Press Freedom
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Reporter Without Borders
Iraq January 20, 2006
H.E. Ibrahim al-Jaafari
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Baghdad
Republic of Iraq
c/o Embassy of the Republic of Iraq
1801 P Street, NW
Washington , DC 20036
Fax: (202) 462-5066
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
We write to urge you to make every possible effort to solve the kidnapping of the American journalist, Jill Carroll, to secure her safe return, and to bring her abductors to justice for the murder of her driver.
As you know, Ms. Carroll, a freelancer, who was in Iraq on assignment for the Christian Science Monitor, was seized by gunmen in the Adil neighborhood of western Baghdad with her interpreter, Allan Enwiyah. The kidnappers intercepted her car and commandeered it; the driver escaped, but Enwiyah’s body was later found in the same neighborhood with two bullets to the head.
Ms. Carroll is a respected journalist who has also worked for the Italian news agency, ANSA , the San Francisco Chronicle , and other U.S. dailies. She had previously worked as a reporter for The Jordan Times in Amman.
The Overseas Press Club of America, an independent organization that has defended press freedom around the world for more than 66 years, is troubled that Iraq is a uniquely dangerous place for journalists — even among countries at war. By the count of Reporters Without Borders, a total of 55 journalists and 21 of their assistants have been killed since the war began in March 2003, and Jill Carroll is the 31st media worker to be kidnapped. Four of the kidnapped victims were killed. This is a toll of journalists unmatched in any war. We wish your government success in curbing the violence and restoring security to your troubled country.
Thank you for your attention. We would appreciate a reply.
Norman A. Schorr
Larry Martz
Co-chairmen, Freedom of the Press Committee
cc:
Zalmay Khalilzad
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
Embassy of the United States of America – Iraq
APO AE 09316
General George Casey
Commander, Coalition Task Force 7
Baghdad
Iraq
Fax: (703) 270-0270
Senator John Warner
Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee
225 Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 224-6295
Marshall Ingwerson
Managing Editor
Christian Science Monitor
One Norway Street
Boston , MA 02115
Hassan Fatah Pasha
Editor
Iraq Today
hassan@iraq-today.net
Pierre Taillefer
Executive Editor
Agence France-Presse
pierre.taillefer@afp.com
News Editor
Al-Jazeera
editor@aljazeera.net
Qatar
Fax: (011.974) 442-6864