NEWS: Reuters Demands Release of Wounded Cameraman

Reuters News Agency is demanding the release of an Iraqi cameraman being held by US forces. Haider Kadhem was injured in an incident in which his soundman was killed. US forces say he is being held for questioning due to inconsistencies in his statements.



Iraqi Police are blaming US forces for his death.

His injuries, and the death of his colleague occurred while they were driving in western Baghdad. 66 journalists have been killed in Iraq since the invasion, more than in the entire Vietnam war. That's quite a statistic.

Reuters themselves have lost three cameramen.

Another Reuters cameraman has been held by US forces for the last three weeks. Reuters are also demanding his release or an explanation of the charges against him, and his family are claiming his detention is the result of images found on his cameras and computer by US Marines:

Reuters
Reuters has demanded that the military release Mashhadani or provide a full account of the accusations against him.

An account from Mashhadani's family of his arrest on August 8 suggests that images found by U.S. Marines on his cameras during a general sweep in the neighborhood prompted his detention.

Relatives said that Marines conducting a routine search of the house turned hostile after viewing images stored on Mashhadani's video and stills cameras and his desktop computer.

Reuters has provided U.S. forces with footage by Mashhadani that shows scenes of conflict and gunmen operating in plain view of civilians. Nothing in his work has indicated activity incompatible with his status as an independent journalist.

Related News Links:
tvnz.co.nz
www.chron.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Iraq Worse Than Vietnam -- in Number of Journalists Killed


[edit on 30-8-2005 by kegs]

Update:

According to the US military, a Judicial hearing "probably" took place 'somewhere' on Monday for whatever it is he might possibly have been charged with.

Reuters

Being I am not up to speed on this, I will seek to become more informed, but I do have one question:
What is Reuters going to do if their demands are not heeded?





seekerof

No idea Seekerof. Most likely nothing.

Their demands are obviously just that. They have no legal or otherwise represention or recourse in Iraq.

Then again, what else can you expect them to do? What can they do?


[edit on 30-8-2005 by kegs]

Not sure, but other than printing it within their very own paper, a request for explanation could have been sought in a more subtle way and approach.

My apologies, but for me and to me, using words such as "demands" is fruitless, as may be the results of those demands.






seekerof

My apologies, but for me and to me, using words such as "demands" is fruitless, as may be the results of those demands.

Demanding it may be fruitless, but making people aware of it isn't.


Edit: They've alreadly lost three, so I can't blame them for making an issue of it.

[edit on 30-8-2005 by kegs]