Occupiers Prevent Free Journalism in Iraq

During the session on the accountability of the media at the World Tribunal on Iraq, Turkish journalist Mete Cubukcu who frequently covered US invasion in Iraq served as a witness.

Cubukcu spoke on the moral responsibility of war journalism. "I am objective but I am not impartial," said Cubukcu. "I am against war."

Cubukcu, who has served as a journalist in Palestine and Iraq several times, and published two books titled, "Our Palestine," and "Journalism Under Fire," said "journalists cannot talk of being objective in the Iraqi war because the Iraqi war is not an objective war."

"The U.S. didn't want the people to know what was going on in Iraq," said Cubukcu. "So it opted to report the war only through its own journalists."

He added:

"Journalists were fleeing Baghdad on March 17, 2003 because of subtle threats. Fire was opened on the Palestine Hotel because they did not want any image from Iraq and the real images were never released. In front of Abu Gharib was a sign saying "it is allowed to open fire on those who shoot with their cameras here." In Fallujah, there were no reporters except the embedded journalists."

Mete Cubukcu stressed that the journalists in Iraq became targets for the occupation force. "The people should face those bloody scenes," said Cubukcu. "There are so little images showing the real face of war." The occupation force has prevented free journalism in Iraq, he added.

"A journalist's job is to show what's going on," said Cubukcu. "War is dirty and this dirt has to be exposed." (CM/KO)