Calls for increased protection for journalists

With at least 12 journalists killed in the line of duty since the US-led war on Iraq started on 19 March, attacks on reporters continue to hit the headlines as they are mistakenly targeted by Coalition forces or singled out by terrorist groups operating in the country. Despite growing criticism of the ways by which US-led forces are dealing with the media, statements issued by Washington regarding the deaths of some of the most prominent representatives of leading news outfits worldwide have been unsatisfactory, according to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), an NGO working to boost journalism in post-conflict countries. "It is an extremely difficult time in Iraq, and the risks are threefold. There is firstly the general safety and security of equipment. Secondly, the Iraqis working for international organisations are being targeted and, thirdly, Americans are at risk as there are specific attacks on them," the executive director of IWPR, Anthony Bolden, told IRIN from New York on Wednesday. "This situation is not going to get better unless there are fundamental changes. There needs to be more 'Iraqisation', the local authorities need to have a larger role." Recently the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) filed three new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to the US shelling of the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and the air strike on the headquarters of the Arabic Al-Jazeera satellite channel, during the conflict. "The FOIA requests information regarding the two 8 April attacks, as well as the 17 August killing of the Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana by a machine-gunner near the Abu Ghurayb Prison outside Baghdad, and the 22 March death of the British ITV reporter, Terry Lloyd, whose two colleagues remain missing," a statement issued by the CPJ said. According to the watchdog organisation, Washington has only provided summary explanations and in some instances no explanation at all for the deaths. This view was echoed by IWPR. "Each incident against the journalists was disturbing and so was the US government's response to it," Borden stressed. "The death of the Reuters cameraman was even more disturbing, particularly because he made his presence known. The attack on the Palestine Hotel was inconceivable. The response to the attack on Al-Jazeera was unsatisfactory," he maintained, adding that the US defence department was issuing statements, but was not lending more time to these important matters, which he described as very disappointing. IWPR currently has a project on the ground in Iraq to train local journalists, but is very concerned about security. The work is being carried out through local staff in Baghdad and northern Iraq. "We debated pulling out very carefully, but this is why the IWPR was established," Borden said. "We are very nervous and are watching the situation with care as there are no certainties here," he added. The CPJ has also made recommendations that US officials need to ensure that Coalition troops take all necessary measures to avoid harming members of the media. The CPJ also wants US commanders to review operational guidelines and pay special attention to protecting journalists, as well as working closely with them, and produce guidelines as to how journalists should interact with troops on the ground.