Nova ubojstva novinara u Iraku iziskuju istragu UN-a o ulozi amerièke vojske

31.08.2005.

 New Media Killing Calls to UN for Special Investigation into Role of US Military

 The International Federation of Journalists today said that the shooting of a Reuters sound technician by United States troops in Iraqat the weekend brings to18 the number of journalists and media staff killed by US troops since theinvasion of Iraq.

 “The number of unexplained media killings by US military personnel is intolerable,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “Media organisations and journalists’ families face a wall of silence and an unfeeling bureaucracy that refuses to give clear and credible answers toquestions.”

 In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, today, the IFJ called upon UN leaders to establishan independent inquiry into the killings of media staff at the hands of US andcoalition forces.

 “The United Nations has, in theory, a responsibility to ensure that international law and the rights ofvictims in this conflict are properly protected,” writes the IFJ. “The time hascome for the UN itself to step in and demand that there is justice and respectfor basic humanitarian rights on the part of democratic countries involved inthis conflict.” 

 The IFJ accuses theUS army of incompetence,reckless soldiering, and “cynical disregard” for the lives of journalists –particularly Iraqi – who are covering events inIraq.

 The shooting of Waleed Khaledin the Hay al-Adil district of west Baghdad, an incident in which cameraman Haider Kadhem was wounded, brings to 70 the numberof Iraqi media staff killed since theUS invasion in March 2003.Altogether, and counting all essential media staff including drivers and translators, the IFJ says 95 journalists and media staff have died in the Iraq conflict.

 “The toll is appalling, but the fact that 18 of these deaths are at the hands of US soldiers and that there arestill questions to be answered more than two years after some of the incidentsis particularly shocking,” said White.

 The IFJ is backing Reuters in their demands for the immediate release of Kadhem who is still being held by USforces more than 24 hours after the killing of his colleague. TheUS military said it was still investigating and refused to say what questions it was putting toKadhem. It would not say where inBaghdadhe was held nor identify the uni tholding him.

 "The fact that Iraqi police say that the news team was shot byUSsoldiers raises serious suspicions of a cover-up by theUS military which must be answeredimmediately,” said White.

 The IFJ is asking the United Nations Security Council to take up their concerns. “We believe that a full, independent and inclusive inquiry into all of these cases is urgently needed in order to ensure that media have confidence that governments are honouring their obligations.”

 The IFJ acknowledges that many of the incidents may have been unavoidable in the context of the war, but in a number of cases there are serious questions still to be dealt with that have given rise to suggestions of deliberate targeting of media staff. “We need toclear the air, but we also recognise that in a period of transition to Iraqi authority it is necessary to set the highest standards possible for their nvestigation and reporting of all incidents in which journalists and media staff are killed,” said White.

Forfurther information contact: +32 2 235 2207

The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries

 

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