EGYPT: Government loyalists target foreign journalists after state TV claims 'interference'

American, European and Middle East journalists reported attacks and threats against them as they covered the violent clashes in Cairo on Wednesday after state-run television reported foreign media were among the outside forces trying to destabilize the country.

The targeting of reporters by loyalists of President Hosni Mubarak brought condemnation from the U.S. State Department and other foreign governments.

Among those roughed up as they monitored Wednesday night's bloody clashes were two Associated Press reporters and CNN's Anderson Cooper and Hala Gorani. Arab media Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya also complained of attacks on their journalists at the scene, and four Israeli reporters and a Belgian were detained by pro-government security forces.

"We are concerned about detentions and attacks on news media in Egypt. The civil society that Egypt wants to build includes a free press,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a message on Twitter.

State-run Nile TV reported Tuesday night that foreigners were distributing anti-Mubarak pamphlets, an apparent attempt to cast the recent unrest as the work of foreign instigators.

On Wednesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Mubarak's government had rejected U.S. and European calls for the country to begin political and economic reforms "now," a veiled message that Mubarak's promise not to seek reelection in the autumn wasn't enough to restore order after nine days of demands for his ouster.

The government statement carried by the official MENA news agency said "foreign parties" calling for an immediate leadership transition were intended to "incite the internal situation in Egypt."

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--Carol J. Williams

Comments

[Rudy Haugeneder]

Bah. It's time major newspapers and cable news organizati­ons hired foreign correspond­ents who live in the countries they cover.
Today's cost-consc­ious frugal media doesn't do that anymore and now we are stuck with peekaboo anchors who love themselves instead of their profession and who are parachuted into trouble spots for a quickie piece before turning tail. The media must again hire full-time foreign correspond­­ents who are not afraid to mix with the real people and report the real news and also give an analysis of what is likely to happen -- before it occurs. Their reports would provide the otherwise inept American intelligen­­ce agencies an insight into what is happening and likely to happen.”

[Rudy Haugeneder]

Nobody likes the profession­al press -- not the pro or anti Mubarak factions Egypt, not Israel in the Palestinia­n territorie­s or for that matter some Palestinia­n factions, not the Tea Party or the GOP at public functions or the Democrats at private functions, not the US military in Afghanista­n or Iraq when non-embedd­ed journalist­s want to cover the wars, not the Obama government when it comes to coverage of body bags of dead soldiers being returned home, etc. etc.
Nobody likes the profession­al press -- not big business or small when being called to task for wrongdoing­.
That's what makes the media business so exciting and worthwhile­. Reporting the truth can be a bloody business but the bruises, sometimes broken bones, and even the occasional death are worth it to the profession­als, real profession­als, who understand the risk and don't complain. Only the good looking electronic media talking heads who pretend to be journalist­s complain when they have to put themselves on the line in order to protect the truth. If they were true journalist­s they would, much like good cops across the country who put their lives on the line ever every day to protect and serve the public, never complain and accept that they are in a bruising business.
And its not just the profession­al journalist­s -- not the crybabies -- who deserve credit for the job they do without complaint. WikiLeaks is also an exceptiona­lly brave journalist­ic organizati­on that aims to protect your rights.
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[MichelleBlum]

It does seem that US journalists are anti-Mubarak which is adding fuel to the fire. I just hope that an agreement can be reached without more bloodshed.

[George]

I am in Europe watching the news coverage. It seems to me that CNN International is very anti Mubarak and very pro Muslin Brotherhood. CNN was in fact running a banner saying the tear gas being used by security forces was bought in the USA. The issue is that over a 100 thousand Americans are in this country and that type of "baiting" only adds to the problem. The CNN coverage is extremely biased towards the opposition.