Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Journalists Accuse U.S. Soldiers of Negligence in Shooting of Cameraman (who appeared to have RPG)
AP News ^ | Aug 18, 03 | Tarek Al-Issawi

Posted on 08/18/2003 7:05:29 AM PDT by xzins

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Fellow journalists accused U.S. troops of negligence in the shooting death of a a Reuters cameraman, saying he was clearly identified as a newsman when a tank opened fire at him.

Mazen Dana, 41, was shot and killed by U.S. soldiers Sunday while videotaping near a U.S.-run prison on the outskirts of Baghdad. The U.S. Army said its soldiers mistook his camera for a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

The film Dana shot showed a tank driving toward him. Six shots were heard, and the camera appeared to tilt forward and drop to the ground after the first shot.

Dana was working outside the Abu Ghraib prison after a mortar attack there Sunday in which six prisoners were killed and about 60 wounded. Witnesses said Dana was dressed in civilian clothes.

"We were all there, for at least half an hour. They knew we were journalists. After they shot Mazen, they aimed their guns at us. I don't think it was accident. They are very tense. They are crazy," said Stephan Breitner of France 2 television.

Breitner said soldiers tried to resuscitate Dana but failed.

"They are young soldiers and they don't understand what is happening," Breitner said.

Dana's driver, Munzer Abbas, said Dana had got out of the car when he saw the tanks approaching.

"We saw a tank, 50 meters away. I heard six shots and Mazen fell to the ground. One of the soldiers started shouting at us, but when he knew we were journalists, he softened. One of the soldiers told us they thought Mazen carrying a rocket-propelled grenade," said Abbas.

"There were many journalists around. They knew we were journalists. This was not an accident," he said.

Reuters quoted soundman Nael al-Shyoukhi, who was with Dana, as saying that the U.S. soldiers "saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission.

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," al-Shyoukhi said.

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

"I cried at the soldier, telling him you killed a journalist. They shouted at me and asked me to step back and I said 'I will step back but please help, please help and stop the bleed.'"

He said they tried to help him but Dana was bleeding heavily.

"Mazen took a last breath and died before my eyes."

At the Reuters headquarters in Baghdad, the mood was gloomy, and journalists from different organizations converged to express condolences. Dana's camera lay on the floor in the editing room.

"Mazen was one of Reuters' finest cameramen and we are devastated by his loss. He was a brave and an award winning journalist who had worked in many of the world's hotspots," said Stephen Jukes, Reuters' global head of news, in a statement.

A U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity that American soldiers saw Dana from a distance and mistook him for an Iraqi guerrilla, so they opened fire. When the soldiers came closer, they realized Dana was a journalist, the official said.

"This is clearly another tragic incident, it is extremely regrettable," Central Command spokesman Sgt. Maj. Lewis Matson said.

Dana's death brings to 13 the number of journalists who were killed in Iraq since the start of the war on March 20. Two Independent Television News journalists, cameraman Fred Nerac of France and translator Hussein Osman of Lebanon, have been missing since shooting incident March 22 in southern Iraq in which correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed.

An outspoken critic of the Israeli government's treatment of journalists, Dana was honored by the Committee to Protect Journalists with an International Press Freedom Award in November 2001 for his work covering conflict in his hometown of Hebron in the West Bank. He was shot at least three times in 2000, according to the citation on the group's web site.

Dana was married and had four children.

"Words and images are a public trust and for this reason I will continue with my work regardless of the hardships, even if it costs me my life," Dana said after accepting the award.

"He was committed to covering the story wherever it was and he was an inspiration to friends and colleagues at Reuters and throughout the industry," said Jukes.

Abbas, the driver, recalled how Dana was telling al-Shyoukhi of the war stories he had covered over the years.

"He said he wanted to take a shot of the prison from a house with a vantage point. Nael told him to be careful because of the Americans. Mazen said he wasn't too worried as long as they don't shoot him."

AP-ES-08-18-03 0733EDT



TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: attack; engagement; fire; foreign; iraq; journalists; mazendana; military
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
The U.S. Army said its soldiers mistook his camera for a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. .....A U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity that American soldiers saw Dana from a distance and mistook him for an Iraqi guerrilla

It was a hot engagement area. The cameraman aimed at the troops.

Our troops did exactly the right thing.

We should always return fire when fired upon. If everyone gets used to that, they'll clear out when the terrorists show up to begin shooting. They need to believe that we will ALWAYS return fire.

1 posted on 08/18/2003 7:05:30 AM PDT by xzins
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: xzins
A Betacam on the shoulder looks very much like an RPG. The round lens looks like the round projectile, the front grip looks very much like the grip on the RPG.

It's a danger any vidographer faces in a war area. We never raised the cameras until we knew they knew who we were. It especially helped to have US troops in area, near/with you.
2 posted on 08/18/2003 7:09:54 AM PDT by MindBender26 (For more news as it happens, stay tuned to your local FReeper station.........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
Exactly. Well said. Removing most of the mischief-making press from Iraq would be the best thing we could for the troops, the military leaders and the newly freed Iraqis.

Our enemies would be saddened, though.

3 posted on 08/18/2003 7:12:43 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl (* It is not the critic who counts; * who points out how the strong man stumbles. - T. Roosevelt *)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins

What???  OUTRAGEOUS!  Our troops are clearly crazy. 

War should be a quick, clear, clean thing.  No one should expect to be killed in a hot combat zone.

 

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

4 posted on 08/18/2003 7:14:11 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel ("Fire can be our servant, whether it's toasting S'mores or raining down on Charlie"-Pcpl Skinner)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
If its that bad then why don't the journalists leave Iraq?All they are doing is degrading our troops,reporting false news and using this in a negative way to trash Bush.
5 posted on 08/18/2003 7:15:00 AM PDT by INSENSITIVE GUY
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
It's time to make "blaze orange" mandatory for journalists and photographers working in combat zones.
6 posted on 08/18/2003 7:16:26 AM PDT by Crowcreek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
"There were many journalists around. They knew we were journalists. This was not an accident," he said.

If they did it deliberatly you'd all be dead, you moron. One shot and that vehicle and everyone in it would have been a smoking hole. Good grief, you go into a combat area, get out of a car and aim something at a tank and then act surprised when that something is taken out, along with the guy aiming it.

7 posted on 08/18/2003 7:17:04 AM PDT by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
nah.. doesn't look like suspicious at all.
8 posted on 08/18/2003 7:19:40 AM PDT by Pikamax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MindBender26
If you're going to go into an engagement area, then expect it to be dangerous.

I remember the incident during the race to Baghdad when journalists appeared to be shielding those who were attacking our troops by permitting them to fire from behind them.

If you lift anything to your shoulder in an engagement area, then you should expect to be fired upon.
9 posted on 08/18/2003 7:20:13 AM PDT by xzins (In the Beginning was the Word)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: xzins
picture of a man holding a betacam:

http://www.rondexter.com/professional/intertial_camera_stabilization/beta_cam_rig.htm

picture of a man holding an rpg-7v:

http://www.emergency.com/2001/taleban-rpg-7.jpg

its possible that someone could mistake a shoulder-held camera as an rpg.
10 posted on 08/18/2003 7:21:58 AM PDT by GodfearingTexan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
He was shot at least three times in 2000, according to the citation on the group's web site.

Dana was married and had four children.

"Words and images are a public trust and for this reason I will continue with my work regardless of the hardships, even if it costs me my life," Dana said after accepting the award.

I feel very sorry for the wife and children he left behind. But he clearly put his work and fame before his family.

11 posted on 08/18/2003 7:21:59 AM PDT by VoiceOfBruck (please disregard what i just said. i didn't mean it. what i meant to say was)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
Looks very suspicious to me, and especially as the distance increases. :>)

The notion that the troops deliberately aimed at them is most like PRECISELY true. If you look like you're engaging them, I HOPE they deliberately aim at you.
12 posted on 08/18/2003 7:23:53 AM PDT by xzins (In the Beginning was the Word)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GodfearingTexan
I agree. It looks very similar to me.
13 posted on 08/18/2003 7:25:20 AM PDT by xzins (In the Beginning was the Word)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: INSENSITIVE GUY
" If its that bad then why don't the journalists leave Iraq?All they are doing is degrading our troops,reporting false news and using this in a negative way to trash Bush."

Actually, I think they're doing more than that. I think some of them--certainly some of the ones working for the Arabic networks--are working as spotters and spies for the enemy.

14 posted on 08/18/2003 7:26:16 AM PDT by MizSterious (Support whirled peas!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: xzins
It unfortunate that such things happen, but they do.

That being said, it couldn't have happened to a nicer news organization. I'm sure they'll try to make the worst of it.
15 posted on 08/18/2003 7:30:00 AM PDT by SolutionsOnly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
Hmm, let’s see. There is a group of very serious people who have been shot at and some killed who are driving toward me in a big tank. In the immediate area the bad guys have been shooting and launching mortars. So I’ll get out of a vehicle, raise a big think to my shoulder and point it at them. Is this a candidate for Darwin awards?

It is amazing that the entire group was not vaporized.

16 posted on 08/18/2003 7:30:10 AM PDT by schu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: xzins
I agree too. They've been under alot of RPG fire lately.
17 posted on 08/18/2003 7:31:25 AM PDT by b4its2late (FOOTBALL REFEREES: Best seats in the house and we're paid for it!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: xzins
A Frenchman accusing our soldiers of not UNDERSTANDING!! What a crock! Go back to France and have some cheese.
18 posted on 08/18/2003 7:34:43 AM PDT by PISANO
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins
"They are young soldiers and they don't understand what is happening," Breitner said.

Yeah I guess the concept of a journalist on the enemy side of the action, dressed like an Iraqi, and carrying a large camera on his shoulder easily mistaken for an RPG with mortar smoke all around...this is basic journalistic technique right? Our boys are too dumb to get this, I suppose.

19 posted on 08/18/2003 7:39:40 AM PDT by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: montag813
dressed like an Iraqi, and carrying a large camera on his shoulder easily mistaken for an RPG with mortar smoke all around...this is basic journalistic technique right?

Rotflol! Thanks

And they think our troops don't understand!

20 posted on 08/18/2003 7:48:09 AM PDT by xzins (In the Beginning was the Word)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson