American journalist kidnapped, her Iraqi interpreter shot dead — by Reporters Without Borders
January 7, 2006
Reporters Without Borders said it was extremely worried by the reported abduction of an American woman journalist this morning in Baghdad and appalled by the news that her interpreter was shot dead by her abductors. The US authorities have not yet named the journalist.
“Journalists working in Iraq have once again been caught in a deadly ambush,” the press freedom organisation said. “The interpreter’s death confirms that the Iraqi press continues to be the chief victim of the infernal climate for the media in this country. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends and to all Iraqi journalists, who are paying the highest price in the war ravaging their country.”
Reporters Without Borders added : “There is still a life that can be saved today. We appeal to all those who, like us, reject injustice to do everything possible to ensure that the kidnapped journalist is freed as soon as possible. Experience has shown that an energetic campaign is decisive in the first days of an abduction.”
The unidentified American journalist was going to meet Sunni political leader Adnan al-Dulaimi when, according to the Iraqi police, she was kidnapped by gunmen near the Malik bin Anas mosque in the district of Adel, in western Baghdad at about 10 a.m. today. Her interpreter’s body was found near the site of the abduction.
At total of 55 journalists and 21 media assistants have been killed since the start of war in Iraq in March 2003. Of the 76 fatal victims, 56 (73 per cent) were Iraqi and four (five per cent) were American. Baghdad continues to be Iraq’s most dangerous city, with 27 journalists and assistants killed, followed by Mosul, with 12. The pan-Arab satellite TV station Al-Iraqiya has been the worst hit news media with a total of 10 journalists and assistants killed.
The American journalist kidnapped today is the 31st media worker to have been kidnapped in Iraq since the start of the war. Five of the kidnap victims (four Iraqis and Enzo Baldoni of Italy) were killed by their abductors. The others were released safe and sound. Twenty-three of the abductions took place in or near Baghdad.
Click here for the article on the Reporters Without Borders website.
UPDATE: As of 22:56 GMT (7 Jan 06), this article is no longer available via the Reporters Without Borders site. I do not know if they have decided to pull the story, to do so pending an update, or if this may be a technical issue. However, in the interest of accuracy, I have researched the following additional news sources:
Associated Press (AP) article published by the Toronto Star (7 Jan 06, 8:20 am local time) and the Boston Globe.
United Press International (UPI) article published 7 Jan 06, 9:13 am GMT-5.
UPDATE: On Jan. 12 (7:38 PM ET), Slate published an article, written by Jack Shafer, which cites iNoodle.com's coverage of the Jill Carroll kidnapping story in the context of the news blackout requested of the media by the Christian Science Monitor. As iNoodle.com is receiving quite a number of hits to this and other related posts, I have decided to include, herein, a link to a later post which includes an email I sent on January 10 to Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) in the US and Media Lens in the UK.
Reporters Without Borders said it was extremely worried by the reported abduction of an American woman journalist this morning in Baghdad and appalled by the news that her interpreter was shot dead by her abductors. The US authorities have not yet named the journalist.
“Journalists working in Iraq have once again been caught in a deadly ambush,” the press freedom organisation said. “The interpreter’s death confirms that the Iraqi press continues to be the chief victim of the infernal climate for the media in this country. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends and to all Iraqi journalists, who are paying the highest price in the war ravaging their country.”
Reporters Without Borders added : “There is still a life that can be saved today. We appeal to all those who, like us, reject injustice to do everything possible to ensure that the kidnapped journalist is freed as soon as possible. Experience has shown that an energetic campaign is decisive in the first days of an abduction.”
The unidentified American journalist was going to meet Sunni political leader Adnan al-Dulaimi when, according to the Iraqi police, she was kidnapped by gunmen near the Malik bin Anas mosque in the district of Adel, in western Baghdad at about 10 a.m. today. Her interpreter’s body was found near the site of the abduction.
At total of 55 journalists and 21 media assistants have been killed since the start of war in Iraq in March 2003. Of the 76 fatal victims, 56 (73 per cent) were Iraqi and four (five per cent) were American. Baghdad continues to be Iraq’s most dangerous city, with 27 journalists and assistants killed, followed by Mosul, with 12. The pan-Arab satellite TV station Al-Iraqiya has been the worst hit news media with a total of 10 journalists and assistants killed.
The American journalist kidnapped today is the 31st media worker to have been kidnapped in Iraq since the start of the war. Five of the kidnap victims (four Iraqis and Enzo Baldoni of Italy) were killed by their abductors. The others were released safe and sound. Twenty-three of the abductions took place in or near Baghdad.
Click here for the article on the Reporters Without Borders website.
UPDATE: As of 22:56 GMT (7 Jan 06), this article is no longer available via the Reporters Without Borders site. I do not know if they have decided to pull the story, to do so pending an update, or if this may be a technical issue. However, in the interest of accuracy, I have researched the following additional news sources:
Associated Press (AP) article published by the Toronto Star (7 Jan 06, 8:20 am local time) and the Boston Globe.
United Press International (UPI) article published 7 Jan 06, 9:13 am GMT-5.
UPDATE: On Jan. 12 (7:38 PM ET), Slate published an article, written by Jack Shafer, which cites iNoodle.com's coverage of the Jill Carroll kidnapping story in the context of the news blackout requested of the media by the Christian Science Monitor. As iNoodle.com is receiving quite a number of hits to this and other related posts, I have decided to include, herein, a link to a later post which includes an email I sent on January 10 to Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) in the US and Media Lens in the UK.
posted by Sean M. Madden at
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