Sunday, November 11, 2007
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction From SIGIR Observations
October 30, 2007 Quarterly Report to Congress
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction From SIGIR Observations
Although the overall security environment has improved recently, contractors, journalists, and Iraq’s citizens continue to live and work in an environment that is, in many places, still quite dangerous:
+ The Department of Labor (DoL) reported 72 new death claims this quarter for civilian contractors working on U.S.-funded projects in Iraq. Since Iraq reconstruction began, 1,073 death claims have been filed with the DoL. Reported deaths in this category were about 22% above the quarterly average.
+ DoS reported that three U.S. civilians died in Iraq this quarter. Since the beginning of the U.S. reconstruction effort, 235 U.S. civilian workers have died in Iraq. Non-military U.S. citizen deaths reported this quarter were 78% below the quarterly average.
+ This quarter, 2 journalists were killed in Iraq; 119 Iraqi and other journalists have been killed since March 2003, and 41 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began, including 2 this quarter.
+ Violence continued to force Iraqis to migrate. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that one of every seven Iraqis has been displaced by the conflict in Iraq. The UNHCR noted that large numbers of Iraqis continue to flee the country, and admission into Syria and Jordan became subject to visa approval this quarter. Internal migration is also limited by provincial restrictions on admission of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Although the overall security environment has improved recently, contractors, journalists, and Iraq’s citizens continue to live and work in an environment that is, in many places, still quite dangerous:
+ The Department of Labor (DoL) reported 72 new death claims this quarter for civilian contractors working on U.S.-funded projects in Iraq. Since Iraq reconstruction began, 1,073 death claims have been filed with the DoL. Reported deaths in this category were about 22% above the quarterly average.
+ DoS reported that three U.S. civilians died in Iraq this quarter. Since the beginning of the U.S. reconstruction effort, 235 U.S. civilian workers have died in Iraq. Non-military U.S. citizen deaths reported this quarter were 78% below the quarterly average.
+ This quarter, 2 journalists were killed in Iraq; 119 Iraqi and other journalists have been killed since March 2003, and 41 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began, including 2 this quarter.
+ Violence continued to force Iraqis to migrate. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that one of every seven Iraqis has been displaced by the conflict in Iraq. The UNHCR noted that large numbers of Iraqis continue to flee the country, and admission into Syria and Jordan became subject to visa approval this quarter. Internal migration is also limited by provincial restrictions on admission of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Labels: civilian contractors, IDPs, Iraq, Iraqi refugees, journalists, reconstruction, SIGIR, UNHCR
Friday, June 01, 2007
Reporters Without Borders calls for investigation unit into journalist deaths
Media
(Reuters) -- Media advocate Reporters Without Borders has called for the establishment of a special police unit to investigate media killings in Iraq after a record 12 journalists were slain in May. The Paris-based group expressed deep shock after the deaths of four journalists in five days and said police should also set up a witness protection program to help in investigations of media killings.
"The Iraqi government must fulfil their duty to protect journalists," RSF said in a statement on its Web site. (RSF stands for the group's name in French, Reporters sans Frontières.) RSF's statement and its count of 11 journalists killed in May, all but one Iraqi, did not include the death of Saif Fakhry, an Iraqi cameraman who was killed on Thursday.
Fakhry was shot twice while walking to a mosque near his home in Baghdad. He had worked for AP Television News (APTN) since August 2004 and is survived by his wife, who is due to give birth to their first child next month, APTN said.
Journalists are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crossfire in Iraq's sectarian conflict and the Sunni Arab insurgency against U.S forces and the Iraqi government. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, who controlled all media, Iraqis have seen the proliferation of newspapers and television. Many are controlled by political or religious factions, and Iraqi journalists, dozens of whose colleagues have been killed or kidnapped, complain some officials put them under heavy pressure.
RSF says 177 journalists and media assistants, most of them Iraqis, have been killed in Iraq since the start of the U.S.-led invasion to topple Hussein in March 2003, making Iraq one of the most dangerous conflicts for journalists since World War II. The group said more should be done to investigate the deaths and to organize awareness campaigns among the Iraqi security forces and the public for the protection of journalists.
"We call for the creation of a special force within the national police to identify the perpetrators and instigators of killings of journalists," the RSF statement said. "To help the investigators, a witness protection program should also be set up with the help of countries in the region."
"The Iraqi government must fulfil their duty to protect journalists," RSF said in a statement on its Web site. (RSF stands for the group's name in French, Reporters sans Frontières.) RSF's statement and its count of 11 journalists killed in May, all but one Iraqi, did not include the death of Saif Fakhry, an Iraqi cameraman who was killed on Thursday.
Fakhry was shot twice while walking to a mosque near his home in Baghdad. He had worked for AP Television News (APTN) since August 2004 and is survived by his wife, who is due to give birth to their first child next month, APTN said.
Journalists are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crossfire in Iraq's sectarian conflict and the Sunni Arab insurgency against U.S forces and the Iraqi government. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, who controlled all media, Iraqis have seen the proliferation of newspapers and television. Many are controlled by political or religious factions, and Iraqi journalists, dozens of whose colleagues have been killed or kidnapped, complain some officials put them under heavy pressure.
RSF says 177 journalists and media assistants, most of them Iraqis, have been killed in Iraq since the start of the U.S.-led invasion to topple Hussein in March 2003, making Iraq one of the most dangerous conflicts for journalists since World War II. The group said more should be done to investigate the deaths and to organize awareness campaigns among the Iraqi security forces and the public for the protection of journalists.
"We call for the creation of a special force within the national police to identify the perpetrators and instigators of killings of journalists," the RSF statement said. "To help the investigators, a witness protection program should also be set up with the help of countries in the region."
Labels: investigation, journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Saif Fakhry
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Reporters Without Borders provides financial help to slain journalists families
Media, Aid
(AP) - Reporters Without Borders is providing financial help to the families of journalists killed in Iraq, the advocacy group said Friday. The group's secretary-general Robert Menard traveled to Baghdad this week to deliver the aid to the Iraqi journalists' families. He said funds were provided to 20 families in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and 57 families elsewhere in the country also would receive funds. He did not say how much each family would receive.
"We will do the same for other families in the future," Menard said, according to a statement. Menard also said he met with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and urged the authorities to go after those responsible for the killings of journalists and to adopt legislation that would promote press freedom. He also referred to eight Iraqi journalists he said were being held by the Iraqi security forces and the U.S. Army, and he expressed concern about 12 Iraqi journalists who were taken hostage. The U.S. has been detaining an Associated Press photographer, Bilal Hussein, in Iraq for a year.
"They are detained on suspicion of links with terrorists without anyone producing evidence and without being brought to trial," he said. Reporters Without Borders says at least 123 journalists and 51 media assistants have been killed since the U.S.-led war began in March 2003.
"We will do the same for other families in the future," Menard said, according to a statement. Menard also said he met with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and urged the authorities to go after those responsible for the killings of journalists and to adopt legislation that would promote press freedom. He also referred to eight Iraqi journalists he said were being held by the Iraqi security forces and the U.S. Army, and he expressed concern about 12 Iraqi journalists who were taken hostage. The U.S. has been detaining an Associated Press photographer, Bilal Hussein, in Iraq for a year.
"They are detained on suspicion of links with terrorists without anyone producing evidence and without being brought to trial," he said. Reporters Without Borders says at least 123 journalists and 51 media assistants have been killed since the U.S.-led war began in March 2003.
Labels: Iraq, journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Robert Menard
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Kurdistan criticised by UNAMI for human rights abuse
Human Rights
(AP) - The United Nations has rebuked Kurdish authorities over their treatment of journalists and detainees in a rare critical assessment of the human rights situation in the oil-rich northern autonomous region that has been hailed as a success story in Iraq.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq singled out Kurdistan in its 10th human rights report on Iraq, expressing concern over infringements on freedom of expression by the regional government. "Authorities continued to subject journalists to harassment, arrest and legal actions for their reporting on government corruption, poor public services or other issues of public interest," the report said.
The report, which was released Wednesday, also criticized Kurdish security forces, saying hundreds of detainees have been held for prolonged periods, "some for several years", without charge or due process. The report added that the mission has received allegations of the torture or ill-treatment of detainees. Fouad Mohammad, the regional human rights minister, said the report exaggerated the violations and he complained that he was not contacted about the cases.
The human rights report acknowledged the stable security situation but noted abuses in other areas. The report said most arrests of journalists were carried out by a unit that has jurisdiction over economic crimes such as smuggling, espionage and terrorism. The report also expressed concern about the situation of detainees in the area, saying the majority had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism and other serious crimes, with many accused of being supporters of Islamist groups.
A prominent Kurdish politician acknowledged shortcomings and said efforts were being made to improve them. Mahmoud Othman said journalists were allowed to criticize government officials but restrictions were aimed at preventing slander.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq singled out Kurdistan in its 10th human rights report on Iraq, expressing concern over infringements on freedom of expression by the regional government. "Authorities continued to subject journalists to harassment, arrest and legal actions for their reporting on government corruption, poor public services or other issues of public interest," the report said.
The report, which was released Wednesday, also criticized Kurdish security forces, saying hundreds of detainees have been held for prolonged periods, "some for several years", without charge or due process. The report added that the mission has received allegations of the torture or ill-treatment of detainees. Fouad Mohammad, the regional human rights minister, said the report exaggerated the violations and he complained that he was not contacted about the cases.
The human rights report acknowledged the stable security situation but noted abuses in other areas. The report said most arrests of journalists were carried out by a unit that has jurisdiction over economic crimes such as smuggling, espionage and terrorism. The report also expressed concern about the situation of detainees in the area, saying the majority had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism and other serious crimes, with many accused of being supporters of Islamist groups.
A prominent Kurdish politician acknowledged shortcomings and said efforts were being made to improve them. Mahmoud Othman said journalists were allowed to criticize government officials but restrictions were aimed at preventing slander.
Labels: detainees, Fouad Mohammad, human rights, journalists, Kurdistan, Mahmoud Othman, U.N., UNAMI
