by TChris

Iraqi journalists who try to report the diversity of opinion in Iraqi society complain of harassment and censorship by the United States and coalition forces. U.S. forces have detained eight journalists since March. Two of the journalists followed insurgents for a few days to write about their lives; they're now said to be security risks.

"We were living without press freedom during Saddam Hussein's regime and today there is not much difference. Journalists are being held by US forces for doing their job when they write about opposing views," Kamal Aidan, a senior official from the IAJ, told IRIN in Baghdad.

So much for the spread of American-style democracy and freedom.

"We cannot write with freedom anymore because if you write against them [US forces and Iraqi government] you are going to be considered automatically against them and face the possibility of being closed down. The safety of journalists and press freedom should be at the top of the agenda for action in the coming months to guarantee our freedom in writing and transmitting true news," editor of a local Iraqi newspaper called al-Baghdadi, Abdullah Kareem, told IRIN.