Petrelis Files

American Forces Press Service: Journos "Reportedly" Stay at Palestine Hotel

Why is the tax-payer funded American Forces Press Service saying the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad is "Reportedly, [a hotel where] a number of Western journalists stay" when it seems a long, clearly established fact that the hotel under attack on October 24 is the base for foreign journalists.

Seems damn odd that this government news agency can't establish if the hotel houses reporters. Maybe the American Forces Press Service is unaware of the AP wire and the facts it reported about the attack and the hotel?

I'd sure love to know how much the press service costs the tax-payer annually.

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By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer

Published: October 24, 2005 UPDATED 12:53 PM ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq Three enormous bombs, including a cement-mixing truck packed with explosives, blew up near an Iraqi police post outside the Palestine Hotel -- home to many foreign journalists in Iraq. Iraqi officials said 17 people were killed.

[snip]

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Hotels in Baghdad Rocked by Rockets, Car Bombs
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2005 – A combination of rockets and car bombs exploded near the outer walls of the Palestine and Sheraton hotels in downtown Baghdad today, military officials reported.

A statement from Multinational Force Iraq said civilian casualties have yet to be determined, but that no coalition forces were injured in the attack. Iraqi security forces and coalition forces are securing the area and bringing order to the bombing site, the statement said.

Reportedly, a number of Western journalists stay at the Palestine Hotel.

[snip]