March 29, 2024

Press Freedom

Iraq

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