***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 20 - LIVE THREAD***

Multiple ^ | April 8, 2003 | Various

[Mo1]

Spotter saw binoculars and RPG's at the Palestine. Shot toward the top at an observation deck.

We did shoot at the hotel??

[HarryCaul]

Yeah. What kind of moron stays in a tall building in an active ground war zone?

Bad, bad thinking.

[An.American.Expatriate]

One thing we must remember concerning the western journalists in Iraq (not with the Coalition!) is that they are there to at least "try" to get out information regarding the situation there. 99.99% of what they say is carefully censored by thier minders and must be looked at critically! It is the 0.01% we need to watch for. The natural bias of a journalist of course also plays a role in what they report and, especially in the case of scum-sucking socialist propaganda peddlers - theier bias makes them useful idiots for the Iraqi cause.

Many have said that "they were warned" which is quite true. Each and everyone of them knows that what they are doing could get them killed. But, as another FReeper pointed out - the embeddeds are also "standing next to" combatants. Dumb? Maybe - but they know what they are doing is important.

[overtaxed_canadian]

I too, stand corrected.

Looks like the journalists have wittingly or unwittingly made themselves into human shields.

[hmmmmm]

Yes it does.

[hmmmmm]

Yes :(

[Tree of Liberty]

Yes, we did. The Palestine Hotel was on a list of forbidden targets, but Rules of Engagement allow for returning fire and firring on observation posts, even in regards to those forbidden targets.

[Truthsearcher]

Maybe we were set up, maybe we screwed up. It happened, the other day we bombed our own convoy in the north because of a screw up, and a lot more people were killed and wounded in that screw up.

Sh*t happens, and in war when it happens somebody dies. We apologize, but it's a dangerous place, these people should have known the risks.

[umbagi]

Chater is right this time.

Right on the fact; dead wrong on the sentiment. He accused us of deliberately targeting journalists as journalists, and that's what half the world will take from it.

[Beck_isright]

The kind of morons that think that just because they are "reporters" they can do what they want and go where they want without being killed. Personally speaking, I would be reporting from the basement, any moron on or near the roof should expect to get wasted.

V

[piasa]

I sincerely hope that CENTCOMM is taking names and will be evicting a whole lot of journalists from Iraq in a few days!

Iraq is not allowing reporters to leave, and the IRaqis have streets blocked off so they cannot pass.

The only way reporters are going to get out of there is with our help.

[Mo1]

He was right about that one point, but he's still an ass for saying that we're specifically targeting Western journalists.

agreed

[this_ol_patriot]

Look at Chater now, he was getting pressured it seemed, looked like he was almost in tears. I never heard this guy before this war started so I don't know his leanings. Maybe someone from Britain can fill us in.

[Beck_isright]

Yes. The Iraqis are using tall buildings as spotter platforms. It's fair game. If you're stupid enough to stay in a tall building during a war, you're a target.

V

[hmmmmm]

Very good points, however I wonder what happened to "journalistic integrity". Just report the facts and keep the personal out of it.

[SirAllen]

The thing is, we'll still take all the blame even if shown beyond a doubt that they were sniping us from the hotel. And even if we stooped to the level of the Iraqis and started sniping them from their hotel and Iraq fired on us, we'd get all the blame again.

In other words, if someone dies it's our fault. No way to win.

On the up side, this will rally all the arab nuts to come jihad us and we can rid of all future terrorism problems right now.