The ranking distinguishes behaviour at home and abroad in the cases of the United States and Israel. They are ranked in 31st and 44th positions respectively as regards respect for freedom of expression on their own territory, but they fall to the 135th and 146th positions as regards behaviour beyond their borders.
The Israeli army's repeated abuses against journalists in the occupied territories and the US army's responsibility in the death of several reporters during the war in Iraq constitute unacceptable behaviour by two nations that never stop stressing their commitment to freedom of expression.
There are many other countries that rank below the U.S. and Israel (Cuba and North Korea are at the bottom of the list), however, the U.S. is supposedly trying to increase democracy and freedom in the Middle East. It is apparent that it is not doing so by setting an example.
The Bush administration has always tried to control the flow of information so as to present the "war on terrorism" in a favorable light. They have increasingly been tightening their control on information while complaining that the press is not "fair" by focusing only on the negative in Iraq. NPR has reported that the US is no longer providing reports of incidents of soldiers getting wounded unless a fatality was involved. The WSWS is also reporting that the Bush administration is banning coverage of coffins returning from Iraq. In another effort, fake letters from US troops claiming that "The majority of the city [of Kirkuk] has welcomed our presence with open arms." The letters were apparently written by military officials and some were sent out to newspapers signed without the soldiers knowledge.
Related articles:
- Second world press freedom rankings (Reporters Without Borders, October 2003)
- White House bans news coverage of coffins returning from Iraq (World Socialist Web Site, October 23, 2003)
- U.S. troops blindly used as PR for war in Iraq (JS Online, October 15, 2003)
