Journalist shot dead in Basra, 68th killed in Iraq since start of war

Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage today at the murder of Fakher Haydar Al-Tamimi, an Iraqi journalist who worked for several foreign news media including the New York Times. He was kidnapped and then shot in the head today in the southern city of Basra. “We are very concerned about security in Basra, as two journalists have been killed there within two months,” the press freedom organisation said. “It is becoming increasingly more difficult and dangerous for the press to operate in Irak. We call on the Iraqi authorities and the US-British military coalition to carry out a rapid and thorough investigation to identify those responsible and prevent any recurrence of such tragedies.” Tamimi was kidnapped from his home in his wife's presence by four men in plain clothes who reportedly told her they were police and wanted to interrogate her husband. His body was found with a bullet in the head a few hours later 3 km southwest of the city. He is the 68th journalist to be killed in Irak since the start of the war in March 2003, and the 19th since the start of this year. A total of 63 journalists were killed in the Vietnam war, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. Two TV cameramen are also missing in Iraq: Frédéric Nérac of Britain's ITV News, missing since 22 March 2003, and Isam Hadi Muhsin Al-Shumary of Germany's Suedostmedia, missing since 15 August 2004.