There Can be No Freedom of the Press if Journalists are Being Murdered.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists the murder of journalists is on rise everywhere, with unsurprisingly, the dealilest place being Iraq.

Thirty-two journalists lost their lives in Iraq in 2006, which is the largest number of members of the media killed in a single country since the organization started keeping track 25 years ago. Among the casualties this year were Atwar Bahjat, one of the best-known TV reporters in the Arab world who was murdered on February 22 along with her crew. Like Bahjat, 30 of the 32 journalists killed were Iraqis.

Since the U.S.-led invasion, the death toll in Iraq for journalists is now up to 92. This number exceeds the death toll in 20 year Vietnam engagement or World War II according to Reporters San Frontiers. In addition to the reporters and cameramen, an additional 37 people who worked with the media, such as interpreters, drivers, fixers and office workers, have also been killed.

Those numbers may not sound that high considering the overall bloodshed in the country, but this year the overwhelming majority of the journalists who died there were murdered. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, only four of the 32 killed in Iraq in 2006 died as a result of crossfire or acts of war. The other 28 were murdered, of which half were threatened beforehand.

The Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, said in a statement:

"The deaths in Iraq this year reflect the utter deterioration in reporters' traditional status as neutral observers in wartime. When this conflict began more than three and half years ago, most journalists died in combat-related incidents. Now, insurgents routinely target journalists for perceived affiliations -- political, sectarian, or Western. This is an extraordinarily alarming trend because along with the terrible loss of life, it is limiting news reporting in Iraq -- and, in turn, our own understanding of a vital story."

However, this glosses over what appeared to be deliberate attacks by the U.S. forces on unembeded journalists during the invasion. There was the targeting of the Palestian Hotel in Bagdah, which was full of journalists and was well known to the invasion forces. The attack killed two journalists, Jose Couso from Spain's Telecinco and Taras Protsyuk from Rueters as well as wounding others. The Spanish government is now proceeding with an investigation. It should not be forgotten that the United States also shelled the building that housed many Middle Eastern news agencies, killing reporter Tariq Ayoub from Al-Jazeera and wounding three others. (If you have not seen the documentary Control Room - do it now). Let us not forget that the status of this building, as well as The Palestian Hotel had been given to the invanding allied forces. These attacks at least appeared to be deliberate and may have given the signal that murdering journalist is an acceptable. How will this terrible trend be stopped and the freedom of the press restored?