Rev. Jackson to help search for missing Newsday journalists

AP | 3/31/03

[kattracks]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson has agreed to assist in the search for two Newsday journalists who disappeared from a Baghdad hotel last week.

Jackson said family members of correspondent Matthew McAllester, 33, and photographer Moises Saman, 29, asked him Sunday to help locate the two men and negotiate their release.

Saman and McAllester, Newsday's United Nations Bureau Chief, have been out of contact with editors since last Monday, when they e-mailed to say they would be filing material. Newsday reported Saturday that it believes the two have been detained by the Iraqi government.

Jackson said he told the families that he hopes to lead a delegation of religious leaders to Baghdad in hopes of securing the release of the two journalists, as well as U.S. prisoners of war and other people missing in Iraq.

"Both of them have called me. They are going public in their appeal for support, and we've met with some of the other families since that time, as well," Jackson told Newsday in Monday editions. "We surely want to do anything we can do."

Jane McAllester, Matthew's sister, said she reached out to Jackson because of his past success in places like Baghdad and Yugoslavia, where he helped win the release of captured U.S. citizens and prisoners of war, respectively.

Journalists expelled from Iraq have told Newsday that security officials came last Monday to the Baghdad hotel where McAllester and Saman were staying and questioned reporters. Some were taken from the hotel.

No one saw McAllester and Saman removed, but their room was empty when a friend went to check on them, Newsday has been told.

A freelance photographer from Louisville, Molly Bingham, is also unaccounted for.

[zarf]

Great!!! Jesse's ego will suck all the air out of Baghdad and vicinity. We'll just march in and pick up the corpses.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/jjacksonmug1.html

Good photo of jackson at above URL.

[thatdewd]

Jackson said family members...asked him Sunday to help locate the two men and negotiate their release.

Hmmmmmmmmm....the last time he claimed someone's family members ASKED HIM to get involved, it turned out HE ASKED THEM. But what can we expect, this is the same guy that went back and smeared MLK's blood on his clothes once he saw THE CAMERAS were there. He is a disgrace to the human race, a vulture upon our culture...

[Bob J]

That's all we need...

[John Valentine]

I've got an old compass he can have, provided he can be on his way to Baghdad by Friday.

[Mike K]

Don't forget that he let his wife go to jail in Puerto Rico when he wouldn't.

[MediaMole]

A freelance photographer from Louisville, Molly Bingham, is also unaccounted for.

FYI, Molly Bingham was Al Gore's official photographer when he lived in Dick Cheney's house. Molly Bingham bio

[demosthenes the elder]

another one for the bc pinglist
this one needs that "not THIS s**t again" graphic

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[sweetliberty]

"The Rev. Jesse Jackson has agreed to assist in the search for two Newsday journalists who disappeared from a Baghdad hotel last week."

Oh like I'm sure they had to twist his arm SO hard! He was determined he was going to get hisself over there no matter what, and likely at somebody else's expense,

It was probably more like "please, can I go? Please!! Huh??? Can I? Huh? Huh?? Please!!! I need the attention!! Puhleeeeezze!!!"

He sure did a fast change of concerns when it looked like that Red Cross thing wasn't going to work out. Maybe this will be the situation Jesse Jackass will inject himself into that he can't get out of. Anyway, look for Jesse's ongoing adventures in "Jesse's Baghdad Vacation."

[stand watie]

GAG!

[Howlin]

I thought I read yesterday that the Newsday people had been "found" in Syria.

[CFW]

FYI, Molly Bingham was Al Gore's official photographer when he lived in Dick Cheney's house/

Speaking of Algore, I believe I heard somewhere that today is his birthday. Maybe he could go with Jesse...make it a birthday trip. That's the ticket!

[babaloo]

Peter Arnett out.. Jesse Jackson in. Looks like Iraq TV has found another anti-US spokesman. How nice for them.

[Brett66]

I would love to see Jackass go to Baghdad. Maybe he can be Arnett's buddie and engage in traitorous activity. Maybe a stray bomb or artillery round will fall on his fifth columnist head.

[biblewonk]

Rev. Jackson to help search for missing Newsday journalists

They must not be white.

Hey JmfJ, how did you come out on that night club stampede?

[Sacajaweau]

Jesse would object to being searched and then guess what happens!!

[thinking]

It would be nice if JJ got lost out there....

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thisis to be expected. No modern farce is complete without JJ.