Are Independent Journalists Being ‘Executed’ By the Bush Administration?

By Cheryl Seal, Mt. Vernon, 30 March 2003

The number of casualties among independent journalists in Iraq is higher, percent-wise than ANY OTHER GROUP in the war zone. Are Independent Journalists Being ‘Executed’ By the Bush Administration?

Since the war started, a total of at least half a dozen journalists have been killed—an outrageously high percentage of casualties—the highest for any single group of people in the war zone, from the civilian support personnel to the soldiers themselves. It seems way, way beyond coincidence that most of the fallen journalists are non-embedded writers dedicated to telling the truth.

The latest death is British reporter (Channel 4, ITN) Gaby Rado, covering the action in Northern Iraq. Rado died under mysterious circumstances in a fall from a hotel roof. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2900379.stm Not long before, fellow ITN journalist Terry Lloyd was killed in Iraq by ’friendly fire’ from Allied forces. Lloyd was one of the unilateral reporters, travelling freely around the war zone, as opposed to being embedded.

A Frightening Overview

MARCH 11: British veteran Journalist Kate Adie warns that US. plans to target independent journalists. (story on Adie’s interview on an Irish radio station: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=8238

MARCH 30: As of this date, at least 5 independent and/or non-embedded journalists in Iraq have died from car bombs, friendly fire or mysterious accidents or have mysteriously disappeared.

FALLEN HEROES

DEAD or presumed dead:

Gaby Rado, ITN journalist, in northern Iraq from mysterious fall from roof

Terry Lloyd, ITN journalist in southern Iraq—friendly fire

Fred Nerac, ITN cameraman friendly fire

Hussein Othman, ITN translator friendly fire

Paul Moran, 39 Freelance cameraman with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., no. Iraq—car bomb

INJURED (partial list)

Daniel Demoustier, ITN cameraman—friendly fire

Eric Campbell, ABC correspondent—friendly fire

MISSING:

Matthew McAllester, journalist, Newsday, Baghdad

Moises Sama, cameraman, Newsday, Baghdad

These two newsfolk were declared missing as of March 25 from Iraq after being ordered to leave. Their hotel room was completely cleaned out, no word left. Here’s the story from Newsday: http://www.newsday.com/ny-bzjour0328,0,5484723.story?coll=ny-top-adrail

There are two alternative theories here:

1. They were killed by the Iraqi government: This is the story that is being heavily implied by US government sources, because the Iraqis officially expelled them. But why pre-announce an execution and thus clearly draw the world’s outrage? This isn’t the Saddam regime’s style. They would have been more likely to arrest and try the reporters very publicly as spies, levying highly-publicized, specific charges.

2. The two were real journalists who had acquired information that would be damaging to US/UK interests. They were intercepted on their way out of Iraq, or even in Syria, and murdered to prevent them from filing these stories.

I am putting my money on theory 2, especially as McAllester has written extensively on the plight of Iraqi children in the wake of UN sanctions and received the full accreditation of the Iraqi government to write on Iraq just a few months back.

Here’s a story from Newsday (3/30) that offers more evidence of the menacing attitude of US military official toward independent-minded journalists: Four journalists, two Israeli and two Portuguese, trailing coalition troops in Iraq, were arrested by American soldiers and expelled from the country after a harrowing period of custody in which they said they were mistreated and accused of being Iraqi spies. http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/iraq/ny-wojour303198274mar30,0,2508841.story?coll=ny%2Dtop%2Dheadlines

Meanwhile, back home, in the safety of their comfy studios and dressing rooms, Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw, George Will, Katie Couric, Dan Rather, et al, continue to promote the war and disseminte propaganda with a callous disregard for the safety of American troops or the honor of their nation.

Meanwhile, the courageous, honest—and honorable—reporters in the war zone must be wondering: Who’s next?