News crew in Iraq tipped off about roadside bomb. Did not tell convoy

GoGov.com ^ | June 5, 2004 | Central Command

[BJungNan]

NEWS CREW IN IRAQ TIPPED OFF TO LOCATION OF ROADSIDE BOMB DID NOT RELAY INFORMATION TO COALITION CONVOY

MOSUL, Iraq - Coalition soldiers questioned two news media cameramen and a reporter after a roadside bomb exploded near a Coalition convoy two kilometers north of Mosul June 3.

The media, who were at the scene prior to the attack, told soldiers at the scene they had received a tip to be at that location prior to the attack and they had witnessed the explosion.

There was minimal damage to a Coalition vehicle, a cracked windshield, and no serious injuries.

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division soldiers requested the media accompany them to a base camp in Mosul to answer questions as witnesses to the incident. The news media representatives left the base camp in the mid afternoon.

[Carolinamom]

Weren't photographers also given a heads up about those contractors in Iraq that were torched and their charred corpses hung from a bridge?

Was it Mike Wallace or some other American "journalist" who once said he would NOT warn our side of a coming attack?

[river rat]

"Was it Mike Wallace or some other American "journalist" who once said he would NOT warn our side of a coming attack?"

Yes, and Peter Jennings agreed with him after a time.

The responses of both Wallace and Jennings to the moderator of "Ethics in America is here:
http://www.usafa.af.mil/jscope/JSCOPE02/Cassella02.html

It's an eye opener...and will disturb any rational American.

Semper Fi

[dr_who_2]

They should be arrested.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Here's a link to Annenberg's site for the series, "Ethics in America". All ten parts are summarized and a link for video on demand is available. The episode, "Politics, Privacy and the Press" is the one you're talking about. They also sell the video in VHS format.

I've never seen this, but it doesn't surprise me that Mike Wallace and Peter Jennings would express this kind of heartless sentiment. I wonder if Mike Wallace's son, Chris, is of an age to have served in Vietnam?

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

My apologies, I was wrong about the episode. According to the footnotes from Kent Cassella's paper on this subject, it is episode seven, "Under Orders, Under Fire (Part II)" where this exchange between Mike Wallace, Peter Jennings and Colonel Connell took place.

The Annenberg site says you can buy individual episodes only if you contact them by phone. I think I will buy this one.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Good grief! I just read Cassella's paper, and even though I'm not surprised, it is hard to understand how adult, educated and supposedly heterosexual males could live their lives thinking like this. In spite of all their wealth and fame, I wouldn't trade one second of my life with the likes of Jennings or Wallace. No sense of honor or duty. Utterly shameful. Souls to be pitied.

[BJungNan]

Note to Military in Iraq - if you spot a news crew set up along the road, be very, very careful.

Forget the be careful part, just shoot them.

[BJungNan]

They not only acted with reckless disregard for the lives of our soldiers but also allied themselves with the terrorists.

On this, you are exactly correct. They picked sides. This is not neutral behavior.

[onyx]

Thank you for the valuable link.

[mystery-ak]

If it bleeds it leads....cockroaches, all of them!

[xzins]

I have an old taped copy someplace in my files.

I used it in a class on battlefield ethics that I taught for my old spec ops helicopter unit. (I was the chaplain)

It was the most amazing exchange I've ever heard by some of the biggie news guys.

Maybe O'Reilly or Hannity & Colmes will run a reprise on it some day.

[eeriegeno]

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division soldiers requested the media accompany them to a base camp in Mosul to answer questions as witnesses to the incident.

Witnesses??? They were co-conspirators by keeping their mouths shut!

[CyberAnt]

After that treachery .. why the heck can't we tell them to pack their bags and take a hike ..?? WHY ..?? This is the most disgusting thing a media person can do .. there is just no excuse for this kind of behavior.

[R. Scott]

This was probably Mike Wallace & Peter Jennings, but who was the 3rd?

Walter Cronkite came out of retirement?

[Judith Anne]

I find that so hard to believe, that Cal Thomas essentially took the same stand that Jennings did--are you sure? Not arguing, just surprised if it's true.

[tutstar]

Let me guess, the 'media' was CNN.

[panaxanax]

"They should be arrested."

I disagree. Leave them there and I assure you they will soon become victims of "friendly fire".

[TomGuy]

I find that so hard to believe, that Cal Thomas essentially took the same stand that Jennings did--are you sure? Not arguing, just surprised if it's true.

Yes, that was about what he said. I was surprised. The next week, he and Neal Gabler made some comments that irritated me, too. I fired off an email criticizing them for their arrogant attitudes. 'Journalists' seem, generally, to be a bunch of arrogant SOB's with an 'we are above the rest of you peons' attitude.

[KSCITYBOY]

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