Journalists Targeted In Iraq

bertiebowl

From Sky news:

JOURNALISTS HIT IN HOTEL

Sky News correspondent David Chater was inside the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad when the very floor he was staying on was hit by American tank fire.


A cameraman for Spanish television died, as well as one Reuters journalist. At least three others have been seriously wounded in the attack on the high rise hotel.

A US 3rd Infantry commander admitted a tank had fired a single round at the media's hotel.

He said the strike came after shots were fired from the building but Chater has insisted he heard nothing coming from the Palestine Hotel and called the claim "patently absurd".

US deputy director of operations Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said it is too early to say exactly what happened, but maintained that US troops were returning fire that had come from the hotel.

He said bluntly: "This Coalition does not target journalists."

But he added that Saddam Hussein's regime is known to endanger the lives of non-combatants, indicating that it is possible an Iraqi fighter was hiding among the journalists for cover.



The damaged hotel



Chater speculated that the glint of a camera lense from working journalists may have been mistaken for a rocket-propelled grenade, triggering US troops to shoot.

Sky News' correspondent immediately contacted Sky News Centre and told presenters: "I was about to go out onto the balcony.. when there was a huge explosion then shouts and screams from people along our corridor.

"They were shouting, 'Somebody's been hit. Can somebody find a doctor?' They were saying they could see blood and bone."

The room hit by the strike was just a few doors down the corridor on the hotel's 14th floor from Chater and his team. Two other floors were also hit.

He said: "There were a lot of French journalists screaming, 'Get a doctor, get a doctor'. There was a great sense of panic because these walls are very thin."

A Reuters journalist, a photographer and a cameraman were all hurt in the attack.



The injured being carried away



Dubai's Arabiya television channel said its bureau on the 17th floor was also damaged.

US tanks are in the city and have been firing at targets in the area.

"We saw the tanks up on the bridge," Chater said.

"They started firing across the bank. The shells were landing either side of us at what we thought were military targets. Then we were hit. We are in the middle of a tank battle."

Seconds before the blast Chater had looked out at a tank facing his hotel.

"I remarked at the time, 'One of those barrels is looking straight up at us'."

With the sound of people running and shouting in the background, evacuating the building, he said: "I don't understand why they were doing that. There was no fire coming out of this hotel - everyone knows it's full of journalists.

"Everybody is putting on flack jackets. Everybody is running for cover," Chater said.



Dangerous journey to hospital


"We now feel extremely vulnerable and we are now going to say goodbye to you."

The line was cut off but minutes later, after Chater had taken cover, he contacted Sky News again saying: "I'm taking what cover I possibly can. I'm no longer on the 14th floor."

He told how the Palestine Hotel is in the middle of the battle zone saying: "It's an extremely dangerous place."

Chater said the journalists at the hotel had been watching the progress of Coalition troops from their hotel balconies and how forces had surely been aware of their presence.

"They knew exactly what this hotel is. They know the press corps is here. I don't know why they are trying to target journalists."

He added: "The whole hotel shook with the impact. It was an incredible sound."

"You never know where the military targets are here. It's the same for the journalists here as it is for the civilians.



Confusion outside the hotel



"There are bound to be casualties but that tank shell was aimed at us. This wasn't an accident. This seems to be a very accurate shot."

Matresses and sheets were used as makeshift stretchers to get the injured out of the hotel and into vehicles to be rushed through the beseiged streets to hospital.

Still in direct view of the tank and speaking live on Sky, Chater said: "There are awful scenes around me. There's a Reuters tent just a few yards away from me where people are in tears."

After stopping to hold his emotions in check and in respect of the Reuters correspondents, David said: "It makes you realise how vulnerable you are."

He added: "What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to carry on if American shells are targeting Western journalists?"

A journalist for Al Jazeera television also died this morning after the station's offices in Baghdad were hit by a missile. Station bosses claim the offices were deliberately targeted by Coalition forces

This is exactly the kind of madness that the pro - peace majority in the world want to see ended. Not only are US/UK troops inflicting terrible destruction on Iraq now not even journalists are safe.

Victor

A cameraman must have been "shooting" from the hotel. :rolleyes:

Gordon

It certainly is mad though, that journalists are surprised that there are bullets and bombs whizzing overhead and they could at any moment be hit or killed. It's almost like they are in the centre of a war or something.

mike65

Originally posted by Gordon
It certainly is mad though, that journalists are surprised that there are bullets and bombs whizzing overhead and they could at any moment be hit or killed. It's almost like they are in the centre of a war or something.

LOL, I was secretly hoping that Robert Fisk was one of the smitten (oops I meant to think that! :eek: )

To be serious, its a bit rich for journos to complain
of being caught in the crossfire or even if they're targeted by one side or another. They'd kill to be on the spot and no-one gets sent against thier will. RTEs
Richard Downes got out on Sunday as he reckoned it was going to get rather busy in Baghdad, he was the wise one...

Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by Gordon
It certainly is mad though, that journalists are surprised that there are bullets and bombs whizzing overhead and they could at any moment be hit or killed. It's almost like they are in the centre of a war or something.

I think the difference is the hotel was full of journalists who are all saying there was no shooting coming from there.

Meh

Originally posted by mike65
To be serious, its a bit rich for journos to complain
of being caught in the crossfire or even if they're targeted by one side or another.

As non-combatants, they're protected by the Geneva Convention. So if one side does decide to start deliberately targetting them, they do have a right to complain. That said, there doesn't seem to be any evidence as yet that either side is doing this.

well i'm sure that'll be comforting to the Journalists that might die as a result. The Geneva Convention is all well & good, but we all know the US are VERY selective as to when they wish to apply it.


Admittedly i can't for the life of me see any reason for targeting the journalists hotel, though... Then again, i could understand if they shelled Fox News. God knows i've wished it on them a few times.

The Gopher

Wasnt Al Jazeera hit in Kabul during the airstrikes IIRC.
Of all the buildings in Kabul and Baghdad the ones housing Al Jazeera manage to get hit by US bombs?So much for free speech

Gordon

Guys they weren't targetting them - not even the Iraqi's would be stupid enough to do that. The Iraqi's were just less than a day earlier being almost justified in the fact that they said no US troops were in the centre of Baghdad and the journos were agreeing (a first?!).

It was a simple blue on blue - or would that be a blue on black&white? The Us had obviously missed their target or not known that the journos were there.

Surely

SkepticOne

I would seem to be counter-productive from a PR point of view for them to target the journos. Goes against the 'surgical strike' image that they are trying to project.

Only think I can think of is: 1) Get the journos out of the way while the US performs less telegenic activites around the central Baghdad area or 2) They suspect an Iraqi command and control center is operating in the hotel and the journos are simply collateral damage.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by Gordon
It was a simple blue on blue - or would that be a blue on black&white? The Us had obviously missed their target or not known that the journos were there.

Surely

I think it is highly unlikely that the US did not know that the Journos were in the Palestine Hotel. The Hotel itself has been the subject of press articles even before the war.

Victor

ITN almost declared war on Iraq itself when one of their teams was attacked near Basra in the first few days, it wasn't until two weeks later that it emerged that it was the Americans attacked them.

Gordon

Yes SkepticOne - they surely knew about the journos but they also knew about all the other "blue on blue" locations "surely". What I am saying is that it must have been a mistake - a really feckin stupid mistake but a mistake at that.

edit - the department of intelligence (read- department of disintelligence) is situated right next door to the journo hotel apparently. I wouldnt be surprised if the US were trying to stop the disinformation squandered by yer man the Iraqi giving out complete bollix to non Iraqi journos every day but slightly missed (just slightly of course :rolleyes:)

2nd edit - what Meh said below

Meh

Originally posted by SkepticOne
I think it is highly unlikely that the US did not know that the Journos were in the Palestine Hotel. The Hotel itself has been the subject of press articles even before the war.

Given that the US has problems not bombing its own troops, I'm going to apply Occam's Razor here. The simplest explanation is that the US screwed up.

Dr_Teeth

These journos actually seem shocked that it's possible for them to die baghdad.. jeez.

I'm sure the 'US' know all about the Palestine Hotel and who's in it, but that collective term does not necessarily include a single tank commander who in the heat of battle notices a black round oblong thing point out of a building at his tank. This **** happens tbh.

Teeth.

Sparks

Gordon,
Hang on - there were US troops in the Ministry of Information, and the US shouldn't be blamed for shooting at the wrong target and hitting journalists because they were aiming at the right target and their own troops?

Victor

Originally posted by Gordon
edit - the department of intelligence (read- department of disintelligence) is situated right next door to the journo hotel apparently. I wouldnt be surprised if the US were trying to stop the disinformation squandered by yer man the Iraqi giving out complete bollix to non Iraqi journos every day but slightly missed (just slightly of course :rolleyes:)

Do you mean the Information Ministry - I think the hotel is on the far bank of the river to it.

Gordon

Ooo err, as regards Victor - the people in the hotel actually commented that the ministry of information was next door to them - I apologise if that is not the case (from Gordon). This was on Sky news so it could be all bollix, again I apologise.

As for Sparks - There weren't US troops in the ministry of information when I looked at Sky news (propaganda) this morning [the 8th apr]. I am talking about the "ministry of information that is located next to the journalists hotel" in the centre of Baghdad btw according to Sky News.

"The US shouldn't be blamed for hitting the wrong target and hitting journalists because they were aiming at the right target and their own troops".. well that's controvertial!

Anyone who hits the "wrong target" should be blamed - full stop.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

therecklessone

Originally posted by Meh
As non-combatants, they're protected by the Geneva Convention. So if one side does decide to start deliberately targetting them, they do have a right to complain. That said, there doesn't seem to be any evidence as yet that either side is doing this.

According to Tuesday's Independant, Iraqi troops will face war crimes prosecution for failing to adhere to said convention. Will the US tank commander face the same prosecution?

Or will victor's justice be applied?

bonkey

Cool, Victor has an entire justice system named after him

Seriously though, while this may be an accident, the official statement from it was along the lines that while the US regretted the loss of lives, it would make no apologies.

The effective explanation was "the only safe place in this war for reporters is embedded in our troops and we wont apologise for what happens to anyone else".

I must say, while the "screw up" theory holds the most weight with me in this case, I'm more concerned about the alleged missile attack on Al-Jazeeras tv station...for the second war in a row.

They (Al Jazeera) claim that they had even formally notified the US military to inform it of their building's specific location before hostilities broke out to prevent any such reoccurrence.

jc

therecklessone

With that attitude surely they are in violation of the Geneva Convention. And the man with ultimate responsibility for that visited the north on Monday/Tuesday, part of a state which is a signatory to the new International Criminal Court. Anyone think to try and arrest him?;)

Borzoi

The journolists own self importance never ceases to amaze me, especially after one has been killed (cf Guerin)

People die in warzone's, it's an unfortunate fact. Rational people try and hide and take cover, journo's point camera's and do rooftop interviews. Could this be why they are likely to die?

I do not believe that there was any deliberate targeting of the media, just tragic mistakes.