News Media Protest Lack of Access

AP | 12/06/01 | SALLY BUZBEE

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON, Dec 06, 2001 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- News organizations protested a U.S. military decision to prevent journalists inside Afghanistan from witnessing the transfer of American soldiers wounded by an errant B-52 bomb.

The restrictions on the journalists, the only media so far allowed to accompany and cover U.S. forces based in Afghanistan, are a troubling example of the "lack of direct contact with American forces who've actually participated in the war," said Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of The Washington Post.

Downie criticized the Pentagon for "locking those reporters up ... rather than figuring out how to make information available to them in a way that didn't compromise security."

Top Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said there was no policy to prevent news coverage of American casualties. But Clarke said she did not have enough information yet to comment on Wednesday's restrictions at a Marine base in southern Afghanistan.

Three U.S. special forces soldiers were killed and 19 wounded when a bomb launched from an Air Force B-52 bomber missed its target north of Kandahar. Some of the wounded soldiers were initially taken to the Marine base in southern Afghanistan before being transferred to another facility.

Journalists at the base were confined to a warehouse as the injured American and Afghan soldiers began arriving and while they were being treated, according to several reporters at the base.

The journalists were not permitted to approach the medical area at the center of the base.

The journalists who went into the remote desert base in southern Afghanistan with Marines on Nov. 25 were the first reporters the Pentagon has allowed to accompany U.S. troops into the country.

Journalists at the base represented The Associated Press, the Baltimore Sun, CBS, CNN, Newsweek, The New York Times, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Gannett, The Washington Post and AP Television News. They were pulled out of Afghanistan on Wednesday night. Another group will rotate in, although it was uncertain what day that would happen.

The journalists operate under guidelines to refrain from coverage that would endanger the security of an operation, or put service members' lives at risk. Clarke said she could not comment about Wednesday's restrictions until she spoke with officials at the base. Asked at the Pentagon briefing if it were Defense Department policy to prevent television footage or other news coverage of American casualties, Clarke said no.

"The journalists were kept from reporting on the casualties, and we've questioned the restrictions," said Jonathan Wolman, the AP's executive editor. "The policy allows for coverage of casualties, but it was subverted in this case."

As part of their reporting arrangements, journalists have agreed not to specify where in Afghanistan the airstrip is located or divulge plans for future operations. The Pentagon requires those news organizations to share, or "pool," their reports with other news media.

The Defense Department has not organized broader access for reporters to go into Afghanistan to cover the U.S. military's anti-Taliban operations or its search for terror suspects.

Eight journalists from Western news organizations have been killed in Afghanistan covering other aspects of the current conflict.

American reporters have been allowed on U.S. aircraft carriers and other ships in the Arabian Sea involved in the war. The Pentagon has not allowed reporters to visit bases in Uzbekistan, Pakistan and other countries where U.S. forces are working, however.

Media executives have urged the Pentagon to provide wider access as U.S. military operations unfold, saying that the public needs information to evaluate the policies and progress of the war.

By SALLY BUZBEE Associated Press Writer

Copyright 2001 Associated Press, All rights reserved

[xm177e2]

"The policy allows for coverage of casualties, but it was subverted in this case."

The policy is whatever Rummy wants it to be.

[blondee123]

oh, just too bad, they don't need to be giving away military secrets, they do enough damage!

[JohnHuang2]

Memo to "News" Media: Go pound sand.

[JohnHuang2]

The policy is whatever Rummy wants it to be.

Amen. They don't like it? Tough. This is war, not a game for the media's amusement.

[Looking4Truth]

Keep whining big media, soon you will find that your papers aren't "in order" like Whoraldo's. BWAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

[ambrose]

Memo to "News" Media: Go pound sand.

I don't agree. I think the military should allow the media to go where the B-52s are bombing. Ya know what I mean? hehe

[JohnHuang2]

hmmmmmm....on second thought....you might have a point there.;^)

[Looking4Truth]

Three U.S. special forces soldiers were killed and 19 wounded when a bomb launched from an Air Force B-52 bomber missed its target north of Kandahar.

This is purely a guess since I haven't done any research, but how many on this forum want to bet that the B-52 didn't "miss" any target and that some Command and Control ticket-punching career politician type gave a bad order.

[Constantine XIII]

Where's that quote about PJ letting Charlie sneak up on our boys if he saw it coming because that isn't "his job" as a "journalist"?

[ambrose]

Tomorrow on Hannity & Colmes:

"This is Geraldo Rivera reporting live from Afghanistan... flying over me right now is a B-52 bomber jet. It appears that the jet just released several large objects...."

Sean Hannity: "Uhh, Geraldo, you better get out of there..."

[Geraldo shouts at the cameraman to get closer to the falling objects...]

Colmes: "Geraldo, I have to agree with Sean this time. You better..."

Geraldo: "Guys, this is fascinating, the objects are now getting even closer. But anyhow, tonight I will be interviewing the tribal le...."

Sean Hannity: "Well, it seems we've lost our connection with Geraldo.."

[onyx]

Escort the media zealots to the front lines without further military protection. They want to see war, feel war, give it them. They can be collateral damage.

[YaYa123]

You should have heard Pentagon reporters whining at yesterday's briefing, because reporters in Afganistan had been barred from photographing dead or wounded American military.

And in an NBC report last night, Pentagon correspondent Jim Micloshefski (sp) said, "You will notice the only casulties you see in this report are Northern Alliance soldiers. That's because the Marines locked up reporters so they couldn't take pictures of wounded American soldiers."

The American media refuses to show graphic horror shots of dead and dying people at the World Trade Center...what's different about dead and wounded soldiers. Why on earth would reporters want to take their pictures? What if family members saw their dead loved ones before they were properly notified?

One reporter asked Torie Clark..." Do you have a policy against us taking pictures because you don't want Americans to see dead soldiers? Do you think that would turn Americans against the war?

Clark said the pentagon did not have such a policy, that it was local commanders on the ground who made the decision. Well, shame on her. I think there should be a Pentagon decision, that no one takes pictures of wounded American soldiers.

[JohnHuang2]

Ouch!

[kcvl]

EXACTLY!!!

They must be NEUTRAL you know!!!

[fleur-de-lis]

These pinhead reporters think they deserve anything they want served up on a silver platter! Who appointed them god?

[kcvl]

Marines locked up reporters so they couldn't take pictures of wounded American soldiers

I want to throw something at the STUPID, IGNORANT reporters everyday during these news conferences. They just will NEVER get it. I wish someone would lock MOST of them up forever(or at least until they get a lesson in WAR). You would think that they would have gotten that lesson after eight of their fellow reporters were killed. Do they still think that they could become their 'friends'? Or is it okay for the military to get shot at but they are immune? I just don't understand their thinking AT ALL! I keep saying COMMON SENSE, COMMON SENSE. I guess all the ivy league schools don't teach COMMON SENSE.

[blaze]

Why didn't the press have an interest in showing the first dead soldiers in the war!!!, The brave rescue workers!!!Could it be to show them dead would unite Americans, and to show the dead on the battlefield could divide us? We can't possibly expect the media to do anything that would unite all Americans!!!!

[Blackadar]

If the media wants to report on something why don't they go to Indonesia and tell the truth to the world about what the Muslims are doing right now to thousands of Christians in their jihad. Why don't they fully expose the atrocities being perpetrated there in terms other than "sectarian violence". This is religious persecution and murder.

[Cacique]

CBS REPORTER EXPOSES LEFT WING MEDIA BIAS (click on picture)

The Hardcover edition.