Pentagon Threatens To Kill Independent Reporters In Iraq

Gulufuture.com ^ | 10th March, 2003 | Fintan Dunne, Editor

[dead]

The Pentagon has threatened to fire on the satellite uplink positions of independent journalists in Iraq, according to veteran BBC war correspondent, Kate Adie. In an interview with Irish radio, Ms. Adie said that questioned about the consequences of such potentially fatal actions, a senior Pentagon officer had said: "Who cares.. ..They've been warned."

According to Ms. Adie, who twelve years ago covered the last Gulf War, the Pentagon attitude is: "entirely hostile to the the free spread of information."

"I am enormously pessimistic of the chance of decent on-the-spot reporting, as the war occurs," she told Irish national broadcaster, Tom McGurk on the RTE1 Radio "Sunday Show."

Ms. Adie made the startling revelations during a discussion of media freedom issues in the likely upcoming war in Iraq. She also warned that the Pentagon is vetting journalists according to their stance on the war, and intends to take control of US journalists' satellite equipment --in order to control access to the airwaves.

Another guest on the show, war author Phillip Knightley, reported that the Pentagon has also threatened they: "may find it necessary to bomb areas in which war correspondents are attempting to report from the Iraqi side."

Transcript follows below:

Guests: Kate Adie, BBC; Phillip Knightley, author of The First Casualty, a history of war correspondents and propaganda; Chris Hedges, award winning human rights journalist, and former Irish Times Editor Connor Brady on the Sunday Show, RTE Radio1 9th March, 2003.

Tom McGurk: " Now, Kate Adie, you join us from the BBC in London. Thank you very much for going to all this trouble on a Sunday morning to come and join us. I suppose you are watching with a mixture of emotions this war beginning to happen, because you are not going to be covering it."

Kate Adie: " Oh I will be. And what actually appalls me is the difference between twelve years ago and now. I've seen a complete erosion of any kind of acknowledgment that reporters should be able to report as they witness."

"The Americans... and I've been talking to the Pentagon ...take the attitude which is entirely hostile to the free spread of information."

"I was told by a senior officer in the Pentagon, that if uplinks --that is the television signals out of... Bhagdad, for example-- were detected by any planes ...electronic media... mediums, of the military above Bhagdad... they'd be fired down on. Even if they were journalists ..' Who cares! ' said.. [inaudible] .."

Tom McGurk: "...Kate ...sorry Kate ..just to underline that. Sorry to interrupt you. Just to explain for our listeners. Uplinks is where you have your own satellite telephone method of distributing information."

Kate Adie: " The telephones and the television signals."

Tom McGurk: " And they would be fired on? "

Kate Adie: " Yes. They would be 'targeted down,' said the officer."

Tom McGurk: " Extraordinary ! "

Kate Adie: " Shameless! "

" He said.. ' Well... they know this ...they've been warned.' "

" This is threatening freedom of information, before you even get to a war."

"The second thing is there was a massive news blackout imposed."

"In the last Gulf war, where I was one of the pool correspondents with the British Army. We effectively had very, very light touch when it came to any kind of censorship."

" We were told that anything which was going to endanger troops lives which we understood we shouldn't broadcast. But other than that, we were relatively free."

" Unlike our American colleagues, who immediately left their pool, after about 48 hours, having just had enough of it."

" And this time the Americans are: a) Asking journalists who go with them, whether they are... have feelings against the war. And therefore if you have views that are skeptical, then you are not to be acceptable."

" Secondly, they are intending to take control of the Americans technical equipment ...those uplinks and satellite phones I was talking about. And control access to the airwaves."

" And then on top of everything else, there is now a blackout (which was imposed, during the last war, at the beginning of the war), ...ordered by one Mr. Dick Cheney, who is in charge of this."

" I am enormously pessimistic of the chance of decent on-the-spot reporting, as the war occurs. You will get it later."

[null and void]

But making it public like this isn't going to bode well for us in the press.

Yeah! They RUINED the surprise...

[Political Junkie Too]

Wasn't there an SNL parody with Al Franken's One Man Mobile Uplink covering an explosion of a bomb from point blank range? If not, there should have been.

-PJ

[SuziQ]

Unlike our American colleagues, who immediately left their pool, after about 48 hours, having just had enough of it."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I certainly don't remember any journalists coming home within two days of the beginning of the first Gulf War unsatisfied with being able to get the story. I DO remember that they bitched and moaned the whole time, but I thought they stayed there for fear they wouldn't get any story at all.

This whole report about the Pentagon sounds SO bogus to me.

[ALinArleta]

"I was told by a senior officer in the Pentagon, that if uplinks --that is the television signals out of... Bhagdad, for example-- were detected by any planes ...electronic media... mediums, of the military above Bhagdad... they'd be fired down on. Even if they were journalists ..'

WELL! IF THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE "POINT" (Photojournalist Operating Infront Needing Targeting" Who cares?

I think Sadam has his bunker under the Al Rashid Hotel where the Journalist stay. I would drop the new MOAB down the elevator shaft. "They have been warned."

[RightWhale]

Threatening their uplink gear might seem like threatening them personally, but all the military wants to do is take out their antennas. Nobody needs to get hurt.

[mhking]

"may find it necessary to bomb areas in which war correspondents are attempting to report from the Iraqi side."

Awwwww.... We're taking sides... Isn't that too bad.... I got no sympathy. They know the rules going in.

Let's roll.

[aruanan]

According to Ms. Adie, who twelve years ago covered the last Gulf War, the Pentagon attitude is: "entirely hostile to the the free spread of information.

In a war I don't want the free spread of information. Is her name Ms. About to Die?

[philetus]

Works for me too.

[sneakypete]

I can only hope this includes the CNN Atlanta site.

That's got my vote,as long as they wait until Red Ted Turner is in the building.

[vishnu2]

Pentagon Threatens To Kill Independent Reporters In Iraq

Good! Now the !@%#!!s won't be able to transmit information and orders to Saddam's flunkies.

[vishnu2]

a la Slim Pickens in Dr. Stranglove.

[skinkinthegrass]

...and the downside is? I don't see any...In many newscasts, a common phase "If it bleeds, it leads" mindset...If moronic reporter puts the soldiers lives in danger by spilling the beans on an pending attack, then destroy the reporters' equipment. IMHO, AND ANYTHING THING ELSE, THE SOLDIERS MAY WANT TO THROW (OR SHOOT) AT HIM..WORTHLESS SCUM

[archy]

According to Ms. Adie, who twelve years ago covered the last Gulf War, the Pentagon attitude is: "entirely hostile to the the free spread of information.

In a war I don't want the free spread of information. Is her name Ms. About to Die?

If she's the one I believe she is, her nickname among other journalists was *Red Mollie*

-archy-/-

SAFC FOUNDATION - Trustees Profiles

All our Trustees are dedicated to the aims and objectives of SAFC Foundation. This is a Premiership team selected because of their deep involvement with the Club and their lifelong commitment to the region.

Kate Adie OBE

Born in Sunderland and a lifelong Sunderland fan, Kate is Chief News Correspondent with the BBC.

Kate was awarded RTS Awards for , 1981, 1987 and 1989. Monte Carlo International Television Awards 1981 and 1990 and the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award 1990. She was awarded the OBE in 1993 and has Honorary Degrees from the Universities of Newcastle, Nottingham, Bath, Nottingham Trent, the Open University, the City University and is Honorary Professor of Journalism at Sunderland University. She has an Honorary Fellowship from Royal Holloway College and is a Fellow of the Institute of Journalists and the Royal Television Society.

In the last ten years she has covered the Gulf War, the war in former Yugoslavia and events in the Gulf, Armenia, Albania, Rwanda and China.

"SAFC Foundation will offer young people a superb opportunity to develop their motivation and confidence to achieve much more in their lives, through the many initiatives which are offered."

[Nov3]

I don't think I would be making any electronic noise in this enviroment. If these morons do. . . . . . .

[yoe]

Since these "reporters" and their bosses insist on putting the lives of our military in jeopardy, we should just give them guns etc. and let them fight the war, they’ll really get it first hand that way. Disssgussstinggggg!!