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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.
Reject and be damned, sir.
"The idea that the killing of a professional journalist doing his duty could be justified is repugnant to me," he said.
The idea that a professional journalist wouldn't be bumped off just like anyone else engaging in similar activity is repugnant to me. Journalists have no exemption from the rules applying to the rest of us.
Lynch, senior spokesman for all U.S.-led forces in Iraq, said the investigation into the incident, by an officer from the army division involved in the shooting, had been concluded. But a spokesman for the division said the report had not yet been formally completed and was not yet available. Schlesinger called on the military to release the results of their inquiry as soon as possible so that Reuters could respond fully. "To come to these conclusions without a full and independent investigation is rash and unwise," he added.

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.
A pity journalists aren't...
"Put yourself in the place of the soldiers, knowing that the insurgents, who have been known to use suicide bombs, suicide car bombs, suicide vests, to attack innocent civilians, will always have an attack and then respond to that attack when the first responders come forward. So our soldiers took appropriate action on that particular case."
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  

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