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May 28, 2008
Pentagon Inviting Media To Guantanamo 9/11 Hearings
Pentagon inviting media to Guantanamo 9/11 hearings
The Pentagon said Tuesday it was sending invitations to news organizations to cover the arraignments of the five alleged September 11 co-conspirators in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said about "four or five dozen" journalists and technical personnel from domestic and international news organizations would be allowed onto the base for the June 5 arraignment.
The reading of the charges is expected to mark the first public appearance of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, since his capture in Pakistan March 1, 2003.
Mohammed and four others face capital charges of murder, terrorism and other war crimes. Charges against a sixth, the alleged "20th hijacker" Mohammed al-Qahtani, were dropped in April by the Pentagon official overseeing the process.
Whitman said invitations were being sent to news organizations on Tuesday.
"Our responsibility at the Defense Department here is to make sure we have sufficient US and international media there to be able to report on the proceedings, to make it as transparent as possible.
"But obviously we can't open it up to everybody. There are logistical issues in terms of getting down to Guantanamo," he said.
"We're trying to be robust in our approach. But at the same time we are trying to do it in a responsible way, inviting news organizations that in the totality will cover the world, basically."
Only a handful of journalists will be allowed in the courtroom, confined to a glass enclosed booth where they can be shut off from hearing testimony on the judge's instructions.
The other members of the media will be in a separate media center where they can watch the proceedings on a video screen and take notes.
Audio recordings and pictures of the proceedings are barred. But a sketch artist will be in the courtroom.
Wild Thing's comment..........
I sure hope we don't hear a lot of what a bad childhood the terrorists had from the media. Nothing would surprise me when it comes to their propaganda machine.
Posted by Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 02:55 AM
Comments
Very bad idea. We won't hear what is really truly going on and some village idiot story teller will put their own feelings into the story and get it all fouled up!
But we do need to know what is going on. If only the reporters could stick to reporting and not getting all emotional and putting in their own 2 cents worth then it would be fine.
Posted by: Lynn at May 28, 2008 05:07 AM
I agree. Are there any "reporters" left? If so I don't remember the last time I heard one. They all seem to be commentators giving us their opinions instead of the facts.
Posted by: Bob at May 28, 2008 06:22 AM
I liked Reagan's attitude toward reporters during the Grenada invasion. Keep them away until it was over.
Posted by: TomR at May 28, 2008 10:24 AM
About that bad childhood scenario Chrissie, the bleeding hearts will never learn. I'll support the so called reporters going on one condition, if the defendants are found guilty, that those reporters witness their immediate execution by firing squad before the assembled prisoners and the media. Enough of the pandering B.S.
Posted by: Jack at May 28, 2008 11:12 AM
Does this guy Mohammed, look like a retard or what? You got to wonder what his drug of choice is.
As far as the press going to Gitmo, if they cause any problems just leave them there.
Posted by: Mark at May 28, 2008 12:44 PM
Lynn, I agree and what I would prefer then some report by a liberal reporter is to put the whole thing on C-Span or something that would show us the entire thing. Let us decide, we are good at it and we have brains.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 06:21 PM
Bob I agree they sure do, we used to just get the news, the information and we would decide ourselves what we thought. Now they all want or think they are commentators and want to tell us ' what we jsut heard' or what to think.
I always laugh when Bush or someone gives a speech then the news people have the nerve to say...."we will be right back and tell you what he said"...............I mean good grief!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 06:26 PM
Tom that was great.
sigh I miss Reagan.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 06:30 PM
Jack wow how horrible, thanks for the link.
Yes I agree, as long as they can witness the execution of the killers.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 06:34 PM
Mark, LMAO yes does look like a druggie. He looks like he stinks too. yuk!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 28, 2008 06:38 PM
The reality of the whole Gitmo reporting story comes down to two, two word guidelines.
Terrorists good! Bush bad.
Posted by: Les at May 28, 2008 06:41 PM
Since some of the Nazi war crimminals hung at Nuremburg in 1946-1947, then the 9-11-01 Holy Tuesday islamofascist war crimminals can hang at GITMO on 9-11-08 at 08:46 am, 09:05 am, 09:40 am and 10:15 am!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at May 29, 2008 02:30 AM
Darth that sounds like a good idea to me.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 29, 2008 06:04 PM
