The International Federation of Journalists is taking a shot at the United States over journalist deaths in Iraq in the wake of the Eason Jordan affair.

An excerpt from The Guardian article:

The US government was today accused of hiding behind a "culture of denial" over the deaths of at least 12 journalists who are alleged to have perished at the hands of the US military in Iraq.

Re-igniting the debate that US soldiers deliberately "targeted" journalists during the Iraqi occupation, a press freedom body called on the US to take "responsibility" for its actions in the country.

Responding to what it said was the "hounding out" of the CNN news chief, Eason Jordan, the International Federation of Journalists called on the US administration to come clean over its "mistakes" in the region.

Since US, British and other soldiers first began Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, more than 70 journalists have been killed in the country.

For another take on the issue of the U.S. military and the media in Iraq, read this csmonitor.com story. It's a great round-up on the issue.

Actually, here is some interesting stuff in the IFJ news release:

Journalists’ leaders from across Iraq this week announced a programme of action that will create a new and unified movement of journalists to combat violence against media, to foster ethical and genuinely independent journalism and to end the current cycle of political manipulation that has infected all sectors of media.

A new grouping – the Iraqi National Journalists Advisory Panel – which brings together progressive elements of the old journalists’ syndicate as well leaders of a new press union and Kurdish journalists, says the first priority is the elimination of all threats of violence against the journalists. Since the US invasion two years ago 73 media staff have been killed in the country, more than half of them Iraqi.

“For this first time the authentic and independent voice of Iraqi journalism can be heard,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary on Wednesday, announcing the new programme at a meeting in Amman on Media and Good Governance attended by governments and media experts from around the Arab world.

“This is a powerful call for a fresh start for press freedom in the country,” he said. “If our colleagues in Iraq succeed it will signal momentous change, not only for journalism in Iraq, but for media across the Arab world.”

The demands of the Iraqi journalists were hammered out at a four-day series of meetings in Brussels organised by the IFJ last weekend. The Iraqi journalists have agreed to hold a unity conference in Baghdad in April at which they will outline demands for new rules for media, a code of ethics, and urgent changes in the labour code to end what they describe as the scandalous conditions in which media staff and journalists work.

“Above all they want action and an end to worthless declarations of goodwill by well-meaning politicians,” said White. “Journalists are deeply cynical about promises of reform that are not accompanied by practical steps to confront the daily life and death crisis they face.”

The Iraqi journalists say news safety must be a top priority in building a new democratic Iraq and they have launched a new campaign called Report and Survive aimed at reducing the wave of violence against media. They are also calling for the release of media staff held hostage.

On April 8th this year they plan to hold demonstrations in towns across Iraq to protest over impunity in the killing of journalists. They say that all cases of violence, intimidation and killing of media staff must be investigated, independently and exhaustively. The date is the second anniversary of the US attack on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad in which two journalists died. These are two of 12 media deaths at the hands of US soldiers, which have yet be properly investigated and explained.

“On that day journalists around the world will once again protest over impunity secrecy over media deaths and, in particular, at the failure of the United States to take responsibility for its actions in Iraq which have led to the killing of journalists,” said White.