- "The outcome of attacks on press liberties in [Iraq]
is alarming."
-
- (AFP) -- An AFP journalist and photographer are being
detained by US forces in Baqubah, 60 kilometres north east of Baghdad,
a US military spokesman said.
-
- Ali Yusef has been covering news for AFP, both in text
and photo, in the restive region of Baqubah, which is frequently rocked
by anti-US attacks, for the past few months.
-
- A US military officer detaining Mr Yusef in Baqubah called
AFP in Baghdad to verify his identity and satellite phone number, and to
confirm he was working for Agence France-Presse.
-
- The officer said Mr Yusef was detained for allegedly
taking pictures of military installations in the area.
-
- He said Mr Yusef would be "hopefully released within
a few hours".
-
- On October 19, AFP Middle East photo chief Patrick Baz
was detained for five hours together with a Reuters cameraman, Hamza al-Badri,
by Iraqi police who said they were acting on orders from US forces.
-
- The next day, Iranian state television complained that
one of its Baghdad offices had been raided by US forces, backed by tanks
and armoured vehicles, for the fifth time in as many months and its journalists
there "insulted".
-
- In another incident, on October 28, US forces released
Al-Jazeera cameraman Samir Hamzah and his driver Rashid Wali after detaining
them for three days.
-
- The two were detained as they were covering a car bombing
in Baghdad.
-
- Paris-based Reporters without Borders has demanded an
end to the infringement of press freedom in Iraq, saying "the outcome
of attacks on press liberties in this country is alarming".
-
- © 2003 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
-
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s980595.htm
11-2-3
-
- (AFP) -- An AFP journalist and photographer are being
detained by US forces in Baqubah, 60 kilometres north east of Baghdad,
a US military spokesman said.
-
- Ali Yusef has been covering news for AFP, both in text
and photo, in the restive region of Baqubah, which is frequently rocked
by anti-US attacks, for the past few months.
-
- A US military officer detaining Mr Yusef in Baqubah called
AFP in Baghdad to verify his identity and satellite phone number, and to
confirm he was working for Agence France-Presse.
-
- The officer said Mr Yusef was detained for allegedly
taking pictures of military installations in the area.
-
- He said Mr Yusef would be "hopefully released within
a few hours".
-
- On October 19, AFP Middle East photo chief Patrick Baz
was detained for five hours together with a Reuters cameraman, Hamza al-Badri,
by Iraqi police who said they were acting on orders from US forces.
-
- The next day, Iranian state television complained that
one of its Baghdad offices had been raided by US forces, backed by tanks
and armoured vehicles, for the fifth time in as many months and its journalists
there "insulted".
-
- In another incident, on October 28, US forces released
Al-Jazeera cameraman Samir Hamzah and his driver Rashid Wali after detaining
them for three days.
-
- The two were detained as they were covering a car bombing
in Baghdad.
-
- Paris-based Reporters without Borders has demanded an
end to the infringement of press freedom in Iraq, saying "the outcome
of attacks on press liberties in this country is alarming".
-
- © 2003 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
-
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s980595.htm
|
