Both left the international agency because the U.S.-dominated Security Council made it impossible to get adequate food and medicines to needy Iraqis. Having served in Baghdad until last year, Von Sponeck insisted that reporting on Iraq is not complicated. Several eye witnesses, including Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit, described the seriousness of the food and health problems in Iraq. We need the leverage of an aroused public to break the communication embargo. He said that there is often too little time for analysis of events.
Journalists go from one bombing to another.
None of the speakers defended the Iraqi leader. He also pointed out that the media have generally lost sight of the fact that Iraq is an important country in the Middle East, with a significant culture. Our children will need to talk tomorrow with the children who are being bombed today. They agreed that accuracy and accountability are essential in dealing with the secular media and that credibility as a reliable source is essential. They also acknowledged the importance of coordinating their networks and sharing information and resources.