Posted on 08/14/2003 12:39:15 PM PDT by TexKat
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military briefly issued an order Thursday that could have restricted journalists from accompanying American troops on all but routine missions in Iraq, including operations aimed at capturing or killing Saddam Hussein.
The directive told commanders throughout Iraq that reporters, photographers and television crews would be prohibited from traveling with the military on some operations as so-called "embedded" journalists. The U.S. military headquarters in Baghdad rescinded the order shortly after The Associated Press reported on it. No explanation was given.
About 700 journalists were with troops during the early combat phase in the Iraq war. They were given unprecedented access to soldiers, accompanying them on front-line operations. Since, the number of journalists embedded with troops has dwindled sharply.
A handful of news organizations still are traveling with troops, mostly with the 4th Infantry Division around Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam about 120 miles north of Baghdad. That division has been particularly active in searching for Saddam, members of his former regime and guerrilla fighters.
Media coverage of the frequent U.S. raids has resulted in some unflattering pictures of American troops entering Iraqis' homes and holding families at gunpoint during searches for weapons, Saddam loyalists and anti-American attackers.
The new directive would have clamped down on the freewheeling access reporters have had to troops. Commanders would have been allowed to bar journalists from accompanying them on hazardous or particularly sensitive patrols, according to U.S. military spokesman Maj. William Thurmond.
"The order (commanders) received should not be seen as a blanket denial of coverage," he said, speaking before the directive had been rescinded. "For security purposes you will not be allowed to accompany us on certain missions."
The military still intended to give journalists access to military operations to "the maximum extent possible," he added. "I don't think you're going to see a big difference."
Thurmond said he did not know what prompted the order, but he confirmed it had been sent to coalition commanders throughout Iraq.
Shortly after the order was reported by AP, Maj. Josslyn Aberle, spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry, said Coalition Joint Task Force in Baghdad had withdrawn it for the time being. She said the initial directive was issued Thursday without explanation.
Earlier, when Aberle was explaining the directive, she said the U.S. military would still allow journalists to be embedded, but reporters would likely be limited to routine patrols — and even that would be left to commanders' discretion.
Earlier this summer, the Pentagon said it might make it official policy to include journalists with U.S. military units headed for battle in future wars.
Former Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, who was responsible for getting Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to approve embedding journalists with military forces, said at the time that officials were pleased with the results.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: AP reporter D'Arcy Doran in Tikrit contributed to this report.
Many? Heck, they ALL are staged, and Al Jazeera is in on the planning. It's a complete and utter scripted TV show. The media, of course, will never tell you that.
Michael
We're mass e-mailing letters from the troops, CENTCOM reports - the detailed security and humanitarian reports showing the good works of the troops across Iraq - getting the word out.
Many of the troops now know to get their news from the internet. We're slowly getting the reports to our neighbors.
Thank goodness for the net.
Folks, I really don't know how to weigh in on this one. My first reaction would be, "Fandamntastic!" Keeping the Marxist mediots out from underfoot is always a priority.
OTOH, I saw, with y'all, just how much of a paradigm shift there was with certain of the journalists who got embedded with the guys. They saw with their eyes, and without the PC/Leftist blinders, just what US Soldiers are and what we do. And they got it. They GOT it!
Just watch, because during the next campaign, they'll be embeds along for the ride. And you'll see familiar faces. They've felt it, the brotherhood, and they remember.
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