Excellent New Media reportage relevant to the Eason Jordan claims of "targetting journalists". Readers no doubt recall reports of a US Army tank round hitting the Palestine Hotel, killing two journalists. On 13 Feb., Mudville Gazette/Targeting Journalists , Greyhawk publishes sufficient depth on the story that you can work out what happened.
To begin, there is an interview with Jules Crittenden - embedded with A Co., 4-64 Armor, 2nd Brigade, 3rd ID during the battle for Baghdad, and was on scene when a US Army tank fired on the Palestine Hotel from the Jumhuriyah Bridge on April 8, 2003, killing two journalists.
Next is a longish excerpt from the book Thunder Run by embedded LA Times reporter David Zucchino (with illuminating map inserts). Crittenden was nearby, whereas Zucchino had eyes and ears on the the field officers at the time of the incident.
GH: Since the event is obviously significant to any discussion of "targeting journalists" I’ll offer this excerpt from the book as background for those not familiar with the events of that day. Bear in mind this is the story as recounted by LA Times reporter David Zucchino in his book on the battle - not an official military after action report on the subject. I’ve added the maps for what should be obvious reasons.
Later, Crittenden explains:
JC: Eason Jordan’s remarks, as reported, are highly irresponsible and repugnant. But it didn’t start with him. The myth about the military targeting journalists in Iraq has a long history, dating back to the Hotel Palestine incident and beyond that to the as-yet unresolved deaths of the ITN crew. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are willing to think the worst of the US military, and ascribe malicious intent to accidents of war. The head of CNN would appear to be one of them.
The Palestine incident was twice written up, by the Committee to Protect Journalists ("Permission to Fire") and Reporters Without Borders ("Two Murders and a Lie") in biased and sloppy reports that fuel this myth. So when Jordan tells congressmen the military targets journalists, he is only reflecting a view that has been given respectability by deeply concerned professional organizations that have been eagerly seeking out evidence of targeting, and when they can’t find it, suggest it must be what happened anyway.
Mudville Gazette has provided a public resource for those who wish to study what really happened.
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