Reporters at the front: the only safe place in Iraq is in the February 2003 zone
WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Nearly 90 percent of U.S. journalists in Iraq say much of Baghdad is still too dangerous to visit, despite a recent drop in violence attributed to the build-up of U.S. forces, a poll released on Wednesday said.
The survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center showed that many U.S. journalists believe coverage has painted too rosy a picture of the conflict.
A separate Pew poll released on Tuesday showed that 48 percent of Americans believe the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going very or fairly well, up from 34 percent in June, amid signs of declining Iraqi civilian casualties and progress against Islamist militants such as al Qaeda in Iraq.
But most journalists said they believe violence and the threat of violence have increased during their tenures.
(H/t to Juan Cole)
And where are the trouble spots?
But 87 percent of respondents said at least half of Baghdad remains too dangerous for a Western journalist to visit, with the capital’s Shi’ite-dominated Sadr City enclave rated the most dangerous spot in Iraq. Eighteen percent said the entire city of Baghdad is too dangerous for travel.
Most U.S. journalists have traveled to danger spots such as Sadr City, either under the protection of private security guards or the U.S. military.
“Eight in 10 journalists believe conditions have deteriorated for reporters since their own first posting in the country,” the survey’s authors said.
Under-reported subjects of the war include the plight of Iraqi civilians, Shi’ite-on-Shi’ite violence in southern Iraq and general events occurring outside Baghdad, journalists said.
So basically, south of Baghdad, outside of Baghdad and parts of Baghdad remain very dangerous. They never seem to mention the Kurdish north section, where skirmishes rage across the Turkish border and otherwise you’re okay unless you happen to be female.
It’s so kewl the surge is working so well for George Bush because the network news can focus on more important stuff like the sex lives of Democrats and the religious piety of Mitt Huckleberry.
