CNN footage of sniper killing in Iraq draws controversy

A CNN video clip showing an Iraqi insurgent sniper killing an American soldier was drawing criticism in the United State, as Republican lawmakers called for the ouster of CNN reporters from U.S. troops in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday.

Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, along with two other lawmakers representing California in the House, wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, calling the footage "nothing short of a terrorist snuff film," the report said.

The U.S. news network has become "the publicist for an enemy propaganda film" by broadcasting the video obtained from an insurgent group, Hunter was quoted as saying Friday in San Diego, California.

He called for the Pentagon to oust any CNN reporter "embedded" with U.S. troops in Iraq, saying the average American Marine or soldier would conclude that CNN is not on their side after seeing that film.

CNN said it broadcast the brief video to show the threat that insurgent snipers posed to U.S. troops.

The footage was shown first on the network's "Anderson Cooper 360" program, and then on several news shows. It remained on its website Friday.

The White House was apparently disappointed with the showing of the footage, as spokesman Tony Snow said the insurgents were hoping to "break the will of the American people" by giving the video to CNN.

Snow reportedly said at his regular news briefing in Washington that the video was misleading because it made it appear that Americans were "sitting ducks" and that insurgents were winning the war.

The Pentagon had no comment on the video.

Source: Xinhua