PA Territories CPJ condemns attacks on Palestinian media outlets

[Carlie]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) deplores recent violent attacks on private Palestinian media outlets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by armed gunmen.

At around 4:00 a.m. on Monday, February 2, three masked Palestinian men carrying automatic rifles stormed the offices of the Ramallah-based Al-Quds Educational Television, according to staff. Assistant Manager Haroun Abu Arrah, one of two station employees present at the time, told CPJ that one of the men demanded a "tape," and when Abu Arrah asked for clarification the assailants began beating the two staffers with rifle butts and fists.

Abu Arrah said that after the beating, two of the assailants went into another room and fired several rounds at some of the station’s equipment, destroying computer screens and video equipment. During the shooting, Abu Arrah and his colleague fled the building.

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http://www.cpj.org/news/2004/PAT05feb04na.html

[MikeGalos]

1. Not an isolated incident

Also from the article (Looks like Arafat's people are making sure that a "Free Press" doesn't write anything they don't like - note how often Fatah and their subsidiaries comes up)

...

On Tuesday, February 3, employees of the recently established Gaza City weekly newspaper Al-Daar discovered when they returned to work from the Eid al-Adha holiday that day that most of the computer equipment in the office had been destroyed by unknown assailants. Hassan al-Kashif, the magazine’s editor in chief, told CPJ he believes that the vandalism came in retaliation for the magazine’s editorial stance against official Palestinian corruption.

...

On January 8, 2004, five armed men beat Saifeddin Shahin, Gaza correspondent for the Dubai-based satellite news channel Al-Arabiyya, after the car he was in stopped at a major Gaza City intersection. Shahin said that while he was being beaten, the attackers claimed that they were from Fatah and told him not to talk about the group again in his reports. Fatah denied responsibility for the incident, according to Shahin.

...

Al-Arabiyya was also targeted last fall. On September 13, 2003, five masked and armed men entered the building where Al-Arabiyya is housed and destroyed office equipment, including computer screens and furniture. The assailants said they were from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group loosely linked to Fatah. The Associated Press reported that a spokesman for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade denied responsibility for the raid. The men never gave a reason for the attack, but Al-Arabiyya staff said recent reports on internal struggles within the Palestinian Authority, including control over security services and the role of the Palestinian prime minister, may have angered some.

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

2. If they run the show and are backed by the PLO leadership

why are all these men masked?

Hey, it's not like I think these guys are not palestinian, chances are...just like to question what is taken as fact....seeing this comes from a journalist organization.

Does anybody think the Israeli government is interested in a thriving palestinain media? Any more than the PLO.

I don't...I'd split the incidents down the middle

B

[MikeGalos]

3. Ah yes

when in doubt it must be the those devious, sneaky Israelis because it couldn't be the wonderful, open, peace-loving Arafat thugs who've always done such a good job of maintaining a free press and welcoming criticism of their corruption. I mean, after all, Arafat always welcomes investigations of his corruption and how he got those Billions...

Right...

:tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat:

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

4. what a silly response - yes yours was much more rational

yes, the IDF just loves journalists in the area.

I'm lucky enough to be in a country with the CBC and have seen the images from both sides. Including IDF bullets flying at journalists.

No, no corruption in the Sharon government.

Again, you believe sharons government wants a strong palestinian press?

but please continue to speak to a Canadian regarding "devious, sneaky Israelis", just don't show me their passpot...it just might be mine.

B

[MikeGalos]

5. Try reading the article

It'll tell you who did the beatings, thefts, etc.

It sure wasn't the Israelis and since even the Palestinians say it was Palestinians, it's pretty silly for you to try to blame the Israelis, isn't it?