Killing jounalists on purpose - and defending those killings

To me, the targeting of Journalists was one of the most outrageous aspects of the Iraq war. I think it is a vital service for people to be witnesses and bring the story to the world. I considered it a war crime when jounalists were killed by the Bush led team - so I can't think any differently about Clark.

My mission in being involved in DU has been to band together witih people who are against Bush. However - if the Democrats are going to rally around someone who can defeat Bush, and yet is going to do the same things, then what is the point?


(I am undecided in who I will vote for at this point).
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ADRID, April 24 ? "Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has written a letter to the Spanish foreign minister defending the shelling of the main hotel for journalists in Baghdad that killed two cameramen, including one from Spain, on April 8.

"Our review of the April 8 incident indicates that the use of force was justified and the amount of force was proportionate to the threat against United States forces," Mr. Powell wrote in the letter, dated April 21 and addressed to Ana Palacio, Spain's foreign minister.

The letter, a copy of which was printed today in the newspaper ABC here, came in response to an inquiry from Spain about the attack on the Palestine Hotel that led to the death of José Couso, a cameraman covering the conflict for the Telecinco channel here. Taras Protsyuk, a Ukrainian cameraman for Reuters, was also killed.

That same day, American forces also killed a journalist with Al Jazeera, Tariq Ayoub, when they shelled the network's Baghdad offices. Some journalist groups said the incidents gave the appearance that American forces had targeted journalists.

<snip>

Repeating that initial explanation, Mr. Powell said a United States tank fired on the hotel in response to "hostile fire appearing to come from a location later identified as the Palestine Hotel."

Journalists who were at the hotel said that they did not hear gunshots coming from the hotel."

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"NATO justified the bombing of the Belgrade TV station, saying it was a legitimate military target. 'We've struck at his TV stations and transmitters because they're as much a part of his military machine prolonging and promoting this conflict as his army and security forces,' U.S. General Wesley Clark explained - 'his,' of course, referring to Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic. It wasn't Milosevic, however, who was killed when the Belgrade studios were bombed, but rather 20 journalists, technicians and other civilians... The targeting of the studio was a war crime, perhaps the most indisputable of several war crimes committed by NATO in its war against Yugoslavia."

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0923-08.htm

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http://www.domlife.org/2003/bombshelter.html

The hole the first laser-guided bomb made on Valentines Day, 1991 in the Ameriyah bomb shelter in Baghdad. Over 400 civilians were killed, mostly women and children because the men had been drafted. US war planners maintain that the shelter was a legitimate "command & control" target.
http://www.iraqpeaceteam.org/photos/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=mauger&id=35_G


http://www.iraqpeaceteam.org/photos/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=mauger&page=3

More affluent Democrats will receive jobs and favors than is currently the case.

Many of the more disturbing decrees from the regime will be re-worded to make them sound more palatable to those who consider themselves "liberals."

Change in policy is neither necessary nor would it benefit the corporations on whom the Democrats depend as the Republicans do.

and if anyone has an explanation of why this is OK - go for it.

And that is part of the problem we face when we consider supporting someone in favor of minor tweaks to the status quo. If we want more of the same, all we need do is support someone who doesn't see anything very wrong with what's been done in the past.

that's how they've always done it.

... because of its usefulness to the Milosevic regime, then where does that reasoning stop? any civilian institution that contributes in some way to the functioning of government could be construed as a military target. including, say, the twin towers. i'm sure there was lots of activity going on there that supported the operation of the US government.