Reporters Fault U.S. Troops in Iraq Death

Associated Press ^ | August 18, 2003 | TAREK AL-ISSAWI

[StatesEnemy]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Fellow journalists accused U.S. troops of negligence in the shooting death of a Reuters cameraman, saying it was clear the victim was a newsman when soldiers on two tanks opened fire. Press advocacy groups called for an investigation.

Mazen Dana, 43, 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.

Press advocacy groups Reporters Without Borders and the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists demanded a full investigation into the shooting.

Reporters Without Borders urged Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to conduct an "honest, rapid" investigation. The group also noted that there have been isolated cases in which soldiers in Iraq have been hostile to the news media.

"Such behavior is unacceptable and must be punished. It is essential that clear instructions and calls for caution are given to soldiers in the field so that freedom of movement and work of journalists is accepted in Iraq," the group said in a statement.

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.

[StatesEnemy]

"Such behavior is unacceptable and must be punished. It is essential that clear instructions and calls for caution are given to soldiers in the field so that freedom of movement and work of journalists is accepted in Iraq,"

What idiots. They stick themselves in a war zone, and bellyache when it's dangerous.

[NativeNewYorker]

Google the dead towel-head journo, and you'll see he had a history of putting himself in harm's way and paying the price.

Hope he gets his full compliment of 72 virgin goats.

[mystery-ak]

I've been expecting this...this GI better not be brought up on charges!

[Pikamax]

""Such behavior is unacceptable and must be punished. It is essential that clear instructions and calls for caution are given to soldiers in the field so that freedom of movement and work of journalists is accepted in Iraq," the group said in a statement. "

you have got to be kidding me.

[theDentist]

I wonder if the tank had a camera running as well.

[GrandmaPatriot]

Were clear instructions and calls for caution given to these idiot press?

[FreedomPoster]

>>Press advocacy groups Reporters Without Borders and the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists demanded a full investigation into the shooting.

I wonder if the phrase "go piss up a rope" means anything to these fools.

Regretable, but totally predictable. Didn't the story of the cameraman in the hotel getting taken out by a tank round get around to these journalists? As I've been posting:

[evad]

So, lemme make sure I've got this right.

A tank commander suddenly decided out of the blue to waste a completely innocent civilian.

Can anyone provide a rational case for that scenario?

[capydick]

Reporters Fault U.S. Troops in Iraq Death

Of course they do. I'd like to see the headline:

U.S. Troops Fault Reporters in Anti-US Reporting.

[darkwing104]

"Such behavior is unacceptable and must be punished. It is essential that clear instructions and calls for caution are given to soldiers in the field so that freedom of movement and work of journalists is accepted in Iraq," the group said in a statement.

You have got to be sh***** me.

[gaspar]

The cameraman who was killed, and the journalist who posted this story are Arabs. Would it be too much to expect a little balance from Reuters?

[NativeNewYorker]

This dispatch was penned by TAREK AL-ISSAWI.

Funny how I never see AP stories by Benny Cohen.

[SolutionsOnly]

What's to investigate? The camera was mistaken for an RPG.

End of story.

[what's up]

They are very tense

No duh. Soldiers tend to get tense when in a battle zone.

[dalebert]

Maybe we can accidently out a few more.

[Tacis]

Hey, he wasn't a journalist, he was from Reuters.

[SolutionsOnly]

If this keeps up the next new 'hot' terrorist weapon will RPG's that look like TV cameras.

[Born Conservative]

Must have been Dubya's fault...

[mbynack]

If the press isn't satisfied with the outcome of this do you think they'll go on strike and refuse to cover any more of our wars?

[cricket]

Agree with every poster here. . .it is Reuters who needs a 'reality check'.

. . .and we had better not fall into 'PC' mode and even consider charges here.