1 February 2006
U.S. FORCES IMPLICATED IN KILLING OF IRAQI JOURNALIST
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have called on the U.S. military to investigate the death of an Iraqi reporter who was covering clashes between American troops and Sunni insurgents in Ramadi.
On 24 January 2006, Mahmoud Za'al, a correspondent for the Iraqi television station Baghdad TV, was killed while reporting on an insurgent attack against two U.S.-controlled buildings, reported CPJ. Witnesses said Za'al was killed in a U.S. air strike, a charge denied by the U.S. military. Za'al was making a social documentary about the devastating impact of car bombs on Ramadi's infrastructure, notes IFJ.
According to staff at Baghdad TV, U.S. soldiers briefly questioned Za'al 15 minutes before he was killed. In recent months, several of the station's reporters have been detained by U.S. troops. Baghdad TV is owned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political group. Za'al had worked for the station for one year.
CPJ says U.S. troops have killed 13 journalists since the U.S.-led war began in March 2003. None of the cases has been fully investigated by the Pentagon, the organisation says.
According to RSF, Za'al was the 79th journalist killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
Iraq continues to be the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. On 29 January, ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured after being attacked while traveling with an Iraqi army unit north of Baghdad, reported CPJ. Both are in stable condition and have been evacuated to a U.S. military hospital in Germany for treatment.
Freelance American journalist Jill Carroll, held hostage by Iraqi insurgents since 7 January, was last seen in a videotape aired by Al-Jazeera on 30 January. Wearing an Islamic headscarf and appearing distraught, she appealed for the release of five Iraqi female prisoners held by U.S. forces. Her captors, who call themselves the Revenge Brigades, have threatened to kill Carroll unless U.S. and Iraqi forces release all Iraqi female prisoners in the country.
Visit these links:
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/mideast/iraq25jan06na.html
http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/mideast/iraq30jan06na.html
- IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3678&Language=EN
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/special_iraq_en.php3
- Journalists Killed in Iraq by U.S. Forces: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/Iraq/Js_killed_by_US_13sept05.html
- Jailing Iraqi Journalists:
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/DA_fall05/comment/comment_DA_fall05.html
- Abduction of Jill Carroll: http://www.cpj.org/regions_06/mideast_06/jill_carroll_page.html
- Iraq: The Media War:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/iraqandthemedia/0,12823,883261,00.html
- Iraqi Reporter's Account of U.S. Attack on his Home:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1683741,00.html
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