Censoring Iraq

[kpete]

Zoriah and his unit arrived on the scene shortly after the bombing and he witnessed and photographed the aftermath – including the bodies of 4 US Marines. His photos met all standards set by the agreement embeds sign with the military but he was told to remove the images from his blog . He refused – and he is now being sent out of Iraq. We’ll have a chance to chat live with Zoriah when he returns to the US but in the meantime, his posts about this experience are essential reading. The images are graphic – but this is the reality we have created with our war and occupation of the people of Iraq.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/06/censoring-iraq/
Anbar Province Suicide Bombing - Zoriah's Eyewitness Account - Iraq War Diary



My hands still shake and my heart pounds despite my fatigue. A combination of depression, fear, and adrenaline makes my thoughts race with the realization that a simple decision was the only thing that seperated me from a body count that grows daily. I look at the images I took on the 26th of June, and realize they do nothing to capture the emotion of being an eyewitness to the aftermath of the Al-Qaeda suicide attack in Karmah/Garma... the smell... the sound of screams and crying.

I want you to observe and comprehend what others live through on a daily basis -- to see what the Iraqi civilians and foreign soldiers see. I want people who follow my photography to understand that although I am able to bring images of war to the world in a form of art, what actually goes on here is horror. My message is not that war yields great photography. My message is: War yields human misery and suffering.

My eyewitness report and the images contained in the link below are extremely graphic. To see the reality of the Iraq War -- please read and view my entire post by clicking the link below.

http://www.zoriah.net/blog/suicide-bombing-in-anbar-.html