Attacks on Journalists Continue in Cairo

Updated: ABC News reporter threatened with beheading

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/3/2011 1:08:36 PM

As violence continues to escalate between pro and anti-government demonstrators in the Egyptian capital, more journalists are being attacked as they try to cover the scene in Cairo.

ABC News reported that a group of Egyptian men carjacked one of its news crews and threatened to behead them Thursday as they traveled on a road leaading from the Cairo airport to downtown. Correspondent Brian Hartman, cameraman Akram Abi-hanna and two other ABC News employees were surrounded and saved only by the appeal of Abi-hanna, who is Lebanese.

"The men released us only after our camera man appealed to the generous spirit of the Egyptian people, hugging and kissing an elder," Hartman tweeted ashortly after the incident.

"We are assessing the security situation literally on a minute to minute basis," said Jeffrey Schneider, senior vice president of ABC News in a statement. "Our priority is to ensure the safety of all of our staff in the field."

Time reported Thursday that Lara Logan, CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent, and her crew have been detained in Cairo by Egyptian police. A CBS News spokeman declined to comment on the report.

Earlier today, Fox News Channel foreign correspondent Greg Palkot and producer Olaf Wiig were severely injured and hospitalized, according to a Deadline report. Palkot was reportedly beaten badly while covering the protests in Cairo, with Wiig suffering a possible broken jaw.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper tweeted Thursday that the vehicle he was in was attacked and its window smashed, although everyone was OK. Supporters of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak attacked Cooper and his crew yesterday, punching Cooper in the face before he was able to retreat.

Al Jazeera was reporting that people were "loitering outside the hotels where many reporters are staying, shouting at (and sometimes attacking) anyone with equipment." As a result, it said, "hotel lobbies are filled with journalists and camera crews wearing bandages." 

ABC's Christiane Amanpour also reported being attacked by a mob Wednesday.