[Sgrena] "Farebbe meglio a cambiare mestiere. Subito."

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[ it.politica.internazionale ]

Non è americano. Non ha una guerra da promuovere. E' un giornalista
olandese che ha conosciuto la Sgrena durante il viaggio aereo verso
Bagdad. E non è rimasto molto favorevolmente impressionato.

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http://www.zachtei.nl/2005/03/08/000670.html#reacties

About Giuliana Sgrena

Mr. Harald Doornbos is a veteran war reporter. He is no archetypical
hawk nor a staunch supporter of the United States. In fact, he used to
be a reporter for the communist newspaper 'De Waarheid' (The Truth, or
Pravda, if you like) before it went bust. (This doesn't necessarily mean
he was ever a communist, by the way. De Waarheid used to be a huge
employer.)

However, this doesn't make him overly sympathetic towards Giuliana
Sgrena, the Italian journalist who was held hostage by Iraqi insurgents.
Some snippets from this article which was published today in a Dutch
Christian broadsheet.

'Be careful not to get kidnapped,' I told the female Italian journalist
sitting next to me in the small plane that was headed for Baghdad. 'Oh
no,' she said. 'That won't happen. We are siding with the oppressed
Iraqi people. No Iraqi would kidnap us.'

It doesn't sound very nice to be critical of a fellow reporter. But
Sgrena's attitude is a disgrace for journalism. Or didn't she tell me
back in the plane that 'common journalists such as yourself' simply do
not support the Iraqi people? 'The Americans are the biggest enemies of
mankind,' the three women behind me had told me, for Sgrena travelled to
Iraq with two Italian colleagues who hated the Americans as well.

(Doornbos goes on to explain how the women demeaned him for travelling
as an embedded reporter with the US military, for security reasons. They
didn't want to hear about any safety concerns.)

'You don't understand the situation. We are anti-imperialists,
anti-capitalists, communists,' they said. The Iraqis only kidnap
American sympathizers, the enemies of the Americans have nothing to
fear.

(Doornbos tells them they're out of their mind.)

But they knew better. When we arrived at Baghdad Airport, I was waiting
for a jeep from the American army to come pick me up. I saw one of the
Italian women walking around crying. An Iraqi had stolen her computer
and television equipment. They were standing outside shivering, waiting
for a cab to take them to Baghdad.

With her bias Sgrena did not only jeopardize herself, but due to her
behavior a security officer is now dead, and the Italian government
(prime minister Berlusconi included) has had to spend millions of euros
to save her life. It is to be hoped that Sgrena will decide to have a
career change. Propagandist or MP perhaps. But she should give up
journalism immediately.

http://www.nederlandsdagblad.nl/newsite/artikel.asp?id=57903
(per chi legge l'olandese)