Journalists Hit in Hotel

Sky News ^ | 3/8/2003 | David Chater

[HenryLeeII]

Let's not forget that in a city such as Baghdad, sound echoes. So, the tank crew could have heard a shot and thought it came from the direction of the hotel, and then seeing someone with binoculars on the 17th floor appearing to be a spotter, did what any soldiers would do: Defend themselves by taking out the source of hostile fire. Whether the shot came from the hotel or not, I trust the judgement of our troops infinitely more than reporters.

[Gritty]

These journalists were warned to get out of Baghdad for their own safety. They chose to ignore it and stay for The Story.

Instead, they essentially became hostages for the Ministry of Information, getting their daily briefings from Bagdhad Bob, while larking about during a genuine battle, treating it as a spectator event in which they were conferred some sort of immunity because of their alleged "privileged" status.

Why would the Iraqis not put a sniper on the roof so the sniper would be either protected or targeted? It would be terrific press for the Regime if the journalists came under fire. After all, they are hiding soldiers in mosques, schools, hospitals and ambulances. Why shouldn't they do the same around the journalists?

These media fools put themeselves in this position and now expect everybody to respect the sign written PRESS on the rear of their flak jackets. No doubt reality has set in today.

While on the subject, has anybody heard wailing about the Iraqis killing journalists traveling with the American forces? No-o-ooo. But, now they're squealing about those killed while hobnobbing with the Iraqi Ministry of Information, acting as the Iraqi Press Corps while feeding it's propaganda to the world!

[Marie Antoinette]

I had one of the Baghdad cams on either last night or the night before, and I distinctly heard shots that were *very* close. I even asked my husband if he thought they were fired from the rooftop. We decided it was a little further from the cams, but not very!

So... I believe shots may have very well come from the hotel. JMNSHO :-)

[demnomo]

Who do these journalists think they are: UN Inspectors? Human Shields? Red Cross workers? Innocent Civilians?

Even those people get caught in the crossfire. War is hell. War is not some spectator sport where journalists are immune from getting hit.

I swear, these hotel bound, Iraqi-minded & coddled journalists actually believe that they have some sort of holy immunity to warfare. Journalists who are near to or next to a battlefield should know the risks. What a stupid bunch. They're in a WAR ZONE! Journalists are egomaniacs to think that the Coalition is purposely targeting them...or innocent civilians and not military targets which are known to hide amongst the same. Morons.

[Merovingian]

Of course I am NOT anxious for us to be at FAULT! Especially considering how many terrible mistakes we have already made...

"shots came from the LOBBY". Those words came out of his mouth, I saw it...

You are way too defensive and unable to do anything other than spin, which decreases your credibility..

[judicial meanz]

large herd of photo-journalists wearing flak jackets, helmets and carrying cameras with large diameter telephoto lenses at a great distance from an infantry squad or a tank commander under fire could be misinterpreted a hostile force Exactly. I was going to post something similar, but you nailed it down in good form. Imagine being a tank commander, seeing that drove of people hundreds of meters away, on the top floors of a hotel. Add in light flashes from long range camera lenses, and background battle noises, and it would really easy make that mistake.

[xusafflyer]

That jackass from CNN kept asking...shouldn't the military handled the situation differently?

So, CNN is admitting that reporters in that area are helping the Iraqi military. We must change our tactics because "reporters" are in that building and the Iraqis are hiding behind them. Even the German reporter in the hotel admitted last night that the Ministry of Information (Baghdad Bob and his staff) had moved into the hotel.

Hey CNN, go watch your own tapes when Bush told all reporters to leave the country because it is not safe. Then replay it for Abu Dhabi, Reuters, and Al-Jazeera.

[cgk]

I've complained several times to FNC about David Chater's anti-troop reporting (rambling). They keep using his Sky News reports, just because he's in Baghdad. I say, leave the in-Baghdad reporting to their own embeds: Greg Kelly, Ollie North & Rick Leventhal.

[cyncooper]

Yeah, right.

[LaineyDee]

I've heard several of his reports that are patently anti-coalition

Then I guess the tank was right on target.

[Merovingian]

So glad we agree!

[Becki]

Chater is the same Sky reporter who refused to acknowledge that Akhbar (the grenage thrower) was Muslim. Even after Shep corrected him several times, he insisted on spewing crap. I have not seen him much since then on Fox.

After that display, I seriously doubt his integrity as a reporter.

Becki

[Becki]

Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said "shots came from the LOBBY"...err, so they shot back at the 17th floor?

Brig. General Brooks also said that he did not have the facts, and that anything he said was premature. He said he may have misspoke, and would confirm information when he did receive info.

Becki

[Roughneck]

#37 and others about where shots were fired from.

Who CARES where the shots were fired from? If someone fires at me from a building, and I dont get a bead on the actual shooter (maybe because there is more than one), I'd be shootin wherever I could!

If some fool is in the way, less fools will be bred because of his death. .

[Amerigomag]

The circumstances support the obtuse military explanation.

There was a sniper taking shots from the hotel and we destroyed his weapon and killed him.

The sniper wasn't shooting with a gun but with a television camera. A live satellite feed of the tactical maneuvers of coalition assets in a combat zone.

The feed was destroyed and the "sniper" was killed.

Hope the media gets the message.

[bert]

Memo to Reporters: You are on notice that you are operating within a war zone and the life you save may be your own.

[Grani]

From April 9, 2003 edition of www.debka.com, a very reliable site:

DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources have discovered that the shell did not come from a US tank. The explosion that hurt the correspondents occurred on an upper floor and was rigged and planted by Iraqi military intelligence. To avoid a row with the press corps covering the war and nip the incident in the bud, the US command assumed responsibility and apologized before it went any further. This is unlikely to work.

Your idea that shots may well have come from the hotel could be correct.