The Herald Sun
KIDNAPPED Australian journalist John Martinkus was attacked today by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and former hostage Steve Pratt for appearing to say that Iraqi terrorists had a reason to kill some hostages.
Mr Martinkus, who was kidnapped and interrogated for more than 20 hours in Baghdad before being freed last weekend, sparked outrage when he said of his captors: "(From their perspective) there was a reason to kill (British hostage Ken) Bigley, there was a reason to kill the Americans; there was not a reason to kill me (and) luckily I managed to convince them of that."
Mr Downer said today it was pretty much the most appalling thing any Australian had said about the Iraq war.
...
"That is exactly what people should not do; they should never, unintentionally or intentionally ... give comfort to terrorists in this way. It's a terrible thing to have said."
And so another honest journalist gets tarred and feathered in public by a politician for daring to do his job.