‘The truth would be lost altogether’

Two more journalists were killed in action in Iraq on Monday, making it a total of 71 so far.

Iraq has become a dangerous place for journalists and many news organizations are either contemplating of pulling out their journalists or thinking twice about sending anyone there.

This causes much concern as with fewer journalists in place, the outside world will have much less chance of knowing the full truth of what is happening in the embattled country.

As it is Western journalists are mainly confined to the protective area of Green zone while reporting from Iraq. War correspondent Rageh Omaar describes this as a “small fraud” committed by journalists reporting from this safe zone.

He says: “Some of us... are engaged in some kind of a small fraud on the British public, the readers and viewers. When a broadcaster says Rageh Omaar reports now from Baghdad it's actually not wholly true, as I haven't shot the pictures because it's far too dangerous and I haven't been to visit the different areas because it's too dangerous."

However Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, in an article written in the Guardian today, articulates that it is important for journalists to continue to be in Iraq.

Otherwise, he says: “another bit of the truth is chipped away and the picture of what is really happening in Iraq becomes even vaguer than it is now…Whatever remains of the truth would be lost altogether.”

Read Ghaith Abdul-Ahad's full article - Iraq needs journalists - here.