More Dangerous Than They Report

[Memo from Newsday editor Tony Marro]

Subject: Message from Tony Marro about Iraq

Dear Colleagues:

As most of you know, we've not had any direct contact with Matt McAllester or Moises Saman, our staffers in Baghdad, since Monday afternoon, our time. What we've been told by other journalists in Baghdad is that late Monday night or early Tuesday morning they, along with a number of other journalists -- we're not sure of the number -- apparently were told that they were being expelled from the country.

We have not been able to have any direct communication since then with either them or with the Iraqi authorities. From what we've been able to piece together from other reporters and photographers in Baghdad, the individuals in the group were told they were being expelled because they had inappropriate or expired visas. We don't know what the situation was with the others, but in the case of Matt and Moises they originally had
entered with limited visas, but then had been officially accredited as visiting journalists by the Iraqi Ministry of Information.

So far as we know, they are not under formal detention, but have been told that they and the others would be taken overland to the border -- it was not clear whether it was to be Jordan or Syria -- accompanied by two officials from the information ministry and then expelled from the country.

We're all very concerned, of course, and are doing everything we can to try to get more information. One journalist who had been rounded up with that group and then allowed to return to the hotel apparently told colleagues that the group was being well treated, and was expected to leave Baghdad this morning. But it's not clear at this point whether the expulsion in fact has taken place.

Tony Marro

(Via Romenesko)

Matt Welch was kind enough to send me this info so I wouldn't read it in the morning papers. No matter how you get it, it sucks. I don't know Matthew McAllester well but first met him in Yugoslavia during the U.S. Kosovo-inspired bombing. He is one hell of a guy and a great reporter. And Moises is a friend, a brilliant photog and one of our good buddies in the NYC photo crowd. Lord, I hope they are ok.

There is a wire story about them too.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two journalists working for the U.S. newspaper Newsday in Baghdad have not been heard from for two days, after Iraqi officials rounded up several foreign-based journalists for expulsion from the country, the daily said on Wednesday.

DAMN!

Last night I meet an editor from a news wire. Over a few beers I heard some really scary stories about a few photogs covering Iraq. They were ambushed, cars shot up, hiding in the desert and finally rescued by the U.S. military. Details to come when I find them.

But I had no idea how bad it was out there. War is always a dangerous story to cover but Iraq sounds like hell.

My thoughts and prayers with them.