Nice read. Thanx. Earlier today I saw a clip of the Marines fighting snipers in a village. The camera was right next to our M60 blazing away from a window. If the bad guys had hit the cameraman I would feel sad for the camerman and his family - and gratitude that by taking the risk he had enhanced my understanding of the war, but I wouldn't claim the Iraqis had done anything wrong. It's war.
What happens if the Iraqis grab the Palestine Hotel journalists as hostages in a dying gasp? That, too, would be sad, but who could claim they didn't ask for it?
I agree about our journalists, and pray for their safety. The main difference is the US doesn't use them as a way to avoid taking fire, and that is clearly what the Iraqi Information Ministry is doing by parking themselves at the Palestine.
I think you're on to something when this thing gets near the end (if we haven't almost reached it already). There is a good chance that the Army and Marines may still have to go in there and rescue the media before this thing is over.