Not all journalists are equal at US military center in qatar
Iraq-USA, Politics, 3/25/2003

At the US central military command in As-saliyah basis in Qatar "Centcom," not all journalists are equal, especially those not coming from countries forming the US-led coalition.

Discrimination and disinformation are their daily lot and the state-of-the-art equipment at the centre does not alleviate the feeling among Arab, European and Asian reporters who came to the center, sure that this will be their chance to send scoops and exclusive news to their newsrooms.

According to these journalists the high-tech press centre serves to nothing in the absence of information, despite the fact they are at the very heart of the centcom, based in Qatar's military base of As-Salihyi, built on desert area, some 20 kms south Doha.

Left with the only choice to idly zap from one TV channel to another, the special envoys are now even questioning the very idea of their staying at As-Salihyia waiting for a piece of news that never comes.

Their situation is made worse by the fact that US, British, or Australian army spokesmen chose to speak only to their fellow country men.

The deliberate "leaks," on the other hand, are monopolized by journalists of countries forming the US-led coalition, according to a strategy aiming to accompany the coalition's "progress on the ground."

One US journalist went as far as to say that "the US right, currently wielding the levers of power in Washington, is the enemy of the press (..), authorising only such news and pictures that best serve its war schemes," considering however that this "might seem legitimate."

Controlling media work does not seem to draw criticism among US and British journalists, ready to accept the military official version, without paying much attention to the necessary cross-checking procedures. Better still, they even endeavour to justify military messages they are given.

Press briefings do also follow the same "logic:" US and British journalists always at the forefront according to the importance of their media companies, while Asian, European and Arab journalists are left with the back seats.

Several European TV channels were forced to cut down their teams, like French TV TF1, while the others use the technical possibilities they are offered to present complete news bulletins from As-Saliyah.

Previous Stories:
  Washington Post: Pope says no legal or moral ground for war on Iraq   (3/22/2003)
  US threats against worldwide diplomatic drive for emergency session of the UN General Assembly   (3/22/2003)
  US argues it has UN legal right to attack Iraq   (3/22/2003)

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