CNN left alone in Baghdad

Reuters ^ | 3/20/03 | Steve Gorman

[dcretiree]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With hours to go before bombs could begin falling, CBS pulled its news team out of Iraq early on Wednesday for safety reasons, leaving CNN as the only American television network with its own team in Baghdad.

To minimize the risk of becoming inadvertent victims of a bombardment, CNN's team has moved out of Iraq's Ministry of Information building, considered a potential target of a U.S.-led assault, and began transmitting on Wednesday from a secret location in Baghdad, network spokeswoman Megan Mahoney told Reuters.

"We've left the Ministry of Information. We left due to safety concerns," she said.

Two of CNN's four-person team, correspondent Nic Robertson and producer Ingrid Formanek, were in Baghdad for CNN at the beginning of the 1991 Gulf War, she added.

Another news veteran of the 1991 conflict, former CNN correspondent Peter Arnett, is reporting from Baghdad for NBC and its sister cable network MSNBC while on assignment there for the MSNBC series "National Geographic Explorer." Arnett has been in the Iraqi capital for about a month with a documentary crew, National Geographic spokeswoman Ellen Stanley said.

Likewise, ABC has a freelance correspondent, Richard Engel, who is reporting from Baghdad via video phone.

STEADY STREAM OF DEPARTING JOURNALISTS

ABC and NBC's own teams left Baghdad on Monday, joining a steady stream of journalists departing the country along with diplomats, foreign aid workers and U.N. weapons inspectors in advance of a U.S.-led assault that could come as soon as Wednesday night -- early Thursday Iraqi time.

Fox News' correspondent was kicked out of Baghdad by Saddam Hussein's government in February, after the United States expelled an Iraqi journalist assigned to the United Nations.

[dcretiree]

CNN Left Alone?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo!

Look for Ted Turner to show up at any moment wearing a camouflage hat and binoculars around his neck.

[finnman69]

I predict that after what I think is about to hit Baghdad actually hits, no member of the press will EVER want to be on the ground at a potential US target EVER AGAIN.

[Uncle George]

Yes TED will conduct the war from the top of the Baghdad Hilton with his gold plated baton as he does in the intro to Turner Classic Movies, huh.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Fox is running SKY news so the truth might get out.

[Just mythoughts]

CNN has the same credibility as BLIX their biggest concern thus far today, Bush called strike on Baghdad before time was up. NOT FAIR, GOT TO INVESTIGATE.

[discostu]

"We left the Ministry of Information, we're not interested in information."

[Consort]

When did CNN become an American network?

[yield 2 the right]

James Earl Jones(voiceover):
"This is CNN in Baghdad,Iraq."

James Earl Jones(Darth Vader v/o):
I sense something. A presence I've not felt since...

1991 Gulf War, CNN?
</sarcasm)

[b4its2late]

CNN left alone in Baghdad

All part of the plan......

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

I didn't recognize the Baghdad-based, CNN reporters last night. I wonder if it is going to be like Star Trek...You always knew, when Kirk sent guys you had never seen before to investigate some problem, those guys were goners.

[ifhult45]

Great footage from the northern border on FNC right now. Looks like artillery, tanks or amrmored fighting vehicles, I can't quite make it out. CNN's showing some scenic photos of Baghdad, while FNC is actually showing some good coverage.

Fox is kicking CNN's ass!!

[dcretiree]

No kidding. FNC has had exclusive footage of bombings for the last hour. Where is CNN? Paula Zhan has her finger stuck up her nose while FNC has great footage. Don't except CNN to get back the #1 spot if this is the best they can do.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

CNN's team has moved out of Iraq's Ministry of Information building

Must be hard..leaving home.

[Captain Beyond]

What? No Peter Arnett to spread propaganda and Iraqi lies. The ClintonNewsNetwork is falling down on the job. Maybe ted leaving is a good sign.

[nfldgirl]

Speaking of CNN, it seems that all they've wanted to talk about ad nauseum is the cost of the war....they just kill me with their bias reporting (e.g., John King outside the WH to Wolfie in the ME talking about Ari's press briefing and a question in particular about cost of war....King said that Ari "refused" to answer the specific question about cost/cost information....WHAT A LIAR!!!! Ari did NOT refuse to answer the question....He just didn't answer it the way the questioner wanted it answered. They think they're so clever....they're just a bunch of despicable "evil doers."