The International Federation of Journalists is calling for a full probe into the 2003 US shelling of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad that killed two foreign journalists: Spanish cameraman Jose Couso of Telecinco and Ukrainian-born Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk. The media rights group called for the investigation after former Army Sergeant Adrienne Kinne told Democracy Now! that she saw the Palestine Hotel on a target list. At the time, Kinne was working in military intelligence. She said she knew journalists were in the hotel, because she was frequently intercepting their phone calls.

Sgt. Adrienne Kinne: “One of the instances was the fact that we were listening to journalists who were staying in the Palestine Hotel. And I remember that, specifically because during the buildup to Shock and Awe, which people in my unit were really disturbingly excited about, we were given a list of potential targets in Baghdad, and the Palestine Hotel was listed as a potential target. And I remember this specifically, because, putting one and one together, that there were journalists staying at the Palestine Hotel and this hotel was listed as a potential target.”

Aidan White of the International Federation of Journalists said, “This latest information adds to our concern that the failure to properly investigate and report on this attack is covering up the reality that the US was recklessly putting media lives at risk.”