Pip Hinman
Author and filmmaker John Martinkus, who was kidnapped in Baghdad by Iraqi resistance fighters on October 16, has been accused by foreign minister Alexander Downer of deliberately putting himself in danger, and of "giving comfort" to "terrorists".
Martinkus was released unharmed 20 hours after he was detained. He says he was released because he managed to convince his captors that he was not part of the "Coalition of the Willing", he did not support the US-led occupation of Iraq and that his assignment in Iraq was to report objectively on the war.
Before Martinkus had arrived back in Australia, Downer accused him of ignoring advice not to visit dangerous areas. Martinkus, who has been to Iraq several times before, denies this. He told SBS's Dateline program on October 20 that he was captured in a "secure" area, near the Australian embassy in Baghdad.
"I was taken", he said, "in an area that the Australian military is supposed to be responsible for securing." He added that "for this [kidnap] to happen in that area means they've had a serious breach of security... If it's not safe there, it's not safe anywhere."
Martinkus is demanding an apology from Downer.
Downer's criticism of Martinkus was followed by a ferocious piece of vilification by the Melbourne Sun-Herald's notorious right-wing ranter, Andrew Bolt. In an October 20 piece titled "How to keep ahead", Bolt complained that Martinkus was released because he convinced his captors that he "was on their side".
"Reporters in Iraq tend to see the worst of America and the best of its enemies", he whined, adding that Martinkus and Michael Ware, the Australian journalist working for Time magazine, do not report on "the terrorists trying to kill democracy in Iraq".
Downer went even further in attacking Martinkus the next day — accusing him of "having a particular political axe to grind" and of "giving comfort to terrorists". In fact, Martinkus is one of the few journalists in Iraq to have reported objectively on the war. Most journalists there are acting as propaganda mouthpieces for the US military; only a few dare tell the truth, and for that they get vilified.
Martinkus made it clear to Dateline that he does not support the Iraqi resistance fighters' tactics — which have included beheadings of hostages — towards foreign workers, and that he even tried to shoot one of his captors in self-defence. But he also said he could understand that, "from their perspective, anybody, Iraqi or a foreign national, who works with the coalition is a combatant, is a justified target in their campaign to basically terrorise the foreign presence there into leaving".
He said that his capture had been well planned; he had been followed for three days after he had visited the International Zone (formerly called the "Green Zone") — the heavily fortified home of the US embassy and the US-appointed interim Iraqi government. He said his captors were Iraqi resistance fighters or mujaheddin.
"[Their] intention was to capture me. And there really wasn't very much I could do. We were in the car, we couldn't go forward, we couldn't go backwards. I was yelling at the driver to reverse regardless, you know, smash into the car — do something to attract attention — we were so close to the Australian guards at the Australian embassy."
Two armed men tried to get into Martinkus' car, pulling on the door so hard, the handle came off in Martinkus' hand. He then tried to wrestle them, attempting to grab a gun. "I had both hands on top of his hands and I was forcing the gun down, into his crotch basically, and I was trying to shoot it because, as far as I could tell, these guys were gonna kill me."
Martinkus was taken to various locations and repeatedly interrogated. He said this was extremely scary because the questions were all double-edged. "They asked me ... if I supported their methods and, of course, I don't support beheading, nobody does."
Eventually, he was made to sit blindfolded on a small stool in front of his armed captors, one of whom read out a statement that was videotaped. He thought he was about to be killed. Later his translator told him that the statement explained why he was going to be released.
According to Dateline anchor Mike Carey, a Google search by his captors may also have worked in Martinkus' favour. Having reported on other war zones — notably East Timor and Aceh — Martinkus is no novice when it comes to objective reporting. He's not afraid to describe just how oppression creates resistance — a theme of his new book, Travels in American Iraq.
Contrary to comments made by the Iraqi security minister, being Australian didn't help Martinkus. He said that his captors were "very aware" of Australia's role in the occupying coalition, saying: "They're not mad killers, they're thinking people who are trying to wage a campaign."
[John Martinkus' recent footage from Iraq will be shown on Dateline on October 27 at 8.30pm.]
From Green Left Weekly, October 27, 2004.
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