CNN airs Terrorist "Snuff" Film

GOP Congressman Wants CNN's Embedded Reporters Pulled Over Insurgent Sniper Video

The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is calling on the Pentagon to remove CNN reporters who are embedded with American combat troops after the news network aired a video showing insurgent snipers targeting U.S. soldiers, AP reports. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California said in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday (October 20th), "CNN has now served as the publicist for an enemy propaganda film featuring the killing of an American soldier." The letter was also signed by fellow GOP members of the House from California Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray. Bilbray called the footage, quote, "nothing short of a terrorist snuff film."

In the video aired last week on Anderson Cooper 360, a U.S. solider is shown milling in a public place with Iraqis before a shot rings out. CNN then fades the screen to black but describes what happens -- the victim falling forward. CNN spokesperson Laurie Goldberg defended airing the footage, saying, "Our responsibility is to report the news. As an organization, we stand by our decision and respect the rights of others to disagree with it." In a blog entry last Thursday (October 19th) -- before Hunter sent the letter to the Pentagon -- CNN producer David Doss said the video was aired in an effort to present the, quote, "unvarnished truth" about the Iraq war.

*UPDATE*

Video: Hunter asks Blitzer, “Does CNN want America to win this thing?”