Arab station: U.S. troops shot journalists

[CatWoman]

March 18, 2004 | BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- An Arab satellite station said American soldiers shot and killed one of its cameramen and critically wounded a correspondent in Baghdad.

The all-news station Al-Arabiya, based in the United Arab Emirates, said cameraman Ali Abdel-Aziz and correspondent Ali al-Khatib were hit as they covered a nighttime rocket attack on Burj al-Hayat hotel in the capital.


"There were a lot of cars in the area. One of them rammed an American Bradley fighting vehicle," said Mohammed Ibrahim, the station's editing supervisor in Baghdad. He claimed that the U.S. troops were firing at random.

He said both men were filming outside their car and began running away because they thought the car that rammed a military vehicle was a suicide bomber, Ibrahim said.


http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/03/18/journalists/index.html

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. Did they get his film?

Note for those who need a note, my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the martyr and the wounded man, but sadly, this is a legitimate question. If Al Arabiya has film containing content that could be embarrassing to the US or its allies, whoever has this film is in danger.

[shadu]

2. ain't this US something?

[nicecakes]

3. What martyr?

Which of the players in this scene was the "martyr?"

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Ali Abdel-Aziz is his name. (nt)

[nicecakes]

6. The cameraman is a martyr?

What exactly makes him a "martyr?"

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. He was murdered by the crusaders. That's what you get in a crusade.

Martyrs.

[PsychoDad]

13. According to Hadith.

The prophet (saw) considered anyone dying "in the faith" a martyr.

My prayers are with him and his family. May Allah make it easy for them, Insha Allah.

[demdave]

4. Rushing to a nighttime rocket attack with your shoulder held camera

is ignorant at best. The heat of battle is no place for a journalist. Enter at your own risk.

[acmavm]

7. I don't know, some of us may see it as an act of bravery to rush to the

scene of an event that our news media will try to lie about and hide. Do you really thing that if foreign journalists hadn't taken pictures and film of this event, we would see the devastation and carnage? Does someone think our 'liberal' American media would advertise the fact that the occupation of Iraq can be compared to a ten car pile up with no survivors? I seriously doubt it.

[nicecakes]

11. Instinct, bravery, ignorance, stupidity and assualt

can get you killed quicker than reasoned thought.

Look at what happens to a moth living in a lit candle shop.

To use a shoulder cam in a live fire battle eliminates instinct and bravery and the remaining choices will get you killed. When a platoon or smaller group is in an impromptu firefight they know where the friendlies are and everyone else had better keep their heads down.

[MasonJar]

9. The man was doing his job and had every right to do so without

being shot by American soldiers. The Americans have murdered a large number of innocent journalists; America does nothing to counter these atrocities.

[AP]

10. They killed one or two in that hotel a couple months ago. This isn't new.

[tlcandie]

12. So, refresh our memories as to exactly how many journalist have

died in this illegal invasion? I know there are TONS and lots killed by OUR military. Gives one pause ya know. :think: