Funferal

Censorship in Iraq

From the Center for American Progress:

In his London speech last month, President Bush said “The tradition of free speech exercised with enthusiasm is alive and well here in London. We have that at home too. They now have that right in Baghdad as well.” But Editor & Publisher Magazine reports, “In two separate letters to the Pentagon, the press claims that U.S. troops are harassing journalists in Iraq and sometimes confiscating equipment, digital camera disks and videotapes.” Earlier this year, the American Prospect reported that, “as criticism of his authority appeared in Iraqi media…Bremer placed controls on [Iraqi Media Network] content and clamped down on the independent media in Iraq , closing down some Iraqi-run newspapers and radio and television stations.” And just last month, the Administration shut down Arab-language television network al Arabiya‘s operations in Iraq. The result? The WP editorial board says the Arab media in Iraq “merely reflects as well as drives common Arab and Iraqi opinion about the United States and the occupation – which is mistrustful, misinformed and often antagonistic. Censorship will only reinforce such biases.”