In that case you could perhaps provide me with one cite that does not originate from US military sources. Otherwise it’s still only the US military saying that the Iraqi military have stockpiled US uniforms.
It’s not my job to find support for your claim. If independent sources are so easily found, why don’t you just find them?
Okay guys, I admit I was wrong about Hanoi. There had to be reporters there to cover Jane Fonda, during her visit and the proproganda about our POW’s. However, we never bombed Hanoi, which distinguishes it from the other cities, including Baghdad. Also I believe that it was foreign reporters mostly.
I never said there were not reporters killed in WWII (that had nothing to do with my point). I said they were not reporting from behind enemy lines and certainly not in the capital cities. Ernie Pyle was with our troops, somewhat similar to the imbedded reporters in this war. Name me one reporter, besides “Tokyo Rose”, that was based in Japan, during the Second World War. Now one based in Berlin.
As the war was starting many reporters got out of Baghdad, because they didn’t feel it would be safe. Those that remained were there because Saddam wanted them to be sending back pictures of the bombings and collateral carnage that he hoped would happen on a large scale. Some that didn’t follow his desires were thrown out of Baghdad. Reporting from Baghdad made for good “reality TV”, but it was just plain dumb (sorry if that is a redundant statement).
So show me a site which says they don’t have the uniforms. I gave you several, you can’t just say “those are no good, give me more” So what if the US Military is the original source- no one seems to doubt them. Ya think Iraq is going to admit it? Hell, their Propaganda Minister still claims they are winning.:rolleyes:
Thanks, all, as this has been a fairly interesting discussion.
A couple of comments:
I need to correct my OP, as it turns out only one was killed at the al-Jazeera facility, not two, and Item Five apparently concerned journalists trying to call from the basement of the Abu Dhabi TV facility during the US attack, not an additional hotel. Sorry for the confusion.
In the case of shelling of the Palestine Hotel, I’m inclined toward something like the scenario put furward by Kitfox; i.e., overenthusiastic response by a tense commander to a perceived threat. Unfortunately, CENTCOM, for whatever reason, initially decided to lie their way out of it: there is no other term for their initial claim that a tank responded to supposed ground-floor small arms fire by shelling the 15th floor of the building. Is this the only lie CENTCOM has told during this war? How can we know?
For those who say, yeah, well, the journalists put themselves in harm’s way, that’s true enough as far as it goes, but I think some consideration has to be given for how well-known the target was, and how unlikely that hundreds of journalists would somehow not notice snipers in their midst, or that they would not take cover if they thought they were in imminent danger of being fired upon.
As for the al-Jazeera/Abu Dhabi attacks, after reading the various opinions here, it remains hard for me not to see those as a little impromptu payback (at the field level, probably) for percieved anti-US bias.
**
How far does it go? We’re talking about people who willingly stay or actually venture into warzones. We can’t even promise not to fire upon our own soldiers or our allies for Pete’s sake so we sure as hell can’t promise that we’ll never fire on journalist. I don’t care how many banners you put up you’re still at risk. Mistakes happen, I find it unlikely that someone approved of an attack on foreign journalist to teach them a lesson.
I also find this very unlikely. I doubt the troops on the frontline are closely watching CNN let alone foreign news networks.
Marc
One explanation would be that the Americans actually did not shoot at the hotel. It is very possible that the shot/rocket might have been fired by Iraqi forces.
To show a claim is credible you have to be able to back it up through pertinent facts from reliable and unbiased sources.
US military sources are frequently unreliable and obviously biased. So I am asking you for a cite that does not originate from us military sources.
This should not come as a surprise to you really. You wouldn’t ask me to blindly believe some statement from the Iraqi (ex-)government, would you? Because in that case you would also be aware that the source is unreliable, and biased, right?
Gimme a break. We have seen the footage on TV of the American tank firing at the hotel, the US authorities have admitted they fired, and you want us to believe it may have been the Iraqis? What world do you live in? What kind of idiots do you take us for?
Well, as I said, I believe the hotel shelling was indeed a mistake, but that for whatever reason the American commander put his shell more or less where he wanted it. I also believe the mistake was realized rather quickly by the American command, as evidenced by the fact that the hotel was not immediately hosed down with additional fire.
[ul]
[sup]Yohoo! Tokyo and Berlin reporters?[/sup][/ul]
More speculation re the Russians
cite
Rest of the article is a ‘hummer’ as well.
If the US wanted the reporters silenced wouldn’t they just have used ‘bigger guns’??
::shrugs::
You should see how it’s playing in Spain. It is being called in the news “murder” and “assasination”. Reporters held a big demonstration in front of the US embassy. Several times, when government officials, including the prime minister and the minister for foreign affairs, show up for a press briefing or pass by reporters, the reporters will all leave or turn their backs. The anti-American rhetoric in all the media is at extremely high levels. The US handling of the matter has created a surge of antiAmerican sentiment and turned all the Spanish media into rabid antiAmerican media. I am just amazed but the incompetent handling of the matter. An apology and few kind words would have made a huge difference but the USA has decided to be an arrogant prick about it. It is just amazing.