Still no certainty about Nérac's fate, despite French foreign ministry statement

Reporters Without Borders stressed today there is still no tangible proof that French cameraman Fred Nérac, who went missing in southern Iraq in March 2003, was killed in an exchange of shots between Iraqi and US soldiers, although the French foreign ministry last night said this was the case. “As long as we are not absolutely certain, the worst hypothesis should not be the only one,” the press freedom organisation said. “While we take note of yesterday evening's statement by the French foreign ministry, we are still waiting for tangible and concrete proof such as a positive DNA test. Our thoughts go out to Fred's wife, Fabienne, his children and his parents at this difficult moment and we will continue to give them our active support.” Reporters Without Borders added: “Iraq continues to be the world's most dangerous country for journalists, as we were reminded yesterday by the kidnapping of Guardian correspondent Rory Carroll in Baghdad and the killing of Union of Iraqi Journalists general secretary Mohamed Haroun at the wheel of his car.” Nérac went missing on 22 March 2003 near the southern city of Basra with Lebanese interpreter Hussein Osman, whose body was identified by DNA testing in June 2004. Both were working for the British TV news company ITN and were ahead of the US and British forces as they advanced on Baghdad in the first days of the war. The war in Iraq is the deadliest for the press since the end of World War II, with a total of 72 journalists and media assistants killed since it started in March 2003, and a total of 25 killed since the start of this year. In addition to Nérac, another TV cameraman is missing in Iraq: Isam Hadi Muhsin Al-Shumary of Germany's Suedostmedia, who disappeared on 15 August 2004.