Why Reporters Stay in Baghdad

By: Joe Strupp While the number of journalists covering the bombing of Baghdad continues to dwindle, with editors calling some home and Iraqi officials expelling others, correspondents remaining in the war-torn city fear the worst may be yet to come. Among those is Craig Nelson of Atlanta-based Cox Newspapers, who has spent nearly four weeks in Iraq's capital, but has no plans to leave anytime soon.

"I expect to be here for at least several weeks," said Nelson, who along with Cox scribe Larry Kaplow is weathering the attacks in the Palestine Hotel along with about 150 other journalists. "I'd like to stick around until the government changes; I'm going to try to stay through that."

Asked about the two missing Newsday journalists, Matt McAllester and Moises Saman, who were reportedly expelled from Baghdad on Tuesday but have not been heard from, Nelson said he had no information on them, but believes it is actually safer in Baghdad now than on the city's outskirts. "It might be safer to hunker down than try to leave," he said. "It would be stupid to be that isolated in this country."

Nelson, who normally works out of Jerusalem for the Cox papers, said his location near the Tigris River gave him a good view of the severe bombings, some nearby. "There have been some huge bombings that shake the hotel and huge, loud explosions shake under your feet," he said during an interview Thursday via satellite phone. "I have been able to sleep through a lot of 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. bombings, I am getting used to it, but it changes every day."

Despite the ongoing bombardment, and the approach of U.S. ground troops, Nelson said life goes on close to "normal." The hotel restaurant continues to serve food, while power remains on and most other necessities are available. Rules for journalists, however, change almost daily, he said. "A week ago, the minder system was in place and you only went outside at your own risk without them," he said. "But that seems to have been thrown out the window. We are ushered around on buses sometimes when they want to show us something, sometimes with minders, sometimes without."

Nelson also said those in charge of the journalist restrictions change. He said the Ministry of Information had been overseeing when and where reporters could file stories -- then it came under the Iraq Secret Police and other security agencies. "Every day it shifts," he said. "One group or another is calling the shots. Two weeks ago, you would never call anyone from your room, now it is not as dangerous. But that can change."

Most of the 150 journalists stationed at the Palestine Hotel are anxiously awaiting the arrival of ground forces, Nelson said. "The question is, what happens when it really breaks down and militia people come out and pull out guns to protect themselves?" he said. "No one knows how fast this house of cards will fall."

As for why he is willing to stay in Baghdad through the rest of the war, Nelson calls it a "moral obligation. ... It is important to stay to see what is going to happen here." And to make sure the rest of the world knows.
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