The View from CNN - (Hold mein Hell Hath No Furry Like Journalists Alert!)

CNN ^ | 8-4-03 | Wolf Blitzer & Christiane Amanpour

[sonofatpatcher2]

The View from CNN - (Hold mein Hell Hath No Furry Like Journalists Alert!)

CNN LIVE ON LOCATION

Many Questions Remain in Deaths of Journalists

Aired April 8, 2003 - 14:26 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The two journalists who were killed today in that tank shell were killed at the Palestine Hotel. That's been a base for international journalists in Baghdad. Both of the dead were cameramen, one with Reuters, the other with Spain's Telecinco (ph). Three journalists were wounded in that same incident. The CENTCOM says American forces responding -- were responding to what they described as -- quote -- "significant fire" coming at them from inside the hotel.
Joining me here in Kuwait City, a journalist who knows firsthand the dangers of covering war, our chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour -- Christiane, what's your take on what may have happened in these incidents, the death of this Al-Jazeera reporter and these two cameramen at the Palestine Hotel -- two separate locations?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Separate, but quite close to each other. I think it bears a really thorough investigation, firstly about what happened and why they were hit. And secondly, the Pentagon has been essentially all over the place. The military spokesmen have been all over the map on their response to this.

First it was because there was -- quote -- sniper fire from the lobby, then from the roof, then from somewhere in the area, then it was significant fire. There's a lot of differing explanations that are coming out. All of the journalists that I have monitored throughout the day have reported that they heard absolutely no sniper fire or any other fire coming from there.

SNIP

AMANPOUR: Whoever. We've heard responses today from the International Federation of Journalists. I am sure they are others out there who are talking about this. But this poses a very significant dilemma, I believe, because we understand the risks. We know that when we stay in those kinds of places that we're taking risks. You know that the journalists moved from the Al-Rasheed to the Palestine because there was chatter in the air that the Rasheed might be targeted, so they moved to somewhere they thought would be safer. This is a known civilian base, a known hotel for hundreds of journalists. Is the response to -- maybe sniper fire, which has not yet been proven, by the way -- to respond by tank fire, and then the other questions are -- the response we have heard from the Pentagon has been variously -- on different issues, such as, Well, journalists -- we warned journalists not to be in Baghdad, only embedded journalists can have the protection of the forces. Well, is that an answer to what happened today?

SNIP

BLITZER: So what are you -- you heard Victoria Clarke, the Pentagon press spokeswoman, suggest earlier -- she had 300 conversation with various news organizations saying, Look, a war is an inherently dangerous situation. We cannot guarantee your safety. If you stay in various hotels, you're taking your life into your own hands because the Iraqis themselves might use you, in effect, as human shields, thinking that the U.S. military won't respond because you're there. And she says that simply is not going to wash.

AMANPOUR: No. 1, I would say that most of the journalists who are there have got a lot more experience in risky situations in war than some of the spokespeople who are giving out those comments. No. 2, in the first Gulf War, the Al Rasheed was off limits for hitting because journalists were in there. And No. 3, even if there were Iraqi officials in there, were they firing, and were they holding journalists as hostages or human shields? There's no evidence of that.

[sonofatpatcher2]

CNN speaks for itself:

"Graucho Mohammad here Wolf, reporting from the heart of Baghdad as the evil American infidels are killing Iraqi civilians in the street if they do not cheer the fall of Saddam."

"Graucho, here we have live footage of Iraqis stripped naked by US Marines."

And the news from CNN goes on and on...

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[DianaN]

Tariq Ayoub (I believe also known as Tarek Ayoub) was involved with several businessses, one being Altima that ripped off several people; perhaps God decided his time was up. (This is disclosed with particular venom for those who exclaimed after Sept. 11th the US deserved it due to our foreign policy re: being friends with Israel).
Diana

[Mears]

THIS IS A WAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sadly, things like this happen. If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

[Uncle Hal]

The Brits have a report it might have been an Iraqi shell that hit the hotel. Obviously the arab press and leftists do not want to hear this.

[sonofatpatcher2]

"Yes Wolf, CNN has been the only ray of light in this whole war against justice and decency in the world.

"We now switch to a live shot of American Marines hunting down and killing Al-Jazzeera and other Arab reporters in the Palestine Hotel. Our Mike Farrell reporting..."

[wardaddy]

Poor CNN...how far the once mighty have fallen.

[sonofatpatcher2]

"Yes Wolf, I am sadden to hear of American troops slaughtering any jounalists they find. This is surely on the expressed orders of George W. Bush to cover up his failure in diplomacy."

"Wolf, Judy here. I am so upset at all these journalists being shot and killed in cold blood. I- I- Excuse me, I just cannot go on!!!!"

[EaglesUpForever]

The Brits have a report it might have been an Iraqi shell that hit the hotel. Obviously the arab press and leftists do not want to hear this.

AMANPOUR: No. 1, I would say that most of the journalists who are there have got a lot more experience with Iraqi shells than the journalist reporting this. No. 2, in the first Gulf War, the Al Rasheed was off limits for hitting because journalists were in there (yes this is unrelated but it should serve to distract from the fact that I've been proven a liar). And No. 3, even if the shell was an Iraqi shell, we are devoted to attacking the US in any way shape or form and we abandoned any semblance of journalistic integrity long ago.

[Howlin]

There was a picture of the outside of this hotel on Yahoo the other day, showing the damage to the hotel.

Now Fox News is reporting that there is a report by a British journalist that the journalists could not have been killed by a tank, that there wasn't enough damage to the hotel room -- and that they may have been killed by Iraqi shelling.

This will be interesting to watch.

Btw, the picture of the damage to the outside of the hotel seems to have been pulled from Yahoo.

[sonofatpatcher2]

There is only one good thing about CNN these days:
Watching Carol on my second TV with the sound turned off.

It is a real shame that she is not a Good Republican Fox News Bade, isn't it?

Like you said about Kirsten, "Its easier when they are ugly."

[F-117A]

A BBC reporter has said that the damage to the hotel room was not consistent with a tank shell and furthermore, the tank would have been able to shoot around a corner!

He speculated that the fire may have been from Iraqis.

[Mears]

Thanks for the laugh,a picture is worth a thousand words.

[sonofatpatcher2]

"There you have the proof, Judy, that only .0005% of the foreign press believe the British report that it might have been an Iraqi shell that hit the hotel."

"From your lips to Allah's ear."

[sonofatpatcher2]

"Graucho Mohammad here again Wolf, reporting from the heart of Baghdad as the evil American infidels continue their nasty ways. As an example, Assam, my friend behind me, said the Secret Word, but an American Marine took the duck from Assam at gun point. Oh the humanity! The humanity!"

[demnomo]

I couldn't believe that War Slut Amanpour's hissy fit the other night. Even if it were proven to be a US tank shelling, (and there now appears to be some dispute regarding this from a BBC reporter none the less) not every Marine knew the exact location of the Palestine Hotel in the heat of BATTLE. It's a friggin WAR ZONE.

Christiane and her sobbing, egotistical journalist comrades knew the risks. They weren't purposefully targeted. You sure wouldn't believe that last sentence by listening to her and those conspiracy-theorist, virulent anti-American Arab TV outlets. Christiane, Al Jazeera & Abu Dhabi TV are just angry about the war not going the way they had originally envisioned--with Saddam victorious and the Coalition humiliated in a Vietnam quagmire. Ruminating ad naseum about the unfortunate deaths of those reporters were just another way of attacking the evil Coalition. How convenient for them.

Heck, there have been more deaths via friendly fire, crossfire and accidents among the Coalition forces & Iraqi civilians than amongst the journalists who were right in the thick of things by choice.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Wishful thinking!!!!!!!!!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The mainstream press reports about this incident make me sick. They're just crying their eyes out over this strike on "journalists", as if al-Jazeera was actually a legitimate news agency with real reporters.

It really says a lot when American news media people so readily and willingly identify themselves as being in the same peer group as the pro-terrorist propaganda outlet and terrorist logistic supporter that is al-Jazeera.

They put the squash on the fact that U.S. troops came under fire and defended themselves. The news media doesn't care about the American troops that came under fire from the same area of the building that al-Jazeera people were, but they sure are crying about the "reporter" that was lost.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No. 1, I would say that most of the journalists who are there have got a lot more experience in risky situations in war than some of the spokespeople who are giving out those comments.

How do the media creeps get through doors with egos like that? They think that they're just wonderful and "obviously" smarter than everybody else around, like giving live news reports that total five minutes a day requires a great intellect and talent.

No. 2, in the first Gulf War, the Al Rasheed was off limits for hitting because journalists were in there.

And the Hussein regime scumbags quickly got the message that it was a great place to hide behind journalists. Cursing the U.S. military for returning fire against people shooting at them is lower than low. The real question that people should be asking is: why are news journalists hanging out with terrorists?

And No. 3, even if there were Iraqi officials in there, were they firing, and were they holding journalists as hostages or human shields? There's no evidence of that.

If the military isn't on your doorstep presenting court-level evidence at your whim, then it couldn't possibly be happening, right? And thanks for accusing the U.S. military of outright lying, as if the news meadia POSs had a shred of decency to begin with.

It sure says a lot when American news networks are so anxious to embrace America-hating terrorist-loving al-Jazeera as equal peers.

[wardaddy]

I just got home after my 45 minute commute. I insanely flipped over to NPR since Sean's signal was fading.

It was incredible....All Things Nasally Considered was near tears....digging furiously for any speck of doom and gloom....even the BBC reports they linked seemed upbeat by comparison.


Our tax dollars and some poor schmuck who's been dead 100 years foundation funds at work.