Posted on 04/13/2003 9:48:09 AM PDT by kattracks
Media watchdog says concerned CNN had armed guard
PARIS, April 13 (Reuters) - A media watchdog expressed concern on Sunday that a CNN team reporting from Iraq was travelling with an armed guard, saying it set a "dangerous precedent" that could imperil other journalists.
Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) made the comments after an incident in the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit in which a security guard hired by CNN fired his machinegun at a checkpoint when the CNN convoy came under gunfire.
"This behaviour creates a dangerous precedent that could imperil all other reporters covering this conflict and others in the future," Robert Menard, RSF secretary general, said in a statement.
"There is a real risk that belligerents will believe all press vehicles are armed," he said, adding that the use of armed private security guards only increased the confusion between reporters and combatants in the conflict.
Media organisations have employed armed guards to protect premises in particularly dangerous places.
But a spokesman for the Paris-based media watchdog said it was unprecedented for journalists to travel with armed guards in conflict zones.
"To our knowledge, this is the first time press vehicles have travelled with armed security guards. It did not happen in the Balkans and it didn't occur in the first Gulf War," RSF spokesman Jean-Francois Julliard said.
"CNN appears to be going too far. This could come back to haunt them and other journalists. Journalists should not be travelling around with armed guards," he added.
Matthew Firman, a CNN spokesman in the U.S. city of Atlanta, said the team of reporters had come under small arms and automatic weapons fire from "relatively close range" either on the way in or out of Tikrit.
He said an Iraqi Kurd, hired as a security guard, had opened fire in response and been lightly wounded in the exchange. No one else was hurt.
Pointing to an earlier CNN report of an alleged assassination plot by Iraqi agents against its reporters in the north, Firman said locals had been hired in Kurdish-controlled Iraq to protect the station's journalists.
"Presumably we hire them to protect us, so if firing their weapon is required to protect themselves and our team, then that is appropriate," he said, in response to questions about CNN's policy of hiring armed guards.
"We only put our teams in situations in which we can do our best to ensure their safety. If it means hiring armed guards or security consultants we will do that. The security of our team is paramount," Firman said.
04/13/03 12:41 ET
Rules are for the little people.
NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS- CNN
Excellent comment
Interesting development from the network that loves and supports any and all gun control initiatives.
The CNN reporters deluded themselves into believing that they will be able to "take over" Tigrit before our military got there.
Now they have been shown for the fools they are.
They'll need armed guards to protect themselves against the IRAQI PEOPLE for at least that long because of their collective silence, from Eason Jordan on down, about Saddam's murder and torture, in return for their precious "access," and their slanted anti-war coverage leading up to the conflict, in spite of what they collectively knew.
This "problem" is self-correcting.
CNN, however, better start interviewing replacement correspondents.
In response, a convoy of 24 armed CNN "technicals" mounted a "Thunder Roll" operation against the RSF inflicting heavy casualties and capturing over a dozen RSF prisoners.
ROFL !
We do not care if Saddam abuses journalists, but if CNN defends itself, that is the crime.
Mr. Mubari: "Cool"
CNN blow-dryed poodle: "When the Americans come down the road, we'll be on that rooftop, but wait untill sunset so we can back light your boys."
Mr. Mubari: "backlight?"
CNN blow-dryed poodle: "Just don't set off the anti- tank in the center square untill we get the high speed camera set up, it does 1000 frames a second, but only films for a few seconds, so wait for our signal, ok?"
Mr. Mubari: "CNN uh Akbar!"
Maybe CNN will take to arming thier journalists when they cover riots in America or enter into poorer/high crime neighborhoods. I wonder if their audience will be upset when they start shooting at American civilians and don't stick around to talk to the authorities.
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