How Crazy Are They? (CNN big says US troops targeted and killed 12 journalists in Iraq)

Power Line ^ | February 1, 2005 | John H. Hinderaker

[quidnunc]

There has been a lot of buzz about absurd comments made by Eason Jordan, the number one guy at CNN, at the "World Economic Forum" in Davos, Switzerland. Here is how the forum's blog tells the story: During one of the discussions about the number of journalists killed in the Iraq War, Eason Jordan asserted that he knew of 12 journalists who had not only been killed by US troops in Iraq, but they had in fact been targeted. He repeated the assertion a few times, which seemed to win favor in parts of the audience (the anti-US crowd) and cause great strain on others.

Due to the nature of the forum, I was able to directly challenge Eason, asking if he had any objective and clear evidence to backup these claims, because if what he said was true, it would make Abu Ghraib look like a walk in the park. David Gergen was also clearly disturbed and shocked by the allegation that the U.S. would target journalists, foreign or U.S. He had always seen the U.S. military as the providers of safety and rescue for all reporters.

Eason seemed to backpedal quickly, but his initial statements were backed by other members of the audience (one in particular who represented a worldwide journalist group). The ensuing debate was (for lack of better words) a real "sh--storm". What intensified the problem was the fact that the session was a public forum being taped on camera, in front of an international crowd. The other looming shadow on what was going on was the presence of a U.S. Congressman and a U.S. Senator in the middle of some very serious accusations about the U.S. military.

I suppose a short refutation of Jordan's theory would be that if the U.S. military really set out to "target" journalists in Iraq, there wouldn't be anywhere near so many journalists swarming over that country. I don't have much to add to what has already been said by others about Jordan's wacko claim; Hugh Hewitt has a good roundup. Jordan is the same guy who admitted that CNN sucked up to Saddam Hussein and didn't report what they knew about his regime. So he's a really, really credible source.

Could someone please put CNN out of its misery?

[stands2reason]

I'm sorry, but this is total crap. I mean, Fisk is still alive, fer Chrissakes.

[opinionator]

I was watching the movie 'Control Room' and they claimed that we killed 3 reporters in 3 separate incidents on the same day.

[byset]

yeah, good point. If there is anything to this then where the hell has CNN been on this story?! Were they just saving their "exclusive" for Davos?

[Oreo Kookey]

First CBS, then CNN. I think it's in their water supply. Probably a conspiracy or something like that.

[KoRn]

WTF?!? I'd say the guy has lost it ..... if he ever had it to lose.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Yeah, no kidding ;0)

[LauraleeBraswell]

I'd like to call for an investigation!


And if CNN is wrong, they should be sued for slander.

[Polybius]

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1945 State of the Union Address

************************

"And I would express another most serious warning against the poisonous effects of enemy propaganda.

The wedge that the Germans attempted to drive in western Europe was less dangerous in actual terms of winning the war than the wedges which they are continually attempting to drive between ourselves and our allies.

Every little rumor which is intended to weaken our faith in our allies is like an actual enemy agent in our midst--seeking to sabotage our war effort. There are, here and there, evil and baseless rumors against the Russians--rumors against the British--rumors against our own American commanders in the field.

When you examine these rumors closely, you will observe that every one of them bears the same trade-mark--"Made in Germany.

We must resist this divisive propaganda--we must destroy it -with the same strength and the same determination that our fighting men are displaying as they resist and destroy the panzer divisions."

************************

[river rat]

Based on the comments from this KNOWN Saddam regime protector -- there is at least one more "journalist" that "earned killin"....

CNN LIES

Semper Fi

[kimosabe31]

bump

[CrazyIvan]

I wasn't aware that there WERE 12 journalists in Iraq. There's one Hell of a lot of propagandists, but not many journalists.

[rdcorso]

There's a very fine line between crazy and stupid that some say doesn't even exist.I'm not surprised to hear a CNN journalist accusing US soldiers of murdering a dozen journalist in Iraq.I'm convinced that most liberals are so afraid of the Islamic terrorist that they never direct any ill words toward them.It's so bad over there that the news organizations are allowing the terrorist to film themselves committing terrorist acts and then turn it in to a CNN who broadcasts it like it came from one of their cameras.I wonder if they are being payed for their service of spreading the terrorist propaganda to the world.

[GeronL]

I am sure CNN would have all the documents from 1970 to prove this.

[okie01]

yeah, good point. If there is anything to this then where the hell has CNN been on this story?! Were they just saving their "exclusive" for Davos?

I just sent the story in, on their "Breaking News Tip" link.

I pointedly noted that there was a videotape...

[Paleo Conservative]

Only 12?

[GeronL]

Clinton said that journalists were legitimate targets, so if you work for PBS and NPR, you should be scared.

[GeronL]

lol

[John Lenin]

Chief News Executive Eason Jordan's admission that CNN withheld information

about torture in the Iraqi regime to protect innocent people opens heated

journalism ethics debate.

Cable News Network chief news executive Eason Jordan's recent admission that he

withheld information about how Iraqi officials intimidated and tortured Iraqis who had

helped CNN over the past decade has opened up a heated debate about journalism

ethics.

Jordan wrote about the situation in an op-ed. In the article, Jordan said that he traveled

to the Iraqi capital 13 times to talk government officials into keeping the CNN bureau

there open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders.

CNN withheld information about torture in Iraq regime

"Each time I visited, I became more distressed by what I saw and heard — awful things

that could not be reported because doing so would have jeopardized the lives of Iraqis,

particularly those on our Baghdad staff," he wrote.

In one example, CNN's Iraqi cameraman was abducted, beaten and subjected to

electroshock torture in the basement of a secret police headquarters because he refused

answer what Jordan called "ludicrous" questions. The CNN executive said that if his

network reported on the cameraman's torture, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's henchmen

would have killed the man and may have gone after his family and co-workers.

Jordan also wrote that Saddam's oldest son, Uday Hussein, told him in 1995 that he

intended to assassinate King Hussein of Jordan and two brothers-in-law who had

defected to Jordan. The CNN chief told the king, who dismissed the threat, but the two

brothers-in-law returned to Iraq and were later assassinated.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Apparently, we killed the wrong ones.

[Ticonderoga34]

I too, think that these charges should be investigated and let the truth decide how events play out.

Having said that, I think I know how events will play out. Another Lame Stream Media lie. And like Rathergate, this lie needs to be outed.