ME AND SADDAM'S HEAVIES (David Chater says his reporting may have gotten Sky/Fox employee killed)

Sky News ^ | April 17, 2003 | David Chater

[Timesink]

Sky's Chater in Baghdad

ME AND SADDAM'S HEAVIES

First light came with gunfire throughout the city.

A fat, waxing American moon hung over Baghdad. The armoured wagons of the US Marine Corps surrounded our hotel, writes Sky's Baghdad correspondent, David Chater.

The pools of burning oil had been extinguished...but fresh flames were being set by the looters.

My last night in the Iraqi capital after three weeks of war.

Paranoia punctuated the dawn drive westwards to Jordan.

In the outskirts of the city, we passed a checkpoint still manned by the Iraqi militia.

Then through the Coalition's surrounding chokeholds where all questions were asked down the barrel of a gun.

Sleep came easily but haunted.

There was always a war within the war in Baghdad. The battleground was the Ministry of Information. The fight between the journalists and the minders.

Many Goliaths of the broadcasting world left through fear. Many others were expelled by loathing.

One image above all remains with me. Our Iraqi satellite engineer lying on a bed in the room that passed for our office.

	Chater and his crew

His face, usually animated by humour and intelligence, was drained of colour and life. He'd just been told if I made one more 'mistake' in my broadcasting, he'd pay for it with a bullet in his head...I would merely be expelled.

I still do not know if he is alive. He disappeared in the dying days of the regime looking for his wife and eight-year-old daughter.

But I'd like to pay a tribute to his courage. Like all Iraqi employees, he was dual-use. Placed in our midst to monitor and report on us. In the end, though, he turned - and became our weapon against the regime and all its restrictions.

He would rise in the early hours of the morning to send to London the pictures we'd recorded of the overnight bombing.

These images, of course, didn't exist officially. We weren't allowed to point the cameras out of our balconies.

Meeting fellow Sky man Jeremy Thompson in Baghdad

Anyone seen doing so would have their equipment confiscated and all company personnel booted out. This Orwellian nightmare was overseen by a man known to us as Haji Ali - the Sky News minder.

I paid three hundred dollars a week for the pleasure of his company. I furnished him with a hotel room. I provided him with food and transport.

He kept his Kalashnikov and semi-automatic pistol in the boot of our car. His father owned several thousand acres of orange groves near the Iranian border and a photograph of him being embraced by Saddam Hussein.

Haji Ali was a two-edged sword. Many times, he cut through all bureaucracy to take us to the front-line-to the areas and stories no other broadcaster was reaching. But many times, his sword was turned against me.

	Filing live from the scene

Passionate-volatile-a Ba'athist from his substantial belly to his considerable bottom - he cut my satellite phone transmissions, shut down our camera and threatened to smash it, time and again.

He'd stand next to me like a shadow during my live crosses to the studio in London.

If I mentioned Iraq fighting for its national dignity or the increasing toll of civilian casualties, he'd take off his sunglasses and wipe the tears from his eyes.

Then his fist would punch the air in anger at what he called the grossly-biased propaganda in the line of questioning from the Sky studio.

This, too, was my fault, my responsibility. He was the knife-edge on which Sky's presence in Baghdad hung.

We never said goodbye. He sensibly ran as soon as the American tanks were seen on the banks of the Tigris.

I hope he was watching my live report when the US Marine Corps checked into the Palestine Hotel.

The technology we used to broadcast those pictures to the world was hidden in a cupboard only feet away from the table where we used to feed him breakfast every day.

Last Updated: 12:41 UK, Thursday April 17, 2003

[martin_fierro]

The Iraqi satellite engineer sounds like a decent enough sort, but I'm not shedding any tears for Haji Ali -- that a$$hole bet on the wrong horse.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Great article. David Chater was like a man unchained the morning our tanks rolled into Baghdad (and he was freed from his minder)...running from tank to tank, soldier to soldier...asking excitedly how they felt.

How anyone could report anti-coalition propaganda just to stay near the action is still not something I can understand. Not from CNN, or NY Times...or BBC, but Mr. Chater, he made up for his moments of "mindered" anti-Americanism on Apr. 9th in Baghdad, imho.

[thedugal]

I agree.

[bvw]

What a happy day that was for him, and shared with everyone too!

[valleygal]

Being naive as I can sometimes be, I actually thought David Chater was anti-coaliton when listening to his reports. Then the morning of the 9th came and he filled the world in on what he'd been through. I had no idea. I felt a little stupid.

But Bagdad Bob never had me fooled, LOL!

[Nick Danger]

I actually thought David Chater was anti-coaliton when listening to his reports. Then the morning of the 9th came

I think this is the guy I remembered from a weird interview on Fox News. The Fox anchor asked him some question, and his answer was total gibberish. But the whole time he was talking, he kept glancing over to the left, very obviously signaling that there was "someone there" and he was not in a position to speak freely. It was really a cool thing he did there.

[whadizit]

"I actually thought David Chater was anti-coalition..."

So did I. I even sent FOX an e-mail demanding they fire that anti-war, anti-coalition traitor! Boy, was I wrong. I sent them an apology.

I had witnessed Shep getting flustered trying to argue the merits of the war when Chater kept defending Saddam.

Actually, I do not know why FOX and others were not TELLING US WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES! I blame them for the deception - just like CNN!

[nutmeg]

Being naive as I can sometimes be, I actually thought David Chater was anti-coaliton when listening to his reports. Then the morning of the 9th came and he filled the world in on what he'd been through. I had no idea. I felt a little stupid.

Same here. However, Chater's interviews with the US Marines on the morning of 9th - once he was "free" - were absolutely priceless!

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping!

Many of you may remember David Chater's reports from pre-liberated Baghdad on Fox News.

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent FoxFan list.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[StarFan]

Yes, I remember his reports and wanted to hit the mute button whenever he was on. I can now understand why he did what he did. Thanks for the ping nutmeg.