Posted on 06/08/2004 8:10:19 AM PDT by Eurotwit
LONDON: The BBC reporter shot nine times in an al-Qa'ida ambush in Saudi Arabia that claimed the life of his camerman remained in a coma last night.
Frank Gardner, the BBC's security correspondent, underwent further surgery yesterday after having two bullets removed from his abdomen, one from his leg and another from his hand.
A senior BBC executive said: "It was a touch and go for a while but doctors are confident he will pull through."
Saudi police are investigating suggestions the gunmen were tipped off about the presence of the BBC team in a stronghold of al-Qa'ida supporters in the capital, Riyadh.
Witnesses said Gardner and cameraman Simon Cumbers were led away from their official escorts by local people they were interviewing just as the gunmen drove past in a fast-moving Jeep and opened fire.
Cumbers died instantly after being hit in the head. Gardner was hit in the abdomen, arm, shoulder and leg. As he collapsed, he reportedly shouted out in Arabic to bystanders: "I'm a Muslim, help me."
But nobody went to his aid and the men he had been questioning were seen running away. Friends said yesterday that Gardner, a father of two and a fluent Arabic speaker with a degree in Arab and Islamic studies, had not converted to Islam but was carrying a small copy of the Koran as a device to try to reassure militants he might encounter.
Terrorists, who killed 22 people in the eastern city of Khobar 10 days ago, had questioned their victims about their religion, allowing Muslims to flee but summarily executing Westerners.
The two BBC men arrived in Saudi Arabia last week to cover the aftermath of the Khobar killings. They were ambushed on Sunday evening while filming outside the home of a notorious terrorist in the Suweidi district, a place where 15 of the 26 people on the Saudi's "most wanted list" live.
One Saudi official said yesterday: "He (Gardner) did not take any security with him and he and Mr Cumbers were seen talking to people in that street in a very dangerous area for quite some time."
At least, we know where they live.
Big bombs work well.
Daniel Pearl went to his death reaffirming his religious belief system, while Frank Gardner's last words may well be the denial of his own faith. Very sad.
But nobody went to his aid and the men he had been questioning were seen running away.
You can't fool us, we know you are an infidel...
We don't know from the article if Gardner had any faith. It indicated that he was not Muslim, but wanted a tool to persuade. If I missed the reference, please help.
Thanks.
He's slime. I'm glad he won't die but he's still slime.
Since you're not God how about cutting the guy some slack?
I'm glad to hear he isn't dead.
Is this the same guy who got the snot beat out of him in Afghanistan?
A BBC reporter lied. What are the odds on that?
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