On the war on Iraq:Media freedom hindered by US looters [Archives:2003/629/Letters to the Editor]

A.Q. Al-Zumor
A Yemeni researcher in India
[email protected]
Worldwide media, including the Arabic T.V channels, broadcasts, and internet websites, etc. appear not to report an honestly detailed coverage of the war against Iraq. It is believed that media bias plays a crucial role in psychological operations in favor of the aggressive forces attacking Iraq. The following may interpret why all this partiality is involved.
“'Reporters Without Borders' has called on the United States to guarantee that the media can work freely and in safety in Iraq, the organization said in a press release. It urged the U.S authorities not to obstruct the media in its reporting of the war. While expressing concern that the U.S. military might censor the reports of journalists officially allowed to work among U.S. forces and that those who opted to work independently would not be protected, it called on U.S. forces not to destroy Iraqi media facilities.
The organization welcomed the U.S. invitation to more than 600 journalists from all over the world to report from the battlefield. But the organization expressed concern over the 50 point “ground rules agreement” that journalists are required to sign. The rules spell out what can or cannot be covered. The distinction is very vague and commanders of military units are given the final authority on whether to allow something to be reported or not. Rule 6 permits unit commanders to “embargo” news that may damage “operational security.”
The range of such news is also poorly defined and the duration of the embargo not stated. Rules 40, 41 and 43, which ban pictures of the faces of prisoners of war and soldiers killed in the fighting, undermine the right to inform the public, the organization said.
It was up to journalists, not the U.S. army, to decide what could or could not be shown.
The organization expressed concern at the working conditions for journalists who choose not to be officially incorporated into the U.S. military operations and who U.S. officials had several times warned could be in danger.”, (The Hindu 'India's national newspaper', Delhi, March 23,2003).
The above mentioned facts unveil another aspect of the real face of the current American ideology.
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