Marines raid journo's hotel

2003-04-15 20:53

Baghdad - Masked US marines who said they were searching for weapons raided rooms at a prominent Baghdad media hotel on Tuesday, fuelling rising tensions between the military and press here.

A marine spokesperson said the raids at the Palestine Hotel, where many journalists and the military have set up base, were in response to "reliable intelligence reports".

Jean-Paul Mari, a journalist with the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur said three marines entered his room and ordered him at gunpoint to lie on the floor.

He said the marines, in full body armour and wearing balaclavas, checked his press accreditation papers then searched his room.

"It lasted 10 minutes," he told AFP.

Soon after the marines left another marine entered his room and apologised but then more troops arrived and searched his room a second time.

Shingo Kinawa, of the Japanese-based Kyodo news service, said his offices in the hotel had also been searched.

"They explained they were searching for a cache of arms," he said.

Marine public affairs officer Corporal John Hoellwarth said room searches were conducted after reports were received by military intelligence, but he would not elaborate.

"We reacted to security concerns that arose from intelligence reports. The marines are always ready to protect the security of journalists, Iraqi civilians and marines on the hotel premises," he said.

The raids came amid rising tensions between the marines and the media, with claims that troops are hampering efforts by the press to cover anti-American protests by Iraqis. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA