November 20, 2007
AP's Grandstanding on the Hussein Case
Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was arrested in a terrorist sweep in September of 2006 with Hamid Hamad Motib, a known member of al Qaeda, and another insurgent. Yesterday, it was announced that Hussein will be brought before an investigative magistrate in the Iraqi legal system, and the magistrate will determine whether or not there are grounds to try Hussein under Iraqi law.
AP Associate General Counsel Dave Tomlin made quite a bit of noise in response:
An AP attorney on Monday strongly protested the decision, calling the U.S. military plans a "sham of due process." The journalist, Bilal Hussein, has already been imprisoned without charges for more than 19 months.
And from AP boss Tom Curley:
"While we are hopeful that there could be some resolution to Bilal Hussein's long detention, we have grave concerns that his rights under the law continue to be ignored and even abused," said AP President and CEO Tom Curley."The steps the U.S. military is now taking continue to deny Bilal his right to due process and, in turn, may deny him a chance at a fair trial. The treatment of Bilal represents a miscarriage of the very justice and rule of law that the United States is claiming to help Iraq achieve. At this point, we believe the correct recourse is the immediate release of Bilal," Curley added.
These Associated Press officers are taking the infuriating course of trying to spin this case in terms of American law, and not Iraqi law.
As an American military source in Iraq said moments ago:
In the Iraqi system, there is an investigative judge who does the initial work and you can think of it closer terms to a grand jury. Those are not open to the public and that is where indictments are made.Some of the information is currently classified and as such won't be made public per se, but will be provided at trial, but again, not to the public. Just as in a military court-martial, they are open to the public, but if classified information is to be discussed, it is then closed to the public for that portion. Just like testimony in Congress...there are open and closed sessions.
The biggest issue is the attempts to equate it to our system when it should not be.
Curley and Tomlin, respectively the AP President/CEO and Associate General Counsel, are grandstanding as they try to spin this pending case in the court of American public opinion.
Hussein's actual guilt or innocence as a potential terrorist seems to be to them a secondary concern.
Oh no, they are deathly afraid of the court finding him guilty.
Why else would they say the best outcome is the immediate release of him? They don't want a trial to go forward and if it does it will be labeled as unfair, even if it was performed to the letter of Iraqi or even American law.
They are claiming him as an award winning photographer, being found a terrorist in a court of law would expose AP's reporting for the sham it is.
The AP can't stand having the focus on itself and its biased reporting. The more award winning AP stringers are found as terrorists or helpers to insurgants, the worse the AP will look.
Posted by: Gunstar1 at November 20, 2007 06:37 PMin the court of American public opinion
Too bad its going to be an Iraqi court that hears the case ;->
Posted by: Purple Avenger at November 20, 2007 08:24 PMIsn't the usual expression of support along the lines of "we look forward to Mr. Hussein's opportunity to refute these baseless charges, whatever they may be, and to clear his name, in open court."
The spin coming from the AP is completely different. Maybe they believe the press is above the law or something. Curious that.
Posted by: daleyrocks at November 21, 2007 02:50 AMJournalists are scum. Put him up against a wall.
Posted by: dan at November 21, 2007 09:36 AMI'm shocked SHOCKED I tell ya that terrorists are working for the democrat run media!
Posted by: Capitalist Infidel at November 21, 2007 01:05 PM"The treatment of Bilal represents a miscarriage of the very justice and rule of law that the United States is claiming to help Iraq achieve."
Closer to the truth is.....
"The attempt by the AP to draw conclusions and spin the evidence in their favor even prior to the trail represents a miscarriage of the very princaples of balance and neutrality that the AP is claiming to uphold in Iraq."
"At this point, we believe the correct recourse is the immediate release of Bilal," Curley added."
Of course you do because a conviction in a court of law would underline the shabby work and pro terrorist bias that have become all to evident during the APs disasterous tenure reporting from Iraq.
Posted by: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr at November 21, 2007 11:02 PMAfter listening to Admiral Greg Smith matter of fact discourse on Bilal Hussein and his
upcoming trial.
As usual, I find the spin of guilt before trial comments standard for losers who did not get this war right!
I find the discourse by Admiral Smith so blatantly wrong. As we pride ourselves with the notion that you are presumed innocent prior to going to court.
Since Admiral Smith does not believe in the law or in basic rights, which is basic to our society. I wonder what dumb spin the idiot boys will put on this one!
This really stinks. 14 months to go and your fired!
Dumb George!
Posted by: Dumb George at November 26, 2007 03:45 PM
