Global Journalism Review

Global plot to target journalists

by the editor

The headline on an article in the Independent by Robert Fisk, one of the more experienced and distinguished war correspondents working in Baghdad, asked: Is there some element in the US military that wants to take out journalists ? The article appeared on April 9, 2003, the day after the killing of several journalists working in that beleagured city by American forces.

Last year I wrote about a CIA operation listing journalists around the world who were considered to be either generally anti-American, or specifically intent on harming American commercial interests around the world. This was written after months of speculation and inquiry, and was limited to checking with a few select American, British and French contacts.

A few months ago, after a three-day break (Christmas) I returned to updating the Global Journalism Review web site, which generally received about 40 emails daily, and found 1,503, including many carrying a dangerous and persistent virus "worm". BTInternet was able to help to delete the many spam among the emails, but was unable to help with the virus. I installed the Norton Anti-Virus system, and the site now appears to be back to normal.

However, serious questions about the killing of journalists by the American forces in Iraq have been raised in newspapers worldwide, and my earlier suspicions appear to have been based on too low a level. The deaths in Baghdad on April 8 have provoked anger not only among media people but also in democratic political and humanitarian circles.

America was understandably shocked by the bombing of 9/11/01, when 3,000 died in the worst terrorist attack in modern history. The emergence of an extreme rightwing military/industrial group in the White House, surrounding and advising a President