U.S soldiers accused of beating Journalist.

The International Federation of Journalists has made a statement calling on U.S authorities to conduct a full investigation into allegations that American troops beat up a Portuguese reporter.

The reporter was traveling with two Israelis who performed a stupid operation of traveling up to a U.S convoy unannounced.

"According to an account by Scemama's girlfriend, Shlomit Yarkoni, the journalists were forced to stop Tuesday beside six tanks because of sandstorms.

"They couldn't see the road ... (and) the Americans advised them not to move because they would not be identified in the dust and ... orders to (the troops) shoot at almost anything that moves."

She said soldiers woke them up at gunpoint early Wednesday and accused them of espionage. The reporters were told to pick up their shirts and let down their pants to prove they were not carrying bombs.
Scemama's sister, Dina Harel, told United Press International they were told to drop to the sand, face down. They were later kept in a closed jeep for 36 hours.

The Portuguese journalist asked to phone home and was beaten, the two said. His ribs were broken, and he is now hospitalized.

Yediot Aharonot's city desk editor, Eran Tiefenbrunn, told UPI that Bismuth was also beaten. The newspaper, concerned about loss of contact with the journalists, asked the Pentagon to help find them.

After 48 hours, a helicopter flew the reporters to an American military base in Kuwait where they were released and given their phones back. Their rented jeep was impounded, Harel said.

"If true, this maltreatment of journalists is a grave violation of journalists' rights. This incident must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice," said the IFJ in a statement Friday evening.

The U.S Central Command has confirmed they are looking into allegations of mistreatment.

Sorry, forgot the links.

www.newsmax.com...


electroniciraq.net...

Originally posted by kegs

"If true, this maltreatment of journalists is a grave violation of journalists' rights. This incident must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice," said the IFJ in a statement Friday evening.

At least, they didn't kill them as the Iraki did it with other reporters.

If the story is true then the soldiers who participated should be held accountable.

Tthe reporter should have told the US soldiers that he was following them. The article said the were following US troops unannounced. Least the reporter is still alive, but the millitary has every right to be paranoid.

I agree JM. But still why beat the crap out of the guy. Why not just detain him and question him.

They were probaly paranoid and thought he might have a bomb straped to him. They should've stunned him somehow and searched his body for explosives.

Geez, sorry if the coalition forces (which were the target of a car bomb recently) don't blow up balloons and bake a cake for unannounced guests. Commend the soldiers for not killing the retards. In a hostile environment with a bunch of people around you who employ tactics like carbombings how dare anyone criticize soldiers for freaking out. If it's true that they broke this guy's ribs after knowing he was just a journalist, then yes, that would be overdoing it. But hey buddy, they could've just shot em. If "enquiring minds want to know" is your motto, don't whine when it blows up in your face.

I feel that they were paranoid and rightfully so. This guys a moron and he should have announced that he was with the press.

[Edited on 1-4-2003 by Tetsuo-51]

Originally posted by Djarums
Geez, sorry if the coalition forces (which were the target of a car bomb recently) don't blow up balloons and bake a cake for unannounced guests. Commend the soldiers for not killing the retards. In a hostile environment with a bunch of people around you who employ tactics like carbombings how dare anyone criticize soldiers for freaking out. If it's true that they broke this guy's ribs after knowing he was just a journalist, then yes, that would be overdoing it. But hey buddy, they could've just shot em. If "enquiring minds want to know" is your motto, don't whine when it blows up in your face.

I remember the days when it was required to give a propagandist "cough" I mean reporter, a beat down.
I have to agree with D, if it would have been me out there and I saw non-Americans sneaking around tailing my squad they would have seen a 40MM upclose. Broken ribs, BAH!

I agree the Journalists were pretty damn stupid. Posted it because this is the kind of news that's hard to find in times like this.

I was wondering if you thought it was due to nervousness on the part of the troops, a general growing dislike for the press amongst them, or as Advisor says, a return to the good 'ol days?

I think it�s a mixture of the first two. The reason for the nerves are obvious and the growing disregard for the press is evident from the Pentagon down, the reasons for which are interesting considering the growing change from the initial fairly 'open' coverage from the first confident few days, to a more and more set coverage as things started to go off track and the reporting became more negative.

The T.V is pretty useless for news now, (if it ever wasn't.) Most of what we see from day to day is just a few clips and reels sanctioned by the military that are
on a constant 15 min loop on the news channels until something else that they think we might be capable of knowing about happens. This is bar the Independents, but even their footage has to be shown on a channel whose reports are controlled by...........Etc.

ultra - just thought I'd point out that the Iraqi's haven't killed any reporters, after all they really want the world to see what's happening in Iraq.

The Australian reporter killed on the first day was done in by a suicide bomb in Northern Iraq (i.e. that Iranian backed Islamist group). The three british reporters killed were hit by friendly fire. And the reporter that went missing the other day seems to have jumped from the top of a building...

Or was he pushed...?
Struck me as very suspicious that one.
He was a well respected Journalist who had a reputation for going after the truth, and as far as was made out, he had no reason to kill himself. Did he know something? Or did he just not dispose of his Banana skin properly? 'spose we'll never know...

[Edited on 2-4-2003 by kegs]

Indeed Kegs...

And if he was pushed, who pushed him? He was in a Kurdish controlled area so it was either:
a) The Kurdish side
b) The coalition side
c) An Iraqi undercover agent

As you say, we'll probably never know.

The press has been warned against operating without knowledge of the military (as in EVERY OTHER WAR). They're lucky their jeep wasn't turned into slag.... I'm sure there's more to this story as well though, as to the beatings... Morons.....

It wouldn't surprise me to find out for sure how true this story is...After all, the Penatagon gave out a public warning a few days before the coalition forces started moving in: Independent reporters were warned that coalition forces would be under orders issued from the Pentagon to *shoot them*.

I wonder what the pentagon is trying to hide with its war against journalism .. ?

Trying to hide? Where are you from?

Be aware that when you're waging a war against another country you might not want to broadcast your whereabouts and plans to the other side. The press does have an important job to do, but not at the expense of the lives of our military.

Every word those reporters say (especially the ones embedded with various troops) had damn well better be approved first. Then of course there are people saying Geraldo is being treated unfairly. See that's the whole thing trying to be avoided.