Reuters is reporting that “[u]nknown gunmen kidnapped a female U.S. journalist in Baghdad on Saturday after shooting dead her driver … she had been on her way to a meeting with a Sunni Arab leader when she was kidnapped in the Adel district near Malik bin Anas mosque in west Baghdad.” Update [2006-1-7 15:5:20 by susanhu]: It is very important not to disclose the reporter’s name. Some of us found out, because unfortunately one news organization is reporting her name despite her employers’ pleas. I have removed all comments below that disclose her identity. E-mail me immediately if you see any more … susanhu at earthlink dot net .)
On Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders announced: “More journalists and media staffers have been killed during the Iraq war than during 22 years of conflict in Vietnam.”
As Simon Jenkins wrote yesterday for Huffington Post (via Daou Report):
Reliable reporting from Iraq is now so dangerous that the level of insecurity can be gleaned only from circumstantial evidence. Baghdad outside the American green zone is now all “red zone”, off limits to any but the most reckless foreigner. The death rate and the number of explosions are rising. While some rural areas are relatively safe there is no such thing as national security. Iraq’s borders are porous. Crime is uncontrolled. The concept of an “occupying power” is near meaningless.
Sometimes I wonder if we really know much of anything that is going on in Iraq. Journalists are in constant peril and severely confined. Pat Lang blogged here about the WaPo‘s Robin Wright and her latest visit to Iraq …
On this latest trip to Baghdad, the bubble shrank even more. No roaming the Green Zone. Not even a stop at the convention center. The press corps, including veteran war correspondents, was sequestered in Hussein’s old palace for most of the seven-hour stay. We were discouraged from wandering the palace and were provided escorts to go to the bathroom.”
The visits by world leaders are as constricted, making their BS blather all the more ridiculous …
On December 22 Tony Blair paid his Christmas call on British troops in Basra to tell them how much things were improving. This time he said security was “completely changed” from last year. What he meant was unclear. It was as if Gladstone had visited Gordon during the siege of Khartoum. Did it not seem strange to Blair that he could not move outside his walled fortress, could not drive anywhere or talk to any Iraqis? Did he wonder why British troops have withdrawn from two anarchic provinces? Was he really told that security is transformed for the better? If so he is horribly deceived. — Simon Jenkins (Emphases mine.)
Jenkins’ essay, “Leave the Field Now – The Iraqi Endgame is About to Begin,” is a particularly blistering piece of writing.
Here’s the link to the 211 stories on the kidnapping of the U.S. female journalist. None, best I can find, identify who she is. An ITN report says it was her translator, not her driver, who was killed.
The reporters seem to be very reluctant to talk about their lack of mobility. I don’t know if this is because of their bosses’ fear of antagonizing the Bushies or their own hesitance to compromise the traditional “macho” image of the war reporter.
It probably bothers their consciences as reporters not to be able to report beyond the green zone.
At least Robin Wright gave a true account — an escort to the bathroom? Wow.
Norwegian Aftenposten reports:
No identity there either.
You can see clearly the war has been over for 2 years. The U.S. controls nothing. They don’t even have control of the Iraqi Army which is now really under the control of the militas.
There is absolutely no reason to be there. They are no longer protecting the government from terrorists. The government has it’s own militias. They are not a puppet government of the U.S. They are allied with Iran.
ITS BEEN OVER FOR A LONG LONG TIME;
JUST GET OUT!
bink has a diary entry on the reco list at kos where it is stated that her anonymity is still requested. Maybe we should be cautious here.
Sorry, not the reco list; it is on the recent list at present.
I am going to repeat my plea from dkos. I believe her news organization does not want her identified at this point because it could compromise efforts to free her. Most other media outlets are respecting that request. The first 24-48 hours are critical.
Until the news organization she works for issues a statement, I beg all of you to refrain from identifying her publicly.
My hands are shaking so hard I can barely type this. Please, please, please, I implore Susan to remove the name of the journalist from these comments. Please.
Please.
I certainly leave it up to Susan’s judgement, but I think it’s blitherinly naive to assume the kidnappers don’t know exactly who they have. Come on! I don’t want to put anyone’s life in jeopardy, but being cowed or intimidated is ridiculous IMO. The fact that a female American journalist has been kidnapped is plastered all over 1st headines.com and http://www.IRAQ.net I was stunned that her name wasn’t being released. How would it be helpful to suppress her identity for 24 to 48 hours? Why is that time frame critical? Heck, I have no problem with paying ransom like many European states do. Seems maybe the publicity could actually help. I am praying for her and the CPT members who are being held hostage also. Their names were released almost immediately as I recall.
How would it be helpful to suppress her identity for 24 to 48 hours?
I am guessing that there may be a reason that we aren’t aware of or haven’t thought of.
Tell you what: I’ll ask our intel experts and see what they have to say about this.
It is naive, but — in keeping with my DEEP respect for this journalist and her news organization — I’m glad to do this, even if it doesn’t really help. For now.
It’s not about whether her kidnappers know who they have. It’s about who else knows.
Publicity can (1) increase the ransom demand, (2) cause false leads if people who don’t have her claim they do in an effort to get the ransom, and (3) alert people like Zarqawi’s group, who could “buy” her or re-abduct her from her original kidnappers.
I would not have asked this if it were not important.
In addition to the fact that whoever has seized her knows who she is, her name and the name of her paper have already been all over the internets for hours and are available for the googling.
If it gives a psychological benefit to her family and friends to have blogs edit out her name, I see no harm in it, but I would caution anyone against the notion that what is done here or at kos in that regard will have any effect on her situation.
Synergy, I deleted your two posts, and mine with links to the journalist’s works.
I DID SAVE the contents and links, however.
BTW: For something as important as this, please E-MAIL me because I cant check comments sections as fast as I’d like. I’ll also give you my phone number so you can call me if it’s urgent.
I appreciate your responding so quickly.
We are all hoping for the best.
I understand your decision and will comply accordingly. I appreciate what you do and what reporters in Iraq do. We need to have as much reliable information as possible.
It’s temporary and, Synergy, when it’s widely reported, I think you should post what you know …
and i’ve saved it all so, if you’d like a copy, just send me an e-mail. That way you won’t have to reconstruct your posts — or I my post about a story the reporter did that is dear to my heart.
Thanks Susan, I took my post down from the Augusta (GA) Chronicle bulletin board also. I saved that post in MS Word and can repost it later. I don’t need to repost it here. Thanks for the offer.
If I knew say Valerie Plame’s name, I woundn’t post that. However posting state secrets that should not be secret or revealing criminal activity that is classified are legitimate functions of the free press IMO. This does not meet that criteria.
Brenda Stewart is absolutely correct that our government does not want us to know everything that is going on in Iraq. We need honest reporters to help us obtain reliable information.
Well, who would have thought that journalism is the most dangerous occupation now, up and running, to be in! In more ways that one journalism is not what I thought of it in the past.
I trully respect the occupation and futher more I want who is responsible to pay a price for kidnapping. We may never know who what when aor where if we do not get the TRUE story of things. The leaders of our/their country are trying to stop any legit info coming out of there for some reason..what might that reason be???!!!! I think the international journalistic group needs to step in here and make a statement on behalf of all kidnapped and murdered journalist. This is getting way out of hand. If it is money they are after, then that is called owe reasons for all of this.
Brenda,
Journalism has always been a dangerous profession. Statistically, it ranks just after fireman for overall danger. Bloggers spend a lot of time excoriating the so-called MSM for being WH toadies, but forget about the thousands outside the Beltway who work very long hours for precious little money, trying to bring to the public some semblance of the truth.
It’s not an accident there are so many journos and lawyers on liberal blogs–both go after the truth, although often from opposite starting points.
I just saw these stories about the woman kidnapped, and I am saying Ohgodohgodohgod, a litany of prayer and tears.
I know you are right! It seems that as I have slept away the years in my numbness state of being, I have overlooked the way journalists have been doing their job. I do remember the way they were in harms way on many occassions. I really did not mean it such as the way I presented it here. I know what youare meaning tho. and you are correct to correct me here. Thank you…but I still think that this administration is trying their best not to get the story out to us and others on who, what, when, and how. It goes against their grain to have it done in the way it should be done by a fair and uncorrupted fashion, of which journalists are trying to do their job, for the most part. This has always been a sad day for this honorable profession, IMHO, that someone trying to say the truth in things, gets the ax jot anywhere on this old earth.