Iraq War Anniversary Sparks Warning
February 26, 2013 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
LONDON, (UPI) — An international group monitoring the safety of foreign journalists issued a notice warning that Iraq remains a very dangerous place to work.
March 20 marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. U.S. forces in December 2011 left under the terms of a bilateral status of forces agreement. Iraq since the invasion has had a series of successful democratic elections, though internal divisions and sectarian violence have undermined the country’s progress.
The International News Safety Institute warned journalists who traveling to Iraq for the anniversary to be cautious.
“The security situation in Iraq has changed over the last 10 years and continues to change on a daily basis,” the ISNI warning reads. “Iraq remains a dangerous place to work; kidnap, bombs, targeted killings or improvised explosive devices are still a daily threat.
ISNI warns that security may deteriorate in Iraq with little advance warning, noting that worst threat may be that a journalist could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It added that, with Iraq responsible for its own security, national forces and police might not be able to respond as quickly as U.S. or other foreign forces would.
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