How's it going in Iraq? Let's ask the Iraqis

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The source of your poll is an Iraqi newspaper, Al-Sabah Al-Jadeed, owned by a U.S. corporation under Pentagon contract whose editor resigned last May protesting U.S. government interference with reporting. All of which was ignored by your source, the rightwing site Powerline, who's "translation" excludes all mention of methodology, by itself an unprofessional lack of disclosure. According to the former editor, U.S. occupation forces "are trying to control us. We are being suffocated." It's no surprise that the paper was "seen by many Iraqis as the mouthpiece of the occupation authority." Islam Online

IslamOnline's article based on its interview with the muzzled editor continues:<ul type="square">Al-Sabah, along with Al-Iraqiya television and a number of radio stations, are run by Harris Corp., a Florida-based firm, through a 96-million-dollar Pentagon contract.

"A U.S. company called SAIC, which had funding from the Pentagon, was in charge of the oversight of this [Al-Sabah] newspaper," he said.

"But then SAIC was replaced by Harris Corporation, who had no experience with the media to oversee us," Zaher complained.

"Harris Corporation told us we could not be independent, due to [Coalition Provisional Authority] CPA Order 66, which stated that Al-Sabah had to be included in a new media group. They did this without our knowing about it, and we refused".

He said this action would have linked the newspaper to Harris Corporation and the Pentagon for the next two years and allow Pentagon to run it.

They did not want the paper to publish the names of U.S. soldiers who had been killed in Iraq, Zayer recalled, adding that a U.S. general came to their offices to talk to his staff and pressure them.

The Iraqi journalist accused Harris of interfering in the paper's workings, including trying to stop some of its advertising and speaking to reporters about articles.

Among the ads Harris tried to prevent was one from a new political organization, the Iraqi Republican Group, criticizing the "grieves of occupation" and appealed to Iraqi elite to rally "to preserve our nation from destruction."

They were told the ad was "too political".[/list]
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