US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist

[Drocket]

American troops in Baghdad yesterday blasted their way into the home of an Iraqi journalist working for the Guardian and Channel 4, firing bullets into the bedroom where he was sleeping with his wife and children.

Ali Fadhil, who two months ago won the Foreign Press Association young journalist of the year award, was hooded and taken for questioning. He was released hours later.

Dr Fadhil is working with Guardian Films on an investigation for Channel 4's Dispatches programme into claims that tens of millions of dollars worth of Iraqi funds held by the Americans and British have been misused or misappropriated.

The troops told Dr Fadhil that they were looking for an Iraqi insurgent and seized video tapes he had shot for the programme. These have not yet been returned.

I'm sure the whole thing was an honest mistake, and the tapes documenting corruption on the part of American appointees in Iraq will be returned any day now.

In unrelated news:

David E. Rosenbaum, a longtime editor and reporter in the Washington bureau of the New York Times, died yesterday after being beaten and robbed Friday night near his home in upper Northwest Washington.

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The area where the attack occurred is one of the safest in the city. Street robberies have been reported there occasionally, but homicides and other violent incidents are all but unknown.

 

[SpeedyG]

In the end, Your second part may warrant it's own topic.

 

[bmulligan]

Well, considering he was released and interviewed by a UK news source already, who is incidentally sponsoring his new film, I'd say everything turned out ok. And everything 'reported' was only his side of the story, I'd say the story isn't quite balanced.

Proof? Bullet holes or something to show us that shots were actually fired in the bedroom while they were sleeping? Were their insurgents documented on those tapes? I'm sensing free publicity here, especially since this 'reporter' works for the source that wrote this story.

And, considering the billion dollars and more that is being spent by the US taxpayers in Iraq every week, I don't see how or why a few million dollars would be a great enough point of contention to the millitary to 'take out' a reporter.

 

[alonzomourning23]

Well it could be a mistake or it could be to make a point. This would be a good tactic to take if you are trying to scare journalists into not doing stories like that. I assume drocket assumes they are trying to make a point.

 

[E-Z-B]

Isn't this all part of the U.S. strategy to "win the hearts and minds" of the Iraqis?

 

[Drocket]

An 'interesting' update on the second story:

D.C. police and emergency workers initially believed that David E. Rosenbaum had a stroke or seizure when they found the longtime journalist on a sidewalk in Northwest Washington on Friday night. Several hours elapsed before they realized he apparently had been beaten and robbed, authorities said yesterday.

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Officers "thought he had a medical problem," said Cmdr. Robert Contee, who oversees the 2nd Police District, where the incident occurred. "He had his wedding band and watch on. There was no reason to think it was a robbery."

 

[kakomu]

But the bruises and blood weren't enough to establish that he was beaten?

Seems like a lapse in, you know, Common sense.