U.S. Military moves reporter Geraldo Rivera from Iraq

Reuters | Monday, March 31, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Veteran reporter Geraldo Rivera, a correspondent for Fox News, is being removed from Iraq by the U.S. military for reporting Western troop movements in the war, the Pentagon said Monday. "He was with a (U.S.) military unit in the field and the commander felt that he had compromised operational information by reporting the position and movements of troops," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told Reuters. "The commander thought it best to get the reporter out of his battle space and we understand he is being removed from Iraq," Whitman said. Fox News in New York had no immediate comment, and Whitman said he did not have details of the incident. But media reports said Rivera, a former talk show host and veteran correspondent who has also reported the war in Afghanistan and high-profile stories such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial, had been with a unit of the 101st Airborne Division when the incident occurred. Whitman said Rivera was not officially "embedded," or assigned to the unit by the military, but was covering the troops at the time. Hundreds of reporters from around the world are currently assigned to U.S. and British military units to report the war in Iraq under ground rules that allow them freedom to report without compromising the security of the troops.

[Howlin]

He was on Fox live about noon EST, and said he hadn't heard one word about it until he called in his report to NYC and somebody there on the phone asked him about it.

[landerwy]

Could it be planted misinformation?

[cwb]

I'm no fan of Geraldo but it seems what he was doing is no different from what every General in the sudios do when they use the maps and pointers.

[OldFriend]

Yup, saw him live on local Channel 5, which is a Fox station.

There is no low to which our media elites won't slink.......

[Eva]

Sounds like pay-back from MSNBC for the Arnett firing, an attempt to paint all stations with the same brush.

[k2blader]

Agreed. From what I remember, Geraldo was basically saying the troops are moving closer to Baghdad. It's difficult for me to believe that the enemy wasn't already aware of that.

[k2blader]

I'm wondering if all the hoax-hounds feel stupid now. I would if I were them.

[Lauratealeaf]

Sounds like pay-back from MSNBC for the Arnett firing, an attempt to paint all stations with the same brush.

Sounds that way to me too.

[Howlin]

I can't figure out how all these other sources are reporting a press release from CENTOM when the Fox guy at CENTCOM hasn't heard one word about it.

You'd think they would tell Fox if they were going to throw him out, eh?

[Lauratealeaf]

What is your beef with Geraldo and Fox?

She won't answer. Her sponsors, MSNBC and NBC won't allow it.

[Eva]

MSNBC should have known better than to hire Arnett, after that Tailwinds debacle. The man has an obvious anti-American agenda, and no morals. Nothing is too low for this guy.

[Plutarch]

Hey...I think he gives good reports! Couldn't they just remove the batteries from his GPS receiver?

[HairOfTheDog]

I suspect that if the commander of the 101st wants Geraldo to stay, he'll stay, no matter what "the Pentagon" says. The troops like him, and he's a great cheerleader for this war.

Nice sentiment, but I doubt the commander of the 101st defies the Pentagon over a reporter.

[Eva]

Geraldo claims that he is not being moved out. He may have been reprimanded, but he is not being shipped out. I think that Drudge needs to be more careful where he gets his information.

[Helms]

LOL. How rich it is!

[Howlin]

Eva, I'm to the point where about the only people I'll ever agree with again are on this forum. :-) Well, "most" of them anyway!

[Lauratealeaf]

I can't figure out how all these other sources are reporting a press release from CENTOM when the Fox guy at CENTCOM hasn't heard one word about it.

You'd think they would tell Fox if they were going to throw him out, eh?

Maybe their press release is not really a press release from CENTCOM but from ClintonEnbeddedNetworksTalkingCrapOnMilitary

[k2blader]

It is bizarre, to say the least.

[Howlin]

Oh, I like your whatever you call it!

[k2blader]

... And who is this "Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman"?