US army recognises firing on two-member Reuters TV crew

Reporters Without Borders today called for immediate sanctions against the US soldiers who fired on a Reuters TV crew after US army spokesman Gen. Rick Lynch, while insisting they acted appropriately, yesterday acknowledged that US troops did indeed fire the shots that killed soundman Waleed Khaled and slightly injured cameraman Haider Kadhem on 28 August. "We deplore the attitude of the US army in waiting nearly a week before recognising its responsibility in the incident that cost Waleed Khaled's life," the press freedom organisation said. "Not only have they given ridiculous explanations but they have also failed to apologise to the family of the victims of this tragedy." Reporters Without Borders added: "We call for those responsible to be punished and we appeal to the US soldiers stationed in Irak to be more discerning in the future." Claiming that the US soldiers "took appropriate measures," Gen. Lynch said: "What our soldiers on the scene saw was a car travelling forward at a high rate of speed. (It) looked like cars that we have seen in the past used as suicide bombs... and there were two local nationals inside." Khaled died as a result of this lack of discernment. Reuters said Khaled had two press cards pinned to his chest at the time, one issued by the US army and the other issued by the British news agency. Both were found covered in blood and one of them had two bullet holes, Reuters added. ----------------------------------------------------------------------31.08.2005 Reuters cameraman Haider Kadhem released Reporters Without Borders welcomed the release today of Reuters TV cameraman Haider Kadhem, who was detained by the US army for interrogation on 28 August after his soundman, Waleed Khaled, was fatally shot by a US sniper in the Hay al-Adil district of Baghdad. They had gone there to cover an incident in which two Iraqi policemen were killed. Khaled received one shot to the face and four to the chest, while Kadhem was only slightly hurt. -------------------------------------------------------------- 29.08.05 Outrage over fatal shooting of Reuters TV soundman by US sniper fire Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage at the fatal shooting of Reuters TV soundman Waleed Khaled by US military sniper fire in an incident today in Baghdad in which the cameraman working with him, Haider Khadem, sustained slight injuries and was detained by US soldiers. "This incident in which Khaled was deliberately gunned down by five shots is extremely disturbing," the press freedom organisation said. "Our outrage is compounded by the fact that they arrested Kadhem, the only eye-witness, who was himself injured in the incident." Reporters Without Borders added: "The US high command must conduct an exhaustive enquiry and must take substantive measures to ensure that such a tragedy never recurs. We stress that this has become the deadliest war there has ever been for journalists." The Reuters TV crew had gone to cover an incident in two Iraqi policemen were killed in the Hay al-Adil district of Baghdad. As they arrived, Khaled was hit by a shot in the face and four other shots in the chest, while Kadhem was slightly hurt. "I heard shooting, looked up and saw an American sniper on the roof of the shopping centre," Kadhem told other journalists who arrived seconds later. He was subsequently arrested by US soldiers. Reuters said he had still not been released six hours later. Other Iraqi journalists who arrived at the scene were also briefly detained, but were then released. A US army statement said: "Task Force Baghdad units responded to a terrorist attack on an Iraqi police convoy (. . .) one civilian was killed and another was wounded by small-arms fire during the attack." Khaled is the 66th journalist or media assistant to be killed in Iraq since the start of the war in March 2003. A total of 63 journalists were killed in the Viet-nam war, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. Two other journalists are also missing in Iraq: ITV News cameraman Frédéric Nérac, missing since 22 March 2003, and Suedostmedia cameraman Isam Hadi Muhsin Al-Shumary, missing since 15 August 2004.