Report finds US shooting of Reuters soundman unlawful

[Judi Lynn]

Report finds US shooting of Reuters soundman unlawful

By Michael Georgy
47 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers who shot dead a Reuters television soundman in Iraq last year breached their rules of engagement and the killing was "unlawful," an independent investigation commissioned by Reuters has found.

Waleed Khaled died and cameraman Haider Kadhem was wounded on August 28 when the troops fired on their car in Baghdad as the two Iraqis covered the aftermath of an attack on policemen.

An investigation by the Army unit involved found that its soldiers had acted within rules of engagement that allow them to fire if they feel under threat.

But The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG), a risk management consultancy asked by Reuters to examine the incident, said the use of force was neither proportionate nor justified.
(snip/...)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060410/us_nm/iraq_reuters_investigation_dc;_ylt=A0SOwkaZKzpEpDIA_R0WIr0F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[Demeter]

1. Aw, Gee! You're Spoiling All Bush's Fun!

How is he supposed to deal with the concept "unlawful"? If he told soldiers to do it, it's lawful, according to him.

THe rest of the world may differ.

[xchrom]

2. so, i wonder if an honest investigation of the deaths

of other reporters were done since this war started -- ho many of those would be ruled unlawful?

bushco's war screed and not very subtle{but oh so successful} attempts at controlling the media has included killing reporters.

[shenmue]

3. Journalists are dangerous!

:sarcasm:

[sabra]

4. kick for the truth

:kick:

[leftchick]

5. Shooting of Reuters soundman unlawful: report

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060410/us_nm/iraq_reuters_investigation_dc_4

<snip>

Waleed Khaled died and cameraman Haider Kadhem was wounded on August 28 when the troops fired on their car in Baghdad as the two Iraqis covered the aftermath of an attack on policemen.

An investigation by the Army unit involved found that its soldiers had acted within rules of engagement that allow them to fire if they feel under threat.

But The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG), a risk management consultancy asked by Reuters to examine the incident, said the use of force was neither proportionate nor justified.

It said the Army inquiry conclusions were not supported by the evidence -- including the testimony of the soldiers themselves -- and expressed incomprehension that crucial footage shot by Kadhem had somehow been lost by the military.



An undated file photograph shows Reuters Television soundman Waleed Khaled. U.S. soldiers who shot Khaled in Iraq last year breached their rules of engagement and the killing was 'unlawful', an independent investigation commissioned by Reuters has found. (Ceerwan Aziz/Reuters)

[Trevelyan]

6. K&R Speak up when journalists are murdered. Poppy killed the

journalists first in South and Central America. An online article about Dorothy Killigan and her murder when she was close to revealing some of the personages involved in the JFK murder ended that you have an end to Democracy when the government starts murdering journalists and here is the reason for NYT and WaPo's cowardice in reporting the real horrors of the BFEE.

[HuffleClaw]

7. "crucial footage shot by Kadhem had somehow been lost by the military."

suuuure it was 'lost'. same thing happens to video of police misconduct regularly too.

[jsamuel]

10. we all know this guy had something on tape he wasn't "allowed" to have on

tape...

wonder what it was... something worth killing a reporter over?

[Supersedeas]

8. testimony of soldiers themselves ignored by Pentagon brass--no way

[Rex]

9. Unlawful killing means murder.

Just another number to the War Machine.