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Censorship and the News from Iraq

abu nuwas | 25.06.2005 00:53 | Analysis | Anti-militarism

Independent media activist and journalist Dahr Jamail writes on the Amercian attempts at censoring the news from Iraq and reports recent events at Buhrez

At long last, the culminating session of the World Tribunal on Iraq is
upon us. As a witness providing testimony, like the other witnesses I'm
being interviewed by many outlets. Today, one of them was by reporters
for one of the larger newspapers in Turkey, the Yeni Safak Newspaper.

I'll leave the reporters nameless, for reasons you'll soon see.

The newspaper has been translating various articles of mine into Turkish
and running them, particularly those concerning the most recent Fallujah
massacre. The report who was interviewing me today told me that the
former American consulate here, Eric Edelman, asked the Prime Minister of Turkey to pressure his paper to not run so many of my stories.

"Why did he do this," I asked him.

"Edelman said it was the wrong news," he told me with a smile.

Turns out Edelman also asked that articles by Robert Fisk and Naomi
Klein not be run so often in Yeni Safak either.

He smiled at me while he watched the wheels turning in my head before I
smiled back and said, "That makes me very happy, it means I‚m doing my job as a journalist."

We laughed heartily together at this, as did everyone else at the table.

Reminds me of the obtuse hate mails I sometimes receive-confirmation
that I am doing my job-they always make me smile.

So the American government is pressuring foreign countries to censor
their news. Aside from the fact that this act is the height of arrogance
by the United States, it makes it exceedingly clear why so many
Americans who rely on the corporate media for their news continue to be
so misinformed/un-informed about the goings on in Iraq. If the American
government is attempting to censor the news in foreign countries, you
can imagine what they are doing at home.

Because people like Edelman don‚t want citizens of the United States to
know that events like the massacre of Fallujah or the atrocities in Abu
Ghraib are not isolated incidents.

People like Edelman don‚t want people to know what one of my sources in Baquba just told me today.

His email reads:

"Near the city of Buhrez, 5 kilometers south of Baquba, two Humvess of
American soldiers were destroyed recently. American and Iraqi soldiers
came to the city afterwards and cut all the phones, cut the water, cut
medicine from arriving in the city and told them that until the people
of the city bring the "terrorists" to them, the embargo will continue."

The embargo has been in place now for one week now, and he continued:

"The Americans still won‚t anyone or any medicines and supplies into
Buhrez, nor will they allow any people in or out. Even the Al-Sadr
followers who organized some help for the people in the city (water,
food, medicine) are not being allowed into the city. Even journalists
cannot enter to publish the news, and the situation there is so bad. The
Americans keep asking for the people in the city to bring them the
persons who were in charge of destroying the two Humvees on the other
side of the city, but of course the people in the city don‚t know who
carried out the attack."

People like Edelman don‚t want people to know about the recent US
attacks in Al-Qa‚im and Haditha either. Attacks that Iraqis are
describing as just as bad as the massacre of Fallujah.

On Haditha and Al-Qa‚im, an Iraqi doctor sent me this email yesterday:

"Listen we witnessed crimes in the west area of the country of what the
bastards did in Haditha and Al-Qa‚im. It was a crime, a really big crime
we have witnessed and filmed in those places and recently also in
Fallujah. We need big help in the western area of the country. Our
doctors need urgent help there. Please, this is an URGENT humanitarian
request from the hospitals in the west of the country. We have big proof
on how the American troops destroyed one of our hospitals, how they
burned the whole store of medication of the west area of Iraq and how
they killed a patient in the ward∑how they prevented us from helping the
people in al-Qa‚im. This is an URGENT Humanitarian request. The
hospitals in the west of Iraq ask for urgent help∑we are in a big
humanitarian medical disaster∑"

People like Edelman don't want the public to know that the same tactics
used in Fallujah by the US military-posting snipers around the city to
shoot anyone who moves, targeting ambulances, impeding medical care, or the detaining of innocent civilians en masse.

After all, Fallujah is the model. Fallujah is our Guernica. And now,
Haditha, Al-Qa‚im can be added to the list, with Baquba and Buhrez under deconstruction.


_______________________________________________
More writing, photos and commentary at  http://dahrjamailiraq.com

abu nuwas
- Homepage: http://dahrjamailiraq.com

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

What is truth ?

25.06.2005 11:13

>

Yeah! Nameless reporters cannot be verified.


>

It could also mean that you've got things very very wrong. just because you say the things that the Anti-USA, nae Anti-Progressive anarchists want to hear, doesn't make them true. Of course, it does bring you a loyal band of fans to massage your ego. Enjoy it while you can! Democracy will succeed in the Middle East, and the US/UK actions will have been a positive turning point.

Hundreds of years ago, people like you were saying the earth was flat.

I guess you're smiling now, so I'm glad to have lightened your day.

Acton Ant Visit


Where has the 'indy' in Indymedia gone ?

25.06.2005 11:59

This is not the first time my postings have been interfered with or even totally censored (always for political points of view, as I have never resorted to the abusive bad language so commonly used by the activist community).

My second point in the posting above related to the comment

"Reminds me of the obtuse hate mails I sometimes receive-confirmation
that I am doing my job-they always make me smile."

Farewell to indymedia, there is no point if postings cannot be reliably reproduced.

btw Acton Ant Visit = Not An Activist (anagram)

Acton Ant Visit


Of course

25.06.2005 12:54

Of course posts and censored or altered. Why do people find this so difficult to accept ?

Those who run Indymedia wish to present a view of the world in line with their opinions and in the same way The Daily Mail, The Sun, Sky News and The Rotherham Gazzete "spins" reports and pictures to offer a view IM does the same.

There is no true independent media in the UK and IM is just part of the wider hypocracy.

Live with it


new media

25.06.2005 14:08

"hypocracy"

indeed. Lets invent a new language for the 'pure' independent media eh?

I look forward to checking out your attempt. Just tempt me.

Krop


we alreadydid that!!!!!!!!

25.06.2005 19:09

cant see any evidence of tampering



give me it


or shut up


silly

people


love
legion


paul c


An English lesson from Krop !!!

26.06.2005 07:23

Please let us not endure an English lesson from Krop! Let's face it, the activist community is not exactly blessed in the literacy department, as can be seen throughout the pages of indymedia.

Now, if they had paid more attention in class (Paul C - come and sit at the front !!) instead of hatching anti-establishment plots in the back row.... etc etc etc ....I blame the teachers!

Acton Ant Visit


Who to believe?

28.06.2005 15:07

Hmmm, I wonder who to believe Rumsfeld, Fox News and a certain "Not An Activist"

Or maybe an Independant Dahr Jamail that I respect for his truth, honesty and un-censored relayings from Iraq.

Not too difficult eh!

Gary