Iraqi defense minister denies arresting killers of female journalist

[leftchick]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/18/content_4317330.htm

BAGHDAD, March 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun al-Dulami denied on Saturday an earlier report which said Iraqi forces had arrested six people suspected of killing a female journalist of the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV channel.

"This report is not correct and is not issued by minister Saadoun al-Dulami," the Defense Ministry office said in a statement obtained by Xinhua.

"The Iraqi forces have arrested six terrorists who committed the murder of two journalists of the state-run Iraqiya television," the statement said.

"The six detainees, arrested six days ago, will be put for public view on television soon," it added.

Earlier, the al-Arabiya TV channel reported that the six detainees were suspects for the killing of its female journalist Atwar Bahjat in the northern Iraqi town of Samarra on Feb. 22. The report also said that the suspects were arrested during the ongoing U.S.-Iraqi joint offensive, dubbed "Operation Swarmer", in Samarra.

[maddezmom]

1. info probably put out by our own propaganda machine

DOD :eyes:

[maddezmom]

2. CNNI still running the story that 6 in custody and have confessed