Freedom Bringers
Iraq Evicts Reporters From Najaf

Here they go again:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi police ordered all journalists to leave the holy city of Najaf on Sunday, just as a new U.S. offensive against militants hiding out in a revered shrine began.
...
It did not spell out a punishment for those who did not comply, but police who delivered the order said any reporters remaining would be arrested, according to journalists at the hotel. The police said any cameras and cellular phones they saw would be confiscated. In response to the threat, many journalists left the city.
...
The order, if it were enforced, would mean the only news coverage of the ongoing violence in Najaf, one of the most revered cities to Shiite Muslims, would be provided by reporters embedded with the U.S. military.

The U.S. military had no immediate comment.

But how do we know they had no comment if no journalist was there to record it? If another 1,000 people are killed in Najaf but no one hears them scream, did it happen?

The Guardian has more:

However, Stephen Farrell of the Times today quoted an Iraqi policeman as saying: "You've got two hours to leave or we are going to open fire at you. It's just our orders."

On Sunday afternoon a convoy of journalists, including reporters from the Independent, the Times and Daily Telegraph, came under fire in the city.

Hmmm.... whom to believe? Associated Press or Guardian? Imagine if there were no choice at all!

We don't hear much about embedded journalists any more. I thought they were all sent home when the "war" ended -- or maybe just Ted Koppel was sent home. I wonder how many people realize that these Rovian implants are still reporting our news?

Good morning. It's perfectly lovely out there, so I may go painting instead of blogging. On the reading front, Obama has just moved to Chicago at age 22 with a sweet ambition to become an "organizer," though he's pretty clueless right now about how to do it. This is a wonderful book, and I read until my eyeballs were like sandpaper last night.

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:42 AM | | | Link |