February 22, 2012
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a new report entitled "Attacks on the Press in 2011." The report notes that, since 1991, 151 journalists have been killed in Iraq and five are known to have been killed last year:
September 8, 2011, in Baghdad, Iraq June 21, 2011, in Diwaniyya, Iraq March 29, 2011, in Tikrit, Iraq March 29, 2011, in Tikrit, Iraq February 24, 2011, in Ramadi, Iraq
The report ranks the top three most dangerous places for journalists in 2011 as:
1) Pakistan
2) Libya
3) Iraq
Meanwhile Aswat al-Iraq notes the government of Iraq is still at work on coming up with a 2012 budget. The 'good' news in 'free' Iraq never ends, Al Mada reports the judiciary and the Ministry of the Interior have charges against and plans to arrest several members of Parliament. Nothing says stability like being a dangerous place for reporting failure to come up with a budget for a year already underway and arresting elected officials, right? Dar Addustour notes a physical altercation broke out
Al Rafidayn notes the Supreme Judicial Council has decreed that they will begin their trial of Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi in absentia on May 3rd. Nouri al-Maliki has accused al-Hashemi of terrorism and issued an arrest warrant for him. al-Hashemi is in the KRG and has maintained since December that he cannot receive a fair trial in Baghdad -- an assertion that was demonstrated to be true when a 9 member panel of judges held a press conference last Thursday and declared al-Hashemi guilty of terrorism before a trial had taken place and in violation of Article 19 of the Iraqi Constitution.
Al Mada reports on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announcement yesterday that most of Iraq's internal refugees do not feel that they can safely return to their homes. Aswat al-Iraq states UNHCR's Claire Bourgeois will give a press briefing on this topic Sunday. Al Sabaah's reporting the Pope is planning a visit to the city of Ur shortly.
That's going to have to be it. Again, (see last entry) Blogger/Blogspot is acting up. Big time. I need to get this posted before it ends up lost like Wally and Cedric had happened with their posts this morning.
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