Petrelis Files

WH Transcript: Journos' Chopper Lifts in Iraq on Election Day

If freedom and democracy are truly taking hold in Iraq, why is it two and a half years after military operations began over there, reporters can't safely travel around the country?

In his November 18 "Ask the White House" online chat, David Satterfield, the deputy U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, announced an effort to transport journalists around Iraq on election day in December.

I have to wonder who will decide where reporters will be allowed to go that day. Will the coalition forces get reporters to areas they want to visit, or, will the military determine their destinations

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Bob, from Irvine, California writes:

What is being done to get us more information on the progress being made in Iraq? Much of the news reports do not include the positive accomplishments being made in the country.

David Satterfield:

In Baghdad both the Embassy and Coalition Military Forces have a number of full-time public affairs operations, at various echelons, that conduct media briefings, respond to media queries, and organize media trips to see projects on the ground. Through them, we are doing a great deal to get out the news of our many accomplishments in Iraq, not just to American journalists, but also to international media outlets and to Iraq's own media. Of course, we face some challenges, such as security.

Except when they are "embedded" and travelling with Coalition Forces, security concerns do restrict the mobility of Western journalists. For the elections, to help overcome this handicap, we plan to organize helicopter lifts to take the media to various polling places around Iraq to see the voting up close. We will then bring them back to Baghdad promptly so that they can file.

All that being said, we don't control what the news organizations cover or ultimately provide to the viewer/reader. There are a number of embassy and military websites that post news of accomplishments.