Media Killed Tops 100; Spain Issues Warrants for US Soldiers

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Media Killed Tops 100; Spain Issues Warrants for US Soldiers

Postby rocco322 » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:50 pm

A story that hasn't been able to surface with so much neocon/illuminati chaos going on, is the milestone marker of 100 media workers dying in the Iraq War since the invasion of March 2003. <br><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em> The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the brutal murder of Mohammad Harun Hassan, an editor and the Executive Secretary of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>who was gunned down by unknown attackers in Baghdad city centre. This brings to 100 the number of journalists and media staff killed in Iraq since the US invasion in March 2003.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Harun Hassan was also the editor-in-chief of the highly regarded Nabdh Al Shabeb Newspaper. He was known for being a well-respected senior journalist and an influential trade union activist who held a top position within the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate.<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong> He was on his way to meet the editor in chief of the Baghdad paper Al Qarar in the early afternoon when he was shot four times while driving near the Al Nahda quarter.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>IFJ General Secretary Aidan White condemned the attack. “This was a cowardly attack which highlights a vicious circle of violence in which media people are prominent among the victims. It is urgent that we do what we can to minimise the risks journalists face.”<br><br><SNIP><br><br>“He shared heavy responsibilities within the syndicate and was very influential. We believe this is a despicable attempt to weaken the syndicate and to try to kill off hopes for strong and independent professional journalism in Iraq.”<br><br>The assassination comes at a critical moment for the IJS, which only recently reintegrated the Federation of Arab Journalists after holding elections last July. “The IJS is the only viable hope for Iraqi journalist seeking protection and better working conditions in this era of chaos,” added Al Lamy. “We demand that the Iraqi authorities open an immediate investigation into this atrocious crime.”<br><br>The killing coincided with the kidnapping of UK Guardian reporter, Rory Carroll, who disappeared in Sadr City yesterday. </em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3428&Language=EN">IJF LINK</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br> And then we have<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong> Spain issuing warrants for 3 US Soldiers </strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->for the death of Spanish cameraman Jose Courso, when a US tank fired on the Palestine Hotel.<br><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>The tragic events of April 8th 2003 when three journalists were killed by American military in Baghdad will haunt the United States until it carries out independent inquiries into the deaths, says the International Federation of Journalists today following the news that Spain has issued warrants for the arrest of three soldiers.<br><br>The IFJ says that there are 18 deaths of journalists and media staff at the hands of US soldiers since the invasion of Iraq that still require proper investigation. One of those cases involves ITN Cameraman Fred Nérac who was killed three years ago, but whose body was never found and whose death was confirmed yesterday by French authorities.<br><br>The events in Baghdad on April 8th when a US tank fired on the Palestine Hotel, a media centre in the heart of Baghdad, killing Spanish cameraman Jose Couso and Reuters journalist Taras Protsyuk and an earlier attack on the offices of Al-Jazeera television which killed reporter Tareq Ayyoub were highlighted yesterday when Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz called for the extradition of three soldiers to face charges of murder and a "crime against the international community."<br><br>"This decision is a victory for those campaigning for justice and the truth behind the killings of media staff," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "There must be an end to the arrogant disregard by the United States authorities of the outrage felt by many in journalism over the sense that these deaths have not been fully explained and that the responsible authorities have not been made accountable."<br><br>The arrest warrants have been issued against Sgt. Thomas Gibson, a tank commander, and his superior officers Captain Philip Wolford and Lt Colonel Philip D. Camp, all of them assigned to the 3rd infantry division which carried out the attack. The examining magistrate in Spain issued the warrants after failed attempts to question the soldiers over the Palestine Hotel attack. The United States authorities refused to respond to requests for access to the men.<br><br>"Although this court action only concerns the death of Jose Couso," said White, "every journalist and media worker killed or injured in all of these incidents has a stake in the demand that the United States comes clean about every case in which there are unanswered questions."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://electroniciraq.net/news/2180.shtml">Spain Arrest Warrant LINK</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Media Killed Tops 100; Spain Issues Warrants for US Sold

Postby antiaristo » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:01 pm

rocco,<br>Hi there.<br><br>The bad news is that the government will not allow this to proceed. The attorney general (Fiscal General de Estado) has appealled to the High Court and paralysed the order.<br><br>They are VERY nervous about relations with the US <p></p><i></i>
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