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Iraq-Jordan
US checkpoints in Iraq endanger lives: watchdog
2005-06-18
(Roooters) NEW YORK - The US military must improve security checkpoints in Iraq that endanger civilians and soldiers, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday.
The Committee being comprised of eminent military experts, ya know.
In a letter to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the organization called for the implementation of measures recommended in March after an Italian intelligence agent was killed by US forces at a checkpoint.

While death tolls at US checkpoints are hard to establish, such incidents have come under international scrutiny by disgruntled, angry leftist journalists looking for a cause since the 2003 occupation by US forces in Iraq.

The death of Nicola Calipari, an Italian intelligence agent killed by US fire at a checkpoint while escorting a freed hostage, drew outrage from the usual nutty left-wing communist Italians, some of whom called for the immediate pullout of 3,000 Italian troops from Iraq. Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had just been freed from kidnappers, and another Italian agent were seriously injured in the shooting.

"Checkpoint shootings have sparked outrage among Iraqi citizens, undermining public confidence in the US military," Ann Cooper of the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to Rumsfeld.
And you would know this from your perch at the hotel bar exactly how?
In the letter, which was co-signed by Human Rights Watch, Cooper called for the immediate implementation of checkpoint recommendations made after a US military investigation into the Calipari shooting. The recommendations include installing spiked strips and temporary speed bumps to disable approaching vehicles and using signs with Arabic, English and international symbols to warn drivers of upcoming checkpoints.
We'd be forced to pay for the tires, of course.
An Italian report on Calipari's death blamed the United States for failing to set up "the most elementary precautions" to warn drivers of approaching checkpoints. A US inquiry into Calipari's death blamed the driver for approaching too fast and on the lack of communication from Italian authorities on the hostage rescue mission.
I think I'll trust the US Army to know how to set up a checkpoint.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  Some interesting speculation regarding the nature of the Amerikkka-hating journo abductions over at Daily Pundit...
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-06-18 15:42  

#11  I guess the Italian commie-cow© was too rude to stop and chat?
Posted by: Bobby   2005-06-18 15:38  

#10  They must be feeling a pinch in the reduction of bomb footage.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-06-18 15:16  

#9  From "Iraq the Model" this February

Here's what an Iraqi says about checkpoints:

"Few miles later we were stopped by an American checkpoint and they didn't stop us for an inspection procedure, after greeting us they were glad to see that some of us speak English well, one of them said that a coalition point was attacked with mortars and so he was asking us for any information or observations about this attack.
I told them that we're only passers by and we don't know the area very well and I asked if there were any casualties but gladly the answer was "no but we want to gather information about the attackers".

And I also noticed that Iraqi soldiers on other checkpoints started friendly conversations with the people and this is a good indication; searching isn't enough alone, bridging the gaps is what really matters.
Security will not be achieved if the people do not cooperate with the authorities and I think now it's due the time for the people to take bigger role in a nation-wide action against terror."
Posted by: DMFD   2005-06-18 14:44  

#8  Ã¢Â€ÂœCheckpoint shootings have sparked outrage among Iraqi citizens,

Outrage among Iraqi terrorists you mean (that is what the leftist codeword 'Iraqi citizen' means).

I think the average Iraqi would be saying 'Good Shooting! Cool! Headshot! Good you got that murderer!'.....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-06-18 10:32  

#7  I thought the "Committee to Protect Journalists" was based in Gitmo...cell-block 12?? Oughta be.

Sorry about the long cut & paste...but here goes:
***********From the April 1989 MediaWatch*****

In a future war involving U.S. soldiers what would a TV reporter do if he learned the enemy troops with which he was traveling were about to launch a surprise attack on an American unit? That's just the question Harvard University professor Charles Ogletree Jr, as moderator of PBS' Ethics in America series, posed to ABC anchor Peter Jennings and 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace. Both agreed getting ambush footage for the evening news would come before warning the U.S. troops.

For the March 7 installment on battlefield ethics Ogletree set up a theoretical war between the North Kosanese and the U.S.-supported South Kosanese. At first Jennings responded: "If I was with a North Kosanese unit that came upon Americans, I think I personally would do what I could to warn the Americans."

Wallace countered that other reporters, including himself, "would regard it simply as another story that they are there to cover." Jennings' position bewildered Wallace: "I'm a little bit of a loss to understand why, because you are an American, you would not have covered that story."

"Don't you have a higher duty as an American citizen to do all you can to save the lives of soldiers rather than this journalistic ethic of reporting fact?" Ogletree asked. Without hesitating Wallace responded: "No, you don't have higher duty... you're a reporter." This convinces Jennings, who concedes, "I think he's right too, I chickened out."

Ogletree turns to Brent Scrowcroft, now the National Security Adviser, who argues "you're Americans first, and you're journalists second." Wallace is mystified by the concept, wondering "what in the world is wrong with photographing this attack by North Kosanese on American soldiers?" Retired General William Westmoreland then points out that "it would be repugnant to the American listening public to see on film an ambush of an American platoon by our national enemy."

A few minutes later Ogletree notes the "venomous reaction" from George Connell, a Marine Corps Colonel. "I feel utter contempt. Two days later they're both walking off my hilltop, they're two hundred yards away and they get ambushed. And they're lying there wounded. And they're going to expect I'm going to send Marines up there to get them. They're just journalists, they're not Americans."

Wallace and Jennings agree, "it's a fair reaction." The discussion concludes as Connell says: "But I'll do it. And that's what makes me so contemptuous of them. And Marines will die, going to get a couple of journalists."

Posted by: Justrand   2005-06-18 10:03  

#6  "Committee to Protect Journalists" The gave me a chuckle. Do they have a commmittee to protect Iraqi civilians from suicide bombers? Oh yeah thats what the checkpoints are for!
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-06-18 09:50  

#5  Yeah, the checkpoints endanger terrorists' lives.

That's what the "journalists" object to. :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2005-06-18 09:41  

#4  Have reporters man the checkpoints.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-06-18 02:23  

#3  These mobile checkpoints serve to interdict terrorists on the move. If journalists manage to prevent terrorists from carrying out attacks, I'm sure the US military will be glad to stop setting up these checkpoints - they would then be unnecessary. Until then, these checkpoints will probably remain in place.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-06-18 00:38  

#2  "The US military must improve security checkpoints in Iraq that endanger civilians and =soldiers=, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday."

Soldiers !!!! they mean assorted leftist journalist.

Security checkpoints are there for a reason, and if some idiots like that italian commie try to run them...well how unlucky she was not the one to get really hurt.
Posted by: Glereper Craviter7929   2005-06-18 00:36  

#1  Oh, yeah, to satisfy our good friends the MSM Meme Committee to Undermine American Interests, we'll get right on that.
Posted by: .com   2005-06-18 00:26  

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