Posted on 08/11/2006 6:27:12 PM PDT by pitinkie
TYRE, Lebanon (AP) - After hours of digging in the blistering heat, Salam Daher emerged from the wreckage with the body of a 9-month-old baby, a blue pacifier still pinned to its nightshirt.
Daher, a member of the civil defense for 20 years, has been photographed with bodies of the dead in two wars now - first in 1996 and most recently with the baby on July 30 -- both times after Israeli attacks in the village of Qana six miles southeast of the city.
For that reason, some Web sites have labeled him the "Green Helmet," and accused him of being a member of the Hezbollah guerrilla group, and of showing off bodies as propaganda.
"But that isn't true," he told The Associated Press. He is not affiliated with any party, he said. "I am just a civil defense worker. I have done this job all my life."
When bombs strike, he said he is often the one who takes the phone call alerting the civil defense to an emergency, and he is often part of the first team to reach the site.
The baby at Qana died when Israeli missiles slammed into a house - a response, Israel said, to rockets that Hezbollah fired from nearby.
Bloggers have accused rescue workers and volunteers of showing off victims for the media.
Ten years ago, on April 18, 1996, Daher was one of the first to arrive in Qana after Israeli artillery slammed into a U.N. compound where 800 Lebanese had taken shelter.
In 1996, he moved to Tyre, a city where Hezbollah's influence is weaker than other parts of the south because of the power of more secular Shiite parties.
(Excerpt) Read more at home.bellsouth.net ...
I've seen three names for GHG. Abdel Qatar, Abu Chadi, and now Salam Daher. I wonder what his REAL name is.
Bullsh**.
L
I thought it was from the Onion at first...
Wonder if Lebanon even has a funded civil defense program?
Watch him get busted.
GHG "No, it's not true I work for Hezbollah. I work for more sophisticated terrorist propagandists: Al Reuters and Al AP.
Green Helmet Guy...proudly spinning Islamoganda since 1996!
This is scrappleface, right?
I saw that!! I just bought some of cafepress' GHG tshirts!!!!
ITS REAL!!!
What a hero! sigh.........
needs to be put on trial for Treason. If this isn't giving aid and comfort to our enemies I don't know what is.
Agree..I couldnt believe I got this up first!
I would prefer a military Tribunal than a firing squad.
He means he has been a movie director all his life...lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.