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Iraq-Jordan | |||
U.S. confirms its troops killed Reuters journalist in Iraq | |||
2005-09-02 | |||
Oh-no, now al-Rooters is really going to give bad press to the military The U.S. military confirmed on Thursday that its soldiers killed a Reuters journalist in Iraq but said their action was "appropriate." Describing Sunday's incident, when television soundman Waleed Khaled was killed by multiple shots, Major General Rick Lynch said: "That car approached at a high rate of speed and then conducted activity that in itself was suspicious. There were individuals hanging outside with what looked to be a weapon. It stopped and immediately put itself in reverse. Again suspicious activity. Our soldiers on the scene used established rules of engagement and all the training received ... decided that it was appropriate to engage that particular car. And as a result of that the driver was indeed killed and the passenger was hurt by shards of glass." Reuters cameraman Haider Kadhem, 24, like Waleed an Iraqi, was slightly wounded by flying fragments but survived in the passenger seat of the car, only to be detained for the next three days by U.S. troops. Kadhem was using a small video camera. Reuters Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger rejected any suggestion that the killing of Waleed was justified.
Lynch said soldiers reacted when they saw the car traveling "forward at a high rate of speed. That particular car looked like cars that we have seen in the past used as suicide bombs. It wasn't a new car, it was an older model car ... And there were two local nationals inside the car. Our soldiers took appropriate measures. We mourn the loss of life of all humans ... But our soldiers are trained to respond in those situations.
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Posted by:Captain America |
#17 I think everyone got what they wanted out of this. Our guys got to show Reuters reporters that they can't expect to conduct oppo research for the terrorists and expect to come out unscathed. A Reuters reporter got his shot at paradise. And the Reuters honchos got to rage about Uncle Sam's inhumanity to dedicated journalists. |
Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-03 00:01 |
#16 And of course there is no chance that the Reuters "reporters" were checking out the alertness and general layout of that particular roadblock,is there? |
Posted by: Stephen 2005-09-02 23:03 |
#15 ZF: Haider Kadhem was the survivor I meant. Wally got ventilated, heh. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-09-02 21:42 |
#14 One man's journalist is another man's terrorist collaborator. Oops. |
Posted by: Spitle Elmaising8451 2005-09-02 20:38 |
#13 I would have preferred that Schlesinger was the driver and got tagged, especially after reading an Al Rooters piece about "world shock" at the US's Katrina response. Of course they had the obligatory "maybe Katrina is God's punishment to America for what they've done in Iraq" quote from a South Korean. F*&k Al Rooters and everyone associated with them. |
Posted by: remoteman 2005-09-02 13:17 |
#12 AP: Zhang Fei---Crappy marksmanship, hell! I think that it was good marksmanship that saved Waleed's bacon, so to speak. Waleed is dead. But I understand your point. My statement was a joke - I know GI's use the minimum deadly force necessary. My personal view is that overkill is good, and more overkill is better. |
Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-02 11:19 |
#11 Zhang Fei---Crappy marksmanship, hell! I think that it was good marksmanship that saved Waleed's bacon, so to speak. When the vehicle was approaching at a high rate of speed, the soldiers fired for the driver to stop it. I do not think that the standing orders for stopping vehicles is utilizing the "spray" method of projectile application, though I am sure that it might be the preferred method by front-liners if they had their way. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-09-02 11:11 |
#10 Terrorists conducting attacks apparently have a certain "look" about them. Duplicating that look, whether knowingly or unknowingly can have deadly consequences, especially when armed military personnel are around. |
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-09-02 09:38 |
#9 More journalists killed in Iraq than Vietnam... Platitudes might be appropriate such as "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth or one needs to count their blessings." One of the more successful aspects of the war. The unit does need to work on its marksmanship. |
Posted by: JohnQ. Citizen 2005-09-02 09:03 |
#8 Article: Reuters cameraman Haider Kadhem, 24, like Waleed an Iraqi, was slightly wounded by flying fragments but survived in the passenger seat of the car, only to be detained for the next three days by U.S. troops. Such crappy marksmanship is unacceptable. Sounds like this unit needs a little more time on the range. |
Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-02 03:01 |
#7 Rooters was just trying to prove a point: More journalists killed in Iraq than Vietnam Gotta make the Vietnam/Quagmire connection any way they can. They get paid on a "per connection" basis, piecemeal compensation I think it's called. There were individuals hanging outside with what looked to be a weapon Reporters Without Borders, "the Paris-based organization that campaigns to protect journalists", should start with a general warning glued to every camera: Caution, this camera looks like an RPG from a distance and may be construed as a threat. Do not dangle it outside a car moving at high speed approaching military checkpoint. |
Posted by: Rafael 2005-09-02 01:14 |
#6 q) what do you call a reuters journalist killed by US forces accidently? a) A good start! Seriously, these f)(*^ing jounalists think they are actually important, and troops should hesitate to defend themselves becuase it might be a journalist... The quote of David Schlesinger is classic. ... a professional journalist doing his duty... STFU already. I like the toe tag, but maybe the sympathy meter? |
Posted by: Francis 2005-09-02 01:01 |
#5 The arrogant cluelessness of Reuters is captured perfectly in the editor's preposterous statement. I've long thought it was really more a matter of how smart these people are, and not just institutional bias or delusion. Look at what a ridiculous statement that was. I'm glad Lynch laid out the basic considerations that make the scene of an enemy attack in Iraq dangerous AFTER, as well as during, the attack. I've slipped his chain something that highlights how deliberate enemy behavior, constituting the worst sort of war crime, is the root of all this (blurring distinction between combatants and non-combatants). I hope they'll move beyond situational explanation to denounce this behavior and force the media to confront the link. |
Posted by: Verlaine in Iraq 2005-09-02 00:48 |
#4 One down... |
Posted by: Omolusing Glurong4284 2005-09-02 00:36 |
#3 No apologies. Inform the world that dumbsh*ts driving at high rates of speed near military checkpoints will be stopped with deadly force. Being a dumbsh*t journalist in a high speed car does not give one a pass. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-09-02 00:23 |
#2 soldiers reacted when they saw the car traveling "forward at a high rate of speed damn straight |
Posted by: Jan 2005-09-02 00:19 |
#1 "Journalists" don't get exemptions from Darwin Award behavior. Don't do stupid crap that gets you or others killed in a war zone. |
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-02 00:09 |