Iraq Militants Likely Killed Journalist (British: no police complicity)

[Barrett808]

LONDON - A New York freelance journalist killed earlier this month in southern Iraq probably was shot by Islamic militants, a senior British official said Wednesday.

The official said he did not believe Iraqi police were involved in Steven Vincent's death but acknowledged that the journalist's articles criticizing the local force had made him unpopular.

In a recent New York Times column and his Internet blog, Vincent accused police in the southern city of Basra of being infiltrated by Shiite militiamen. British forces in Iraq are based in Basra and responsible for the city's security.

The journalist and his female Iraqi translator were abducted at gunpoint on Aug. 2. His body was discovered that night on the side of the highway south of Basra. The translator, Nour Weidi, was seriously wounded.

"It is almost certainly, and this is a personal opinion, a group of Islamists," the British official said. The official was briefing reporters on condition of anonymity because British policy prohibits senior officials from being quoted by name.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050810/ap_on_re_eu/britain_us_journalist

[wellst0nev0ter]

1. Phew! That's A Relief

So should be concerned now that militants have their own police cars, or that a highly valued American hostages can now be shot dead without a ransom, note, or a video?

[Barrett808]

2. And if "reporting bad news benefits the insurgency" ...

Then Vincent was doing the "liberal" media's job of siding with terrorists. Why would they be motivated to execute him?