U.S. Arrests Journalists in Iraq to Control Information! AP President

U.S. Arrests Journalists in Iraq to Control Information! AP President

rawstory.com

Associated Press president Tom Curley says his news organization does not buy the government's argument that one of its photographers arrested in Iraq was working on behalf of the enemy, and he alleged the US is rounding up journalists in an attempt to control information.

"To say the least, we see things very differently," Curley commented dryly, regarding photographer Bilal Hussein, who was arrested two years ago and remains in military custody.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 19-3-2008 by DimensionalDetective]

Are you freaking kidding me? Still think there is 'freedom of the press'? So just as suspected, we either get A)NO reporting from the MSM on the Iraq debacle, or B)Propegandized, Rosey fluff pieces.

Anything other than that gets you ARRESTED.

Awesome.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Mr Detective, you constantly amaze me. It's too bad you cant get a dollar for every star and flag!

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


I read this yesterday and was a bit disturbed by the suppression of the "real" media.

This is actual reporting being done by AP, unlike the shoddy faux reporting done by the typical mainstream media.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


They have been doing this for a while and using propaganda to support the invasion and post invasion.

I am glad that at least somebody is getting vocal and telling everybody that listen, the truth.

reply to post by marg6043



Yeah, it was apparent they've been propegandizing for ages, but I was unaware that they were actually LOCKING UP journalists who didn't go along for the charade. Stifling the 'free Press', 101...Keep showing those Iraqi's how 'free' we are. lol

Do you remember when the press at one point was to be banned from going with the troops on searches after they filmed a group of soldiers shooting a man that was injured, it was all over the news if I am not mistaken.

So basically Our US Government = China's Government, except the people in the US ability yo access information isn't as strict as the people of China, and a handful of us don't fall for media propaganda? Did i nail it? Anyways, thats not too surprising to say the least, I believe censorship has been going on for decades (like many have already mentioned above me.)

What is surprising is Associate Press speaking up about this issue, and bravo to them. I used to take all new source with a grain of salt, other than PBS or BBC. But, I think I might pay more attention to the news Associate Press pours out.

[edit on 20-3-2008 by skyblueff0]

So I take it none of you are regular watchers of the DoD's daily news program Around The Services?

So far, 17 journalists have been killed in Iraq by coalition forces. Including when that US tank shot at the Hotel Palestine, which housed nothing but journalists, killing Taras Protsyuk and Jose Couso.

And then the time when that US helicopter shot a rocket at a Bradley that was on fire, killing 12 civilians and Mazen Al-Tumeizi, a Palestinian journalist.

It seems the US doesn't want independent media studying what they're doing. Mainly because it's a joke - the most powerful armed forces in the world has to resort to paying off its enemies to create a dangerous, temporary peace that looks good for the few remaining cameras they tolerate.

They have only been arresting Iraqi correspondents and no American journalists even though they wear the same credentials. I would say they don't fear any reprisal from the people or the media if someone with a middle eastern name is arrested because the connection will immediately be made in the minds of the readers that they must be terrorists. So they can control the media in so far as the preconceived notions we have about names. When they start arresting the John Smiths of journalism what will be the reasoning then?

I posted a story to BAN on this back in November, and I am glad to see it isn't going away. There were supposed to be charges filed by the US Military against Bilal Hussein in the Iraqi court system, but I'm not sure that ever happened. Here's a quote from and a link to the earlier thread.

The really telling part of the story centers around the fact that Hussein is from a "prominent" family in Fallujah, and has a brother allegedly involved in insurgent activities outside of Iraq, and another brother that has been arrested and quickly released three times.

Is Bilal Hussein being used by the USM as leverage against his family, to keep them in line and help keep Fallujah under control?

link

Interesting that Anbar Province, where Fallujah is located, has had the biggest turnaround in cooperation from the Sunni tribal leaders in the last 18 months. I'm not trying to take anything away from the Marines out there, they are doing great work, but how long has Bilal been in custody without access to counsel or due process? A little leverage never hurts, does it?

Originally posted by WestPoint23
So I take it none of you are regular watchers of the DoD's daily news program Around The Services?

This is a joke right?

As if the majority of MSM isn't already so biased you tout government journalism as a viable alternative? I watched about 30 seconds of the interview that popped up and turned it off due to the sickening feeling in my stomach. It's the biggest fluff piece, middle school suckup interview ever. They aren't going to show anything other pure propaganda. It's like asking China's government run media what Tibet's side of the story is. jeeeez

reply to post by merryxmas


This is the most disturbing and blatant example of what is happening right under most people's noses. Thank you, DD!!

Let's take our 'way-back' machine to Germany in the 1930s...anyone else see a disturbing parallel?

Hermann Goering seems to be alive and well...heck, Herr Karl Rove even resembles him!
[spelling]

[edit on 20-3-2008 by weedwhacker]

I was reading an article the other day that one year ago the war in Iraq constituted 23% of the news cycle. One year later it accounts for less than 1%.

To say that suppression of the press is not responsible for this drop would be a travesty. The economy and the elections are the big stories now - and what underwear Britney is wearing.

I don't want this statement to sound wrong, but with the economy the way it is, it just goes to show that Americans generally only care about their own butts in the end.

reply to post by merryxmas


I thought I should mention that fact in the middle of that heartwarming couple of posts. Anyway, that channel mainly focuses on military news and some political ones. I find it interesting so I watch it.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
So I take it none of you are regular watchers of the DoD's daily news program Around The Services?

Its so easy to brainwash the young isn't it? Westpoint, your top line above your avvy says Duty, Honor, Country.

We have a Duty and its our Honor to serve our Country.

The key to it all is OUR country. This war is ruining our country for nothing but profiting the elite. How is that helping our country. Please give me ONE benefit to our country this war has had. Just one. DOnt even go to the entire defending our nation, because we are NOT defending this nation in this war. In fact we have put it into more peril and created more hate towards us.

Be a REAL patriot. This is our country, please do your duty and honor her.

reply to post by LoneGunMan


LoneGunMan, while I don't approve of ganging up on another member, I gave you a star for tha last post, because it spoke volumes.....AND, you were kind and gentle....Kudos!

Originally posted by TruthWithin
I was reading an article the other day that one year ago the war in Iraq constituted 23% of the news cycle. One year later it accounts for less than 1%.

To say that suppression of the press is not responsible for this drop would be a travesty. The economy and the elections are the big stories now - and what underwear Britney is wearing.

I don't want this statement to sound wrong, but with the economy the way it is, it just goes to show that Americans generally only care about their own butts in the end.

Maybe not so much just supression but also the fact that most people who don't live in USA have stopped caring. Sure we'd rather see troops out but it won't happen so we have stopped being interested. Same things all the time. Here is next weeks probable 'eyeraQ/afghan' stories: 12 soldiers killed by IED attack. 3 rebels shoot up iraqi police barracks. 20 taliban soldiers killed in clashes in northern afghanistan. Suicide bomber stopped at border blows himself up with 2 US servicemen.

Etc etc.

Same old crap every week, just like the movies - less sales as it's, often all the same thing nowadays.

We are so de-sensitised to it that another war will just be another war. Sure there'll be protests but in the end that will not stop anything short of a global riot. PTB in most countries don't listen to you anyway for anything in most cases.

US is not much different to China in some ways except the dodgy stuff is done more covertly.

[edit on 21-3-2008 by GhostR1der]