kˌɑːiːkˈaɪɹoʊ mˈætsuːɹə, dᵻɹˈɛktɚdʒˈɛnɚɹəl ʌv ʌnˈɛskoʊ, ˈɪʃuːd ɐ stˈeɪtmənt, "ðə dˈɛθ tˈoʊl ɐmˌʌŋ mˈiːdiːə pˌɜːsənˈɛl, bˈoʊθ nˈæʃənəl ænd ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl, ɪn ɪɹˈæk hɐz ɹˈiːtʃt tɹˈuːli ɐlˈɑːɹmɪŋ lˈɛvəlz.
Koïchiro Matsuura, director-general of UNESCO, issued a statement, "The death toll among media personnel, both national and international, in Iraq has reached truly alarming levels.