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18/08/2003
Reuters journalist shot dead near Baghdad
US forces in Iraq have admitted that they mistakenly killed a Palestinian journalist as he filmed Abu Ghyriab prison, west of Baghdad, yesterday.
US troops fired on 43-year-old Mazen Dana believing his camera to be a shoulder-held rocket-propelled grenade launcher. He was killed by a single gunshot wound. The incident is currently under investigation, according to an official from the US Central Command.
Stephen Jukes, Reuters' global head of news, said: "He was a brave and award-winning journalist who had worked in many of the world's hot spots.
"He was committed to covering the story wherever it was and was an inspiration to friends and colleagues at Reuters and throughout the industry."
The killing comes only days after a Pentagon inquiry exonerated US troops over the killing of two journalists in a Baghdad hotel on April 8. A tank round was fired at the hotel hitting the 15th floor, killing Taras Protsyuk – a Ukraine cameraman working for Reuters news agency – and Jose Couso of the Spanish television network Telecinco. That inquiry has been slammed as a "cynical whitewash" by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The IFJ has now called for an independent and open inquiry into Mr Dana's death.
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, said that the shooting was “more tragic evidence of what appears to be casual disregard of journalists’ safety by military commanders”.
“This was an avoidable tragedy. There must be a full, independent and public inquiry. We need to know what went wrong and why. We cannot accept that this is brushed aside as just another regrettable incident in the chaos of war,” he added.
The total number of journalists killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war on March 20 now stands at 20 dead – with two journalists listed as missing.
Mr Dana is survived by his wife and four children.
(gmcg)
US troops fired on 43-year-old Mazen Dana believing his camera to be a shoulder-held rocket-propelled grenade launcher. He was killed by a single gunshot wound. The incident is currently under investigation, according to an official from the US Central Command.
Stephen Jukes, Reuters' global head of news, said: "He was a brave and award-winning journalist who had worked in many of the world's hot spots.
"He was committed to covering the story wherever it was and was an inspiration to friends and colleagues at Reuters and throughout the industry."
The killing comes only days after a Pentagon inquiry exonerated US troops over the killing of two journalists in a Baghdad hotel on April 8. A tank round was fired at the hotel hitting the 15th floor, killing Taras Protsyuk – a Ukraine cameraman working for Reuters news agency – and Jose Couso of the Spanish television network Telecinco. That inquiry has been slammed as a "cynical whitewash" by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The IFJ has now called for an independent and open inquiry into Mr Dana's death.
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, said that the shooting was “more tragic evidence of what appears to be casual disregard of journalists’ safety by military commanders”.
“This was an avoidable tragedy. There must be a full, independent and public inquiry. We need to know what went wrong and why. We cannot accept that this is brushed aside as just another regrettable incident in the chaos of war,” he added.
The total number of journalists killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war on March 20 now stands at 20 dead – with two journalists listed as missing.
Mr Dana is survived by his wife and four children.
(gmcg)
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