[Media-watch] Unembedded - an interview with Dahr Jamail - Newtopia Magazine - Vol 3 Issue 9 -

[Julie-ann Davies]

Hi

Below are a couple of snippets from the inteview. The piece is very long so 
I have not included it here, but the full text is available at the url 
without registration.
JA
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http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/content/issue19/features/DahrJamail.php

Unembedded, Independent


An exclusive, in-depth interview with journalist Dahr Jamail on what is 
really going on in Iraq

by Charles Shaw, Editor-in-Chief, Newtopia

... Newtopia: The US Corporate media consistently characterizes the Iraqi 
resistance as "foreign terrorists and former Ba'athist insurgents". In your 
experience, is this an accurate portrayal? If not, why?

Dahr Jamail: This is propaganda of the worst kind. Most Iraqis refer to the 
Iraqi Resistance as "patriots." Which of course most of them are-they are, 
especially in Fallujah, primarily composed of people who simply are 
resisting the occupation of their country by a foreign power. They are 
people who have had family members killed, detained, tortured and humiliated 
by the illegal occupiers of their shattered country. Calling them "foreign 
terrorists" and "Ba'athist insurgents" is simply a lie...
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... Newtopia: On Nov 18 in one of your dispatches you wrote, "Journalists 
are increasingly being detained and threatened by the U.S.-installed interim 
government in Iraq. Media have been stopped particularly from covering 
recent horrific events in Fallujah." What are the predominant differences 
between your reporting and that of the corporate media and embedded 
reporters, or that of Iraqi and Muslim journalists? In other words, what 
does each group do with the same pieces of information? Do you feel you have 
a freer hand by being "unembedded"? Have you or anyone you know been 
intimidated or harassed in any way?

DJ: Myself and most Arab and western independent journalists here show the 
costs of war. Report the massacres, the slaughter, the dead and wounded 
kids, disaster that this occupation truly is for the Iraqi people. Report on 
the low morale of most soldiers here, report on how doctors now state openly 
that due to lack of funds and help from the US-backed Ministry of Health, 
they feel it is worse now than during the sanctions.

I do feel I have more freedom because I am unembedded." I'm flying under the 
mainstream radar of censorship.

I have been attacked from some mainstream sources and pundits. Fox 
propaganda channel invited me on after I accurately reported the sniping of 
ambulances, medical workers and civilians in Fallujah last April.I declined 
the set up because I didn't have a desire to have my character assassinated.

My website has taken some attacks by hackers.but so far we've managed the 
onslaught. I receive some hate mail via my site, and have received one death 
threat.so far...