Israeli Journalists Claim Mistreatment By US Military

by spi

Wed, Apr 2, 2003 7:37PM

JERUSALEM -- Two Israeli journalists expelled from Iraq by the U.S. military said Sunday that American troops mistreated them during 72 hours of detention, denying them food and water and making them stand overnight in the cold.

Dan Scemama of Israel TV's Channel One and Boaz Bismuth of the Yediot Ahronot daily were traveling without accreditation with U.S. forces and two Portuguese journalists when they were taken into custody Tuesday night about 60 miles south of Baghdad.

Scemama said Sunday that the four were denied food and water for extended periods, forced to stand in a cold tent in silence for an entire night and said one of the Portuguese journalists was beaten by five U.S. soldiers.

Scemama said he, Bismuth, and Luis Castro and Victor Silva of Radio Televisao Portuguesa were accused of being spies when taken into custody.

"They made us lie on the ground with our face in the sand for hours before we were given a thorough body search," he told Israel Radio. He said he and the others were then locked in their jeep for 24 hours outside the base.

Scemama said one of the Portuguese journalists was beaten, thrown to the floor and kicked after pleading with soldiers to be allowed to call his wife.

Jose Rodrigues dos Santos, news director of the Portuguese station, said last week that Castro and Silva were mistreated by U.S. forces.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Lapan has said the four posed a security threat to U.S. soldiers, but said there was no indication of mistreatment. The matter is under investigation, he said.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=War%20Israel%20Journalists

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