along with those soldiers.



    i don't see a conspiracy here, just a sad outcropping of war and a desire to get graphic/live footage.
  • Reply 2 of 107
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Buffalo Theory.



    It strengthens the journalist population.
  • Reply 3 of 107
    not unlike myselfnot unlike myself Posts: 2,037member
    alcimedes is right. When war happens, people die. When you are near troops, you may get shot at. If you are a journalist, you understand this risk. Believe me, if the US had a 'journalist killing conspiracy'. There would be a hell of a lot more of them simply 'disappearing'. When accidents happen, they appologize.



    A recent case is right here.



    Stuff happens. We feel bad, but get over it.
  • Reply 4 of 107
    running with scissorsrunning with scissors Posts: 1,124member
    Quote:

    Why does our government regard the American people who are paying through the nose for the war, namely you and me, as not being capable of handling the truth about it? The old excuse of "national security" doesn't wash, unless we-the- people are also regarded as part of the enemy.



    you've got to be shitting me. i don't know if you've managed to clue in on this fact or not, but a war zone is kind of a dangerous place to be. you know, the bullets, the bombs, and such. i think you've let, once again, your total and utter loathing of this administration get the better of any amount of rational thought you may posses. by the way, this is coming from a very liberal person that can't stand GW or most of his politics.
  • Reply 5 of 107
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Thank you, running with scissors.



    She uses "murder" and other condemning words and phrases, as though we're going after reporters and other microphone toters for sport.







    THEY'RE IN A WAR ZONE.



    Regarding the recent incident involving the hotel, I've read/heard from several places that U.S. planes were fired on from that location and returned fire. The press was grilling the military brass at an earlier CentCom briefing, implying the kinds of things sammijo does above.



    The military, as far as I know, never made any promises that journalists weren't in danger or might not get injured or killed.



    But if you're in the military and you're being fired on, you return fire.



    Do you think Saddam's men (or renegade, whack-job Iraqi soldiers) are above setting up in a hotel where they KNOW Western journalists are, firing on U.S. planes/troops knowing that fire would be returned and reporters and other non-combatants would be killed by our own troops?



    No, not at all. Iraq has, after all, been fighting in such a dignified, courageous and above-board way. Why, just because they use women and children as shields, feign surrender in order to get close enough to open fire on our troops, execute our POWs, etc. there's no reason whatsoever to suspect that they might do something low-rent and shady like using a hotel populated by journalists as a place to wage skirmishes from.







    Even if that's not the case, perhaps these reporters shouldn't be setting up shop in a hotel in - hello! - DOWNTOWN BAGHDAD at this particular time. There is, after all, only a small WAR going on. When things are secured and a bit safer, then they can go in and gloryhound and report on how many civilians our troops have killed. In the meantime, why don't they just cool their heels in Kuwait and let our troops get the job done properly without worrying about blowing up some people from CNN or whatever.



  • Reply 6 of 107
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    C'mon guys, Sammi Jo's just mastering newspeak.

    Give her a break.



    (And my condolences to the family/friends of the journalists. They wouldn't have stayed to report the battle if they hadn't been committed to covering the war.)



    EDIT:

    One more thing. Something that hasn't been mentioned (as far as I know) is the possibility that when things get bad, when the going gets tough, these men and women of the press may in fact be used as bargaining chips by elements of the Fedayeen. Look for the possibilty that these people will be used as hostages. As of yesterday the press were being prevented from leaving the hotel by the Fedayeen. I smell hostage situation. Also the Palestine Hotel is a multi-story building that would afford snipers a high vantage point to fire upon coaltion forces. Using the reporters as shields is clearly a possibility that may unfold in the next day or so....if it isn't happening already.
  • Reply 7 of 107
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    I U.S. Military knew the hotel was being used by journalists. If the hotel is being abused by Iraq, that doesn't mean the Military should disregard the lives of the civilians.



    Did any of you read any of the links?



    Fire was coming from near the hotel. A man with binoculars was seen in the hotel. It was assumed that he icould be a spotter and directing fire for those near the hotel. So the U.S. Military bombed the hotel just in case that man with binoculars was spotting for the Iraqi military.



    That's insane. It could be a misrepresentation, but if it's the truth then hopefully you'll all come back to post about how stupid your rash decisions were. War might be dangerous, but it's moreso when the U.S. Military is targeting you. Too bad that includes civilians in this case.
  • Reply 8 of 107
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops

    One more thing. Something that hasn't been mentioned (as far as I know) is the possibility that when things get bad, when the going gets tough, these men and women of the press may in fact be used as bargaining chips by elements of the Fedayeen. Look for the possibilty that these people will be used as hostages. As of yesterday the press were being prevented from leaving the hotel by the Fedayeen. I smell hostage situation. Also the Palestine Hotel is a multi-story building that would afford snipers a high vantage point to fire upon coaltion forces. Using the reporters as shields is clearly a possibility that may unfold in the next day or so....if it isn't happening already.



    That's kinda what I was getting at above. And, at this point, I'd be willing to bet a significant sum of money that this is the case.



    Of course, there will always be those who believe the Iraqi information minister and anything else that puts the coalition forces in a bad, negative light.



    They have to because to believe/feel otherwise begins to crumble all their reasons and thoughts regarding this war.



    We could've caught Saddam AND Osama (they were, say, having lunch together and we walked in on them) the first day of the war, not touched a single civilian, delivered food and medicine on gas-efficient mopeds driven by transgendered vegans and accidentally discovered the cure for AIDS and Parkinson's disease while rummaging through Baghdad bunkers and there would STILL be those who couldn't put their disdain and hatred for the President and this administration on the backburner and join in the celebration.



  • Reply 9 of 107
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates

    ...delivered food and medicine on gas-efficient mopeds driven by transgendered vegans....



    I dunno...I really love mopeds....
  • Reply 10 of 107
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bunge

    I U.S. Military knew the hotel was being...



    blah, blah, blah...



    ...but if it's the truth then hopefully you'll all come back to post about how stupid your rash decisions were. War might be dangerous, but it's moreso when the U.S. Military is targeting you. Too bad that includes civilians in this case.



    About the only thing I'd come back here to say is maybe staying in a hotel in the downtown area of a current war zone wasn't such a hot idea? And if you're such a devoted reporter/correspondent that you believe otherwise, well then you have to accept that some unpleasant, crappy things might occur.
  • Reply 11 of 107
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sammi jo

    It looks as if the Bush Administration/Central Command regards journalists from outside of the US as "some variety of threat"...perhaps even "enemy combatants". Is this because they might be reporting material outside the constraints of US propaganda? An extraordinary number of journalists based outside of the US have been killed or targeted by US troops in this war, or fired for reporting non-sanitized material



    Why does our government regard the American people who are paying through the nose for the war, namely you and me, as not being capable of handling the truth about it? The old excuse of "national security" doesn't wash, unless we-the- people are also regarded as part of the enemy.





    Truly, I must know, how old are you?

  • Reply 12 of 107
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member




    You're not going to like it...
  • Reply 13 of 107
    sammi josammi jo Posts: 4,634member
    http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...=SpecialEvent3

    The doctors and nurses at the Red Cross now better watch what they say to journalists......



    http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click...7B262&set_id=1

    http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.a...E25778,00.html

    Oh look...those pesky French are at it again....saying all the wrong things.....



    And as for al jazeera....

    http://www.gooff.com/NM/templates/Br...d=713&zoneid=2

    Aren't they terrorists or something?



  • Reply 14 of 107
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sammi jo

    http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...=SpecialEvent3



    The doctors and nurses at the Red Cross now better watch what they say to journalists......



    Its called war, and its also called HUMAN SHIELDS....

    remember they place PEOPLE in places they know will be hit, this is NOT new. no one said it would be all sunshine and flowers and kittens.
  • Reply 15 of 107
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates

    About the only thing I'd come back here to say is maybe staying in a hotel in the downtown area of a current war zone wasn't such a hot idea? And if you're such a devoted reporter/correspondent that you believe otherwise, well then you have to accept that some unpleasant, crappy things might occur.



    Don't be silly. Some 'unpleasant, crappy things might occur'? If this were an accident then I could understand your position. But it wasn't. The Military targeted a building with civilians. Why on earth should anyone accept that?
  • Reply 16 of 107
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    ...remember they place PEOPLE in places they know will be hit....



    That's not true. They tell the Military where they're going to be specifically so they don't get hit. They shouldn't have to calculate a deliberate attack into the equation. Why do you settle for the U.S. Military deliberately attacking a civilian outpost?
  • Reply 17 of 107
    sammi josammi jo Posts: 4,634member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    Its called war, and its also called HUMAN SHIELDS....

    remember they place PEOPLE in places they know will be hit, this is NOT new. no one said it would be all sunshine and flowers and kittens.



    One minute search finds that human shields are also used by the U.S. Iraq ain't the only offenders here...



    http://www.khilafah.com/home/categor...D=6736&TagID=2



    http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...962881242.html



    http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0404-09.htm



    Cmon FOX and CNN....your lagging....
  • Reply 18 of 107
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    it could be completely accurate that there was just someone standing on top of a building with binoculars following the US forces.



    HOWEVER



    that leads me to a simple, logical conclusion that anyone should know.



    it is a bad idea to point things and/or intently watch military forces that are being actively fired upon. just because people are wearing regular clothing has meant nothing in this war. sorry, but spotters are a real threat to military targets, and someone spotting while forces are getting fired upon will be a target.



    here's a thought.



    DON'T TRACK MILITARY FORCES WITH BINOCULARS WHILE THEY'RE BEING SHOT AT.



    however, it all leads back to my initial point, which is that in this time of reality TV and big name, big contract reporters, reporters are willing to do very stupid things to try and scoop the next guy and be famous. we're seeing what happens when they cross the line.
  • Reply 19 of 107
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    sammi jo, please define "human shield"
  • Reply 20 of 107
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sammi jo

    One minute search finds that human shields are also used by the U.S. Iraq ain't the only offenders here...



    http://www.khilafah.com/home/categor...D=6736&TagID=2



    http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...962881242.html



    http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0404-09.htm



    Cmon FOX and CNN....your lagging....



    Actually, I read your links, and there was no mention of using human sheilds in it at all. Gee suprise. IT did mention however that they are using schools that had been abandoned since the war began, and that it was near a church and stuff. But Hmmmm. Abandoned school building does NOT equal human shields, nor a running hospital.
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