Israeli tank blows away cameraman

[Jobber of the Week 0]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/08/18/...aman/index.html

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Reuters news agency is calling for a "comprehensive investigation" after one of its award-winning cameramen was shot and killed by U.S. troops near Baghdad.

 

Coalition officials say soldiers mistook Mazen Dana's camera for a shoulder-launched weapon and have described the incident as a "tragic mistake."

 

The shooting took place in daylight Sunday afternoon outside the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, scene of an attack Saturday night that killed six Iraqis and wounded nearly 60 others.

 

U.S. military officials say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

 

"They thought he was aiming an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) at them and they engaged him," a senior Pentagon official told CNN.

 

Dana, 43, had worked for Reuters for 10 years, mostly in the West Bank city of Hebron.

 

An ethnic Palestinian and father of four, he was one of Reuters' most experienced conflict journalists, the news agency said.

 

He won an International Press Freedom Award in 2001 by the Committee to Protect Journalists for his work in Hebron, where he was wounded and beaten many times.

 

"Mazen was one of Reuters' finest cameramen, and we are devastated by his loss," Stephen Jukes, Reuters' global head of news, said in a statement.

 

"He was a brave and award-winning journalist who had worked in many of the world's hot spots," he added.

 

"He was committed to covering the story wherever it was and was an inspiration to friends and colleagues at Reuters, and throughout the industry. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family."

 

He said the agency was hoping for "the fullest and most comprehensive investigation into this terrible tragedy."

 

Final pictures

Reuters television has released the last pictures Dana took before he was shot, showing a U.S. tank outside the prison.

 

The video shows the tank driving towards him outside the prison walls. Several shots ring out from the tank and Dana's camera falls to the ground.

 

Describing the moments leading up to the shooting, a Reuters news report quotes soundman Nael al-Shyoukhi, who was working with Dana, as saying they had asked a U.S. soldier near the prison if they could speak to an officer and was told they could not.

 

"They saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission," Shyoukhi said, adding the soldier had agreed to their request to film an overview of the prison from a bridge nearby.

 

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

 

"I cried at the soldier, telling him you killed a journalist. They shouted at me and asked me to step back and I said 'I will step back, but please help, please help and stop the bleed'.

 

"They tried to help him but Mazen bled heavily. Mazen took a last breath and died before my eyes."

 

Dana is the second Reuters cameraman to die in Iraq.

 

On April 8, shortly after U.S.-led forces arrived in Baghdad, Ukrainian-born Taras Protsyuk died when a U.S. tank fired a shell at the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel, the base for many foreign media in Baghdad

 

I think to know how legit this rocket launcher claim is we need to know the kind of equipment he was using. Although to truly prevent incidents like this again, we need to come up with some kind of uniform for media people in harm's way. And not just something easily duplicated like a big "TV" on the back, but somthing recognizable and detailed enough to tell that the guy in the loud outfit is a cameraman and not manning a rocket launcher.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

i read about this today, and there's no real easy solution. obviously its heartbreaking, especially as the guy was so well regarded.

 

but at the same time, he was pointing a large piece of shoulder-mounted equipment at a tank in the middle of a volatile warzone. soldiers can't be expected to second guess themselves in situations like that. journalists & cameramen know the risks, and shit unfortunately happens sometimes.

 

if there was a recognisable uniform for media types, terrorists and militiamen would just wear it. no way of that working.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

That's why I was suggesting something more detailed and harder to reproduce than just "PRESS" on a jacket. =b

 

Otherwise, you're pretty much thinking the same thing I am. If I saw a tank rolling towards me, I'd probably put my hands in the air, not heft up my camera for a shot.

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

Um, where is Israel mentioned ANYWHERE in this article?

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Probably a typo.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

And of course no terrorist organizations will get a hold of these "press" safe-pass uniforms/badges/etc...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Yeah, because... y'know... the terorists want to take the best pictures.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Four Canadian soldiers and now a Bristish cameraman.

 

The "killed by a retarded American during wartime" section in heaven is expanding.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Otherwise, you're pretty much thinking the same thing I am. If I saw a tank rolling towards me, I'd probably put my hands in the air, not heft up my camera for a shot.

I don't think there's any one thing to prevent members of the media being killed in war zones.

 

The media of course needs to take every precaution. When the military tells you to stop what you'er doing. Stop it. Don't take the risk the camerman did.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Yeah, because... y'know... the terorists want to take the best pictures.

Yeah, because... y'know... the terrorists would get easier access to populated areas to blow themselves up...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

As if the middle of cities aren't populated enough...

[Guest MikeSC]

As if the middle of cities aren't populated enough...

It would be the ease in reaching their target and achieving their goals.

-=Mike

[Guest MikeSC]

Four Canadian soldiers and now a Bristish cameraman.

 

The "killed by a retarded American during wartime" section in heaven is expanding.

The cameraman had a big device on his shoulder in the middle of a WAR ZONE.

 

Who, exactly, is "Retarded" here?

-=Mike

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

The cameraman had a freaking camera on his shoulder. I sincerely doubt the troops gave him any warning before they shot him in the face.

 

Also, being a citizen doesn't make it easy enough to get into a crowded area?

[Guest MikeSC]

The cameraman had a freaking camera on his shoulder. I sincerely doubt the troops gave him any warning before they shot him in the face.

 

Also, being a citizen doesn't make it easy enough to get into a crowded area?

They saw a guy with something on his shoulder in the middle of a warzone --- and they were supposed to ASK what he was?

 

In war, it doesn't quite work that well. Soldiers don't have the luxury of asking first. The cameraman should not have been shooting whatsoever --- he KNEW the risks he was undertaking.

 

If you can get something that will get you unfettered access, you'd be foolish to not take it and use it.

-=Mike

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

I'm sorry, again, being a citizen doesn't give you unfettered access to something like a marketplace (or the UN headquarters)?

 

They can't yell "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" or anything?

[Justice 0]

The cameraman had a freaking camera on his shoulder. I sincerely doubt the troops gave him any warning before they shot him in the face.

Wow, we aren't a bit biased, are we?

 

He had a shoulder-mounted camera, which is easy to mistake for an RPG when it's pointing right at you since you can't see it length-wise. Add to the fact that he was pointing it at a tank, and what should they have done?

 

They can't yell "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" or anything?

 

Yes, because as we all know, this is the easiest thing to do IN A TANK. You do know that tanks generally aren't the quietest things around, right? Would you perhaps have liked them to drive up and say "Would you please put down your RPG good sir?"

 

I'm saddened by what has happened but I think news crews are getting stupider with the risks they take.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Soldier ON the tank, not inside. They weren't shot by the tank's cannon, they were shot by a soldier on the outside of it with an M-16. I'm sure he couldn't have yelled out a warning, could he?

[Justice 0]

Soldier ON the tank, not inside. They weren't shot by the tank's cannon, they were shot by a soldier on the outside of it with an M-16. I'm sure he couldn't have yelled out a warning, could he?

Wrong. He was shot most likely by the M-60 mounted on the top of the tank. They say the shots rang out from the tank and that "A US soldier on the tank shot them", suggesting this was most likely the tank commander. Again, tanks make noise and it's pretty damn hard to say "DROP YOUR WEAPON" when you know that if that's a real RPG that you most likely will be dead right after you finish. Can't you just say that the press was taking a very dangerous and very stupid risk by putting a news team in the area when it's been known that shoulder-mounts can easily be mistaken for RPGs, and that picking the day right after a night attack when the soldiers are on full alert for another attack is was also inviting disaster?

[Guest MD2020]

Imagine if you only have two seconds to determine what an object is held by a possible enemy. If you're too cautious, you may be dead.

 

http://www.spartacus.ws/000695.html

 

 

All in all, this seems like a tragic accident. Let's hope it's not repeated.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

"They saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission," Shyoukhi said, adding the soldier had agreed to their request to film an overview of the prison from a bridge nearby.

 

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

 

Take that as you will. I still believe they should have been far more careful.

[Guest MikeSC]

Soldier ON the tank, not inside. They weren't shot by the tank's cannon, they were shot by a soldier on the outside of it with an M-16. I'm sure he couldn't have yelled out a warning, could he?

Shout out a warning in a warzone?

 

That is a very bad idea.

 

You cover a war in a war zone --- you know the risks WELL in advance.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Too bad the cameraman wasn't really a terrorist that shot a soldiers or else this would probably be another Why-are-we-in-Iraq? thread...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Soldier ON the tank, not inside. They weren't shot by the tank's cannon, they were shot by a soldier on the outside of it with an M-16. I'm sure he couldn't have yelled out a warning, could he?

Shout out a warning in a warzone?

 

That is a very bad idea.

 

You cover a war in a war zone --- you know the risks WELL in advance.

-=Mike

<GWBUSH>But the war is over!</GWBUSH>

[Justice 0]

"They saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission," Shyoukhi said, adding the soldier had agreed to their request to film an overview of the prison from a bridge nearby.

 

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

 

Take that as you will. I still believe they should have been far more careful.

If the tank had just arrived in a convoy they wouldn't have known who they were. The soldiers on site may have, but not the tank because it had just arrived. Again, I'm not a big fan of news crews running around areas that are most-likely considered still hot by the military. It's inviting disaster, and news crews shouldn't be there.

[Guest MikeSC]

"They saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission," Shyoukhi said, adding the soldier had agreed to their request to film an overview of the prison from a bridge nearby.

 

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

 

Take that as you will. I still believe they should have been far more careful.

He ASSUMES the soldiers knew who they were and what they were doing. His mistake for making assumptions.

 

What is the benefit to the soldier in killing a cameraman?

-=Mike

[Justice 0]

Soldier ON the tank, not inside. They weren't shot by the tank's cannon, they were shot by a soldier on the outside of it with an M-16. I'm sure he couldn't have yelled out a warning, could he?

Shout out a warning in a warzone?

 

That is a very bad idea.

 

You cover a war in a war zone --- you know the risks WELL in advance.

-=Mike

<GWBUSH>But the war is over!</GWBUSH>

Oh Christ, just shut up. War = Major fighting, not resistance. Israel has areas that can be considered warzones just because they have the possibility of erurpting in a massive firefight very quickly, but they aren't at war with anyone.

[Justice 0]

"They saw us and they knew about our identities and our mission," Shyoukhi said, adding the soldier had agreed to their request to film an overview of the prison from a bridge nearby.

 

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

"A soldier on the tank shot at us. I lay on the ground. I heard Mazen and I saw him scream and touching his chest.

 

Take that as you will. I still believe they should have been far more careful.

He ASSUMES the soldiers knew who they were and what they were doing. His mistake for making assumptions.

 

What is the benefit to the soldier in killing a cameraman?

-=Mike

Mike, didn't you see that study from Berkley? The soldiers in Iraq are "Rambos" who just like to kill. I mean, if there aren't any Iraqis around, they say "Hey, let's start pegging cameramen!" instead. They aren't normal people who have families or friends or care about helping others or trying to prevent death or anything.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Jesus.

 

I fail to see how it's so difficult to say "They (the soldiers) should have been more careful"

 

I'm not saying we're strategically eliminating journalists. I'm saying we need to be more careful. You're denying that fact.

 

Whatever, you're the "expert" and I'm just another stupid liberal.

[Justice 0]

Jesus.

 

I fail to see how it's so difficult to say "They (the soldiers) should have been more careful"

 

I'm not saying we're strategically eliminating journalists. I'm saying we need to be more careful. You're denying that fact.

 

Whatever, you're the "expert" and I'm just another stupid liberal.

"After we filmed we went into the car and prepared to go when a convoy led by a tank arrived and Mazen stepped out of the car to film. I followed him and Mazen walked three to four meters. We were noted and seen clearly," Shyoukhi said.

 

He got back out of the car with his camera. That's stupid because, you know, people just coming out of a car with something that was shouldermounted. When near a tank, does that sound like the safest course of actions? I'm not saying that the military doesn't have some fault, but you should admit that the news crew was also at fault here.