From an email today, sent by FAIR - Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
Media analysis, critiques and activism

ACTION ALERT:
TV Not Concerned by Cluster Bombs, DU:
"That's just the way life is in Iraq"

May 6, 2003

"Media have been quick to declare the U.S. war against Iraq a success, but
in-depth investigative reporting about the war's likely health and
environmental consequences has been scarce. Two important issues getting
shortchanged in the press are the U.S.'s controversial use of cluster
bombs and depleted uranium weapons.

"According to a May 5 search of the Nexis database, there have been no
in-depth reports about cluster bombs on ABC, CBS or NBC's nightly news
programs since the start of the war. There have been, however, a few
passing mentions of cluster bombs-- enough so that viewers may be aware of
their existence. Not so with depleted uranium. Since the beginning of
the year, the words "depleted uranium" have not been uttered once on ABC
World News Tonight, CBS Evening News or NBC Nightly News, according to
Nexis ...

"Human Rights Watch -- which warned for months of the danger and possible
illegality of using cluster bombs near populated areas-- has likewise
argued (4/25/03) that "U.S. claims that cluster munitions have not caused
significant damage to civilians in Iraq are highly misleading." The group
has criticized the U.S. and Britain for failing to "come clean" about how
many cluster bombs were dropped and where, so that civilians can be
protected (4/29/03).

"The repercussions of the U.S. and British use of cluster bombs and
depleted uranium weapons will be felt in Iraq for a long time to come. It
is essential that U.S. media push for a full accounting on these issues
from the Pentagon.

ACTION:
Please ask ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly news
to seriously investigate the U.S.'s use of cluster bombs and depleted
uranium in Iraq.

ABC's World News Tonight
Phone: 212-456-4040
mailto:PeterJennings@abcnews.com

CBS Evening News
Phone: 212-975-3691
mailto:evening@cbsnews.com

NBC Nightly News
Phone: 212-664-4971
mailto:nightly@nbc.com

As always, please remember that your comments are taken more seriously if
you maintain a polite tone. Please cc fair@fair.org with your
correspondence.

For more information, see:
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, " Iraqi cancers, birth defects blamed on
U.S. depleted uranium":
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/95178_du12.shtml

Human Rights Watch's resources about cluster bombs:
http://www.hrw.org/arms/clusterbombs.php"

See also
Iraq Body Count | Comment & Analysis
HOW MANY CIVILIANS WERE KILLED BY CLUSTER BOMBS?
"The Pentagon says 1: Iraq Body Count says at least 200.