CNN Thinks U.S. Military is Killing Journalists

Here's an interesting story coming out of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland (courtesy of OpinionJournal Political Diary):

Is the American military deliberately killing foreign journalists -- including Western journalists -- covering Iraq?

Yes, they are, says Eason Jordan, Chief News Executive of CNN News. Or, rather, no, they're not. Or, perhaps, maybe, sort of, in a sneaky kind of way. Speaking at a panel session on democracy and the media at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Mr. Jordan startled his audience and fellow panelists -- including Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank and former presidential aide David Gergen -- by implying as much.

First, he noted that of the 60-odd journalists killed in Iraq, 12 had been targeted and killed by Coalition forces. Then he offered the story of an Al-Jazeera journalist who had been "tortured for weeks" at Abu Ghraib, made to eat his shoes, and called "Al Jazeera boy" by his American captors.

Mr. Frank, the liberal Democrat Congressman, asked Mr. Jordan to be more specific: Had U.S. forces actually killed foreign journalists on purpose? And had CNN done a story about it? Well, no, CNN hadn't done a story on that specifically. And, no, he didn't himself believe the U.S. government had a policy to target journalists. And besides, "the [U.S.] generals and colonels have their heart in the right place."

So what remained of the allegation? "There are people who believe there are people in the military who have it out" for journalists, said Mr. Jordan. He then offered another anecdote: A reporter who'd been standing in a long line to get through a checkpoint at Baghdad's Green Zone had been turned back by the GI on duty. Apparently the soldier had been displeased with the reporter's dispatches, and sent him to the back of the line.

It isn't often that we feel grateful for Barney Frank. But had he not spoken up, Mr. Jordan's vague remarks might have been left to stand -- further proof, to the global elites assembled here, of the depths of American perfidy.

Let's not forget that awhile back Jordan admitted that CNN had been covering up atrocities that Saddam had committed in the interest of saving their employee's hides and keeping their bureau in Baghdad. What an example of journalistic ethics.