Prove that you do not sleep with little girls, Senator

A journalistic organization based in Europe (big surprise) is asking President Bush to prove that he was not intentionally killing journalists in Iraq. What a great example of the Press taking a cheap shot and creating the impression, excuse me, following Eason Jordan’s lead, in thinking the US military is targeting the media.

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – The International Federation of Journalists on Friday urged U.S. officials to provide credible evidence American troops did not intentionally kill two television cameramen at a Baghdad hotel in 2003.

The two were killed April 8, 2003, when an American tank fired at the Palestine Hotel, where scores of journalists were based during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. U.S. officials insist the soldiers believed they were being shot at when they opened fire.

Jose Couso, cameraman for Spanish television network Telecinco, and Taras Protsyuk, Ukrainian TV cameraman for Reuters, were killed by the U.S. tank.

But critics say the journalists were targeted by U.S. troops moving in on Baghdad, and the IFJ said Friday a report on the killings was a “whitewash.”

In a letter to President Bush, IFJ General Secretary Aidan White wrote, “the United States stands accused of failing to meet its obligations to deliver justice and fair treatment to the victims of violence by its own soldiers.”

Following the Palestine incident, then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said American troops opened fire after drawing hostile fire from the hotel. He said a U.S. review of the incident found the of force was justified.

Based in Brussels, the IFJ is an umbrella group that brings together journalists’ unions in over 100 nations. It claims to represent more than 500,000 media professionals.

Another prime example of an unbiased and honest media. William Randolph Hearst would be proud of the IFJ.