|
Iraq tv bombing inquiry { April 2 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://media.guardian.co.uk/iraqandthemedia/story/0,12823,928033,00.htmlhttp://media.guardian.co.uk/iraqandthemedia/story/0,12823,928033,00.html
11.45am
Calls for Iraq TV bombing inquiry
Julia Day
Wednesday April 2, 2003
The international press watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres has called for an independent investigation into the bombing of Iraqi state TV, which it believes may have breached international humanitarian law.
RSF has called for a fact-finding body, set up in 1991 under the Geneva convention, to look in to the allied forces' bombing of the Iraqi state TV headquarters in Baghdad.
"A media outlet cannot be a military target under international law," said Robert Mnard, the RSF secretary-general.
"Its equipment and installations are civilian property protected as such under the Geneva conventions.
"Only an objective and impartial enquiry can determine whether or not the conventions have been violated," said Mr Mnard.
The international humanitarian fact-finding commission is tasked with investigating any alleged serious violation of international humanitarian law.
To have jurisdiction, the commission has to be petitioned by one of the parties in a conflict, or by one of the countries that have recognised its jurisdiction.
To conduct an investigation all the sides involved must accept its authority. But among the countries involved in the Iraq war, only Australia and the UK have formally recognised the commission. The US and Iraq do not.
RSF called on the Switzerland-based commission to ask for consent from all four to allow it to investigate the bombing of the Iraqi TV headquarters and the Iraqi information ministry building.
The TV headquarters were badly damaged by US and UK bombing on the evening of March 25, knocking out broadcasts until the next morning.
At dawn on March 29, a missile hit the information ministry and damaged the "tent city" built by the international media on the roof of a nearby building.
Nobody was hurt, but the press centre on the ground floor of the ministry was badly damaged, with windows blown out and computers and other equipment strewn on the ground.
And the ministry was bombed again on the night of March 30-31, resulting in the government-run TV station going off air - this time for more than 10 hours.
Satellite dishes used by the station were on top of the building and offices, studios and transmission antenna were just next door.
RSF said statements about the attacks from spokesmen for the allied forces confirm Iraqi TV was deliberately attacked.
Coalition spokesmen said on March 25 that the attack on the TV building was a bid to knock out Saddam Hussein's means of communication with the Iraqi people and army.
|
|
