Freelancer James Palmer covers the Iraqi journalists who defied al Qaeda

With humility I pass on this lovely yarn that appeared in my own paper, the story of the 55 Iraqi journalists of Radio Dilja, an indepedent station formerly of Baghdad, who fought off al Qaeda attackers and then, after the thugs returned and burned their station to the ground, trekked 225 miles north to relocate in Sulaymaniya, a peaceful city in Kurdish country.

The story is the work of James Palmer, who writes that:

“According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 97 Iraqi journalists have been killed in the past 55 months.” I feel really cheesy now and will have to share this mea culpa with the poor editor who endured my complaint.”

 Palmer’s tale of courage in the pursuit of our craft serves as a gentle remonstrance for those of us in bitch and moan brigade, in which I hold the rank of commander. Indeed my most recent kvetch may still reverberate through my newsroom – something to the effect of how am I supposed to analyze a new device when the manufacturer has been slow to return my calls. The poor editor who had to endure that complaint told me it was weak. I shall have to email him today with my belated thanksgiving that that is the worst I have to bark about.