Three
reporters were killed and three others wounded in a matter of hours
in separate incidents and different locations in Baghdad. Hardly a
“mistake,” surely not “friendly fire,” and absolutely silly
to call it an “errant bomb.” Any term the US military tried to
find in the dictionary to justify certain deaths can hardly be
applied to Black Tuesday’s (April 8) incidents.
The
first incident targeted the Aljazeera office in
Baghdad, a US air force A10 "tank killer" plane fired a
missile at the office, then – according to the channel’s
correspondent – the pilot circled the building and fired another
missile, apparently making sure the hit was a success.
Facts
related to that incident:
“They
hit the safe area!” |
|
1-
A huge sign on the roof of the building in yellow, reading
“PRESS.”
2-
The exact location of Aljazeera has always been known
to the US forces.
3-
It is true that, according to AFP, “The television's offices are
on the road between the Mansur Hotel and the planning ministry, not
far from the Republican Palace compound where fierce fighting raged
between US and Iraqi troops early Tuesday,” but here we should
mention a quote by US First Officer, General Richard Myers, little
before the launch of this invasion; “We are capable of directing
our weapons not just to certain buildings, but to a certain
window in a given building.”
That
quote was given as an assurance to those concerned about the then
expected – now a fact – high death toll among civilians. The
question now is: was it an accident?
Let’s
presume it was and move on.
Less
than four hours later, Palestine Hotel, residence of all foreign
reporters covering the invasion from the Iraqi capital – but not
embedded with the US-led forces – came under attack from US tanks,
killing two reporters and wounding three others.
|
|
Journalists
carry a colleague seriously wounded after a US tank shell
hit the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, Tuesday, April 8, 2003. |
In
their reply or justification to the bloody “incident” the US
military claimed that they were fired upon from “the direction”
of the Hotel. Personally, I could have bought that had it not been
for a simple fact. I WAS WATCHING a live coverage when the Hotel was
hit, prior to the explosion that sent Aljazeera
correspondent – standing close to the Palestine Hotel and mourning
his colleague who was killed a while earlier – diving into the
ground, then crying out, “They hit the safe area!”
By
safe area, he meant the place where the Iraqis ordered all reporters
to stay – away from other hotels adjacent to official buildings
that could be targeted; Palestine Hotel, marked with huge signs in
yellow, reading “Press.”
In
between both incidents, another Arab TV station office – Abu Dhabi
TV – was also hit, wounding a cameraman.
Why would the US target reporters in a war for liberation?
|
|
The
International
Federation of Journalists condemned the targeting and killing of
reporters in Iraq as a “war crime,” blaming both sides for the
incidents and calling for an international independent inquiry into
what happened. Is not that laughable? Blaming both sides? What
exactly is the Iraqi side blamed for? Concentrating all reporters in
one “marked” place, to be out of harm’s way?
Now
enters an important question: Why? Yes, indeed, why would the
Americans – in a mission to liberate the Iraqis from the
oppression of a despotic regime – target and kill reporters? And
why now, today? The start of bloody fighting inside the streets of
the Iraqi capital?
One
correspondent said, “The Americans are killing the witnesses.”
Is that reasonable? Why not? Since minute one of that invasion, the
Americans have been facing a serious credibility problem. How many
times have they declared the capture of Omm Qasr? Four times, as I
recall.
Now,
with the much-feared bloody street fighting in Baghdad, mounting
deaths are expected on both sides. I think this is the last thing
the US President would like the people – especially Americans –
to see. It is after all “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” not
“annihilation.”
“We
cannot guarantee the safety of reporters unless they are with us.” |
|
It
is only clear that “time ran out” for reporters to stay in
Baghdad. In his press briefing in the US base in Qatar, US Army
Brigadier General Vincent Brooks made it clear: “We cannot
guarantee the safety of reporters unless they are with us.” A
joke. This is a declaration that reporters outside the wing of the
US forces are now military targets.
Farewell
freedom of the Press! Farewell international law guaranteeing
security and safety of reporters in war zones, farewell truth!
Welcome
to law of the jungle!
May
God bless the souls of those who fell in the line of duty… Jose
Couso (Spanish private network Telecinco), Taras
Protsyuk (Reuters), and Tarek Ayub (Aljazeera).
And
may God spare us His wrath for allowing a world tyrant to turn
innocent lives into hell.
Khaled
Mamdouh is an editor and staff writer in the News Desk of
IslamOnline. He is also a radio announcer, journalist and translator
for several Arabic magazines
Khaledm69@hotmail.com.
