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(TimeSeries Picture) Apache Strike Kills Arab Journalist and Resistance Supporters
Mazen Al-Tomaizi, a Palestinian television journalist working for Saudi news channel Al-Ekhbariya and Arab satellite channel Al-Arabiya, sucked a Hellfire was killed yesterday by an American missile as he was reporting live from Baghdad on deadly clashes between US forces and insurgents. "He was killed at the scene of the American missile attack in Al-Haifa district while he was reporting the event," Mohammed Barayan, general manager of Al-Ekhbariya told Arab News.
| Life's tough, ain't it? It's tougher when you're stoopid... |
Barayan described Mazen, 28, as a very hardworking journalist who was fearless and dedicated. "We have sent a telegram conveying our condolences to his family in Palestine and we are arranging for transferring his body to Jordan for funeral," Barayan said. In the West Bank, residents of his home town Idna watched in horror as Mazen went down. He was killed when a US helicopter fired missiles on people who had gathered round a US tank that had been set ablaze in a car bomb attack.
| Having a little car swarm, doing the Islamic boogaloo on the blown-out vehicle... |
Most of the young Iraqi men and boys mingling around the burning wreckage of the US tank were unfazed by the clattering of an American helicopter gunship overhead.
| "Yeah, infidels! You don't scare us none!" |
Moments later they were under fire. Some had pointed to the Apache helicopter. Others jogged slowly from the burning Bradley fighting vehicle. None expected it would shoot at them. "I didn't imagine the helicopter would fire on the crowd," Reuters cameraman Seif Fouad said from his hospital bed, where he was recovering from two shrapnel wounds.
| Not very imaginative, are you, Seif? |
He had been recording the scene and was standing near Mazen. "I looked at the sky and saw a helicopter at very low altitude," Seif said. "Just moments later I saw a flash of light from the Apache. Then a strong explosion," he said. The first explosion sent Seif crashing to the ground. "Mazen's blood was on my camera and face," Seif said. Mazen screamed to Seif for help: "Seif, Seif! I'm going to die. I'm going to die."
| "Mazen! Mazen! You're right! You're right!"... |
A second blast hit some 15 seconds later, lodging shrapnel in Seif's leg and waist as he was trying to pull Mazen from harm's way. Seif's camera, its lens stained with blood, filmed the chaos. Reuters footage showed the crowd to be made up of unarmed boys and men, two of whom were standing on top of the Bradley.
| ... waving their fists and making faces. |
Posted by: CobraCommander 2004-09-13 |
