I was talking to an American friend of mine and she was all like we are a democracy, we have free press.

Well free press, my ass!

Donald Rumsfeld pressured the CNN into not displaying images of captured US PoWs.

Now I quote,

"It was a powerful insight into the enormous sway that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon exert over the media's war coverage. All stations that morning were in intense competition for Mr Rumsfeld and other major figures to appear.

Before the capture of the POWs, the media had little hesitation in running graphic pictures of surrendering, captured, dead or dying Iraqi soldiers, usually accompanied by US statements that large numbers of Iraqi troops were unwilling to fight for Saddam Hussein.

But the censorship of the POWs highlighted starkly what is and is not acceptable news on the war.

Virtually uncovered in the media are Iraqi civilian casualties. While all the networks ran the "shock and awe" bombing of Baghdad, scant coverage was given to the wounded. This was despite public statements from the International Red Cross giving figures for the injured.

And while Al-Jazeera has cameras in Basra where Iraqi casualties are more apparent, little of this footage is seen in the US.
The US networks run acres of material from "embedded" correspondents on ships as they fire off Tomahawks, from air bases waving off fighters, and from infantry forces firing off artillery. But there is little commentary or discussion of what happens when this ordinance hits."

Shame on you, Mr. Rumsfeld! Shame on your, Mr. Bush!

Another site suffers American censorship...
Kevin Sites, the CNN's correspondent in Iraq's personal blog has been suspended.