The scandal concerning pro-American stories planted in Iraqi newspapers (see previous postings here and here) has caused outrage among Iraqis. Khalid Samim of the Iraqi Journalists Association (IJA) has been particularly critical of the practice saying it ammounts to a US abuse of power.

Samim has also asserted that local journalists have admitted to being threatened for publishing stories showing a negative view of the US and Iraqi armies.

Muhammed Hayat, journalist at newspaper Baghdad Today, reported similar problems of threats following the issue of stories criticising the US military: "I can't make any direct accusations, but it's an incredible coincidence that threats always followed negative articles." Hayat also reports that the US practice of story planting is not a new one: "We have known about this behaviour on the part of the US government since 2003."

Reports from Al-Dustour, one of the Iraqi broadsheets that published some of the pro-US stories, suggest that fear was involved in the paper's choice to publish the stories. "A source from … Al-Dustour, one of the papers accused of having received money from the US government to publish pro-US stories, admitted that it had happened, but added that the newspaper feared it would be shut down if it did not comply."

Iraqi readers are greatly angered by the planted stories scandal and have criticised both the US and the Iraqi papers that published the stories.

For example, Baghdad resident Abbas Dulaime said the following: "I always read Al-Mutamar, but now I'll prohibit my family from reading the work of those who prefer money to real journalism."

School teacher Zumira Ibraheem is fearful that the planted stories will mislead readers, in particular children, she said: "I used to believe that reading newspapers was a very good way to learn ... But I have since changed my mind."

Source: Reuters Alert Net