CNN: Arab TV journalists killed in Iraq

[seafan]

Arab TV journalists killed in Iraq

February 23, 2006


Atwar Bahjat, 26, had joined Al-Arabiya this year from Al-Jazeera.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three journalists for Al-Arabiya television, including a well-known woman correspondent, were kidnapped and killed while covering sectarian violence in Samarra, police and the Arabic-language channel said.
The bodies of Atwar Bahjat and her cameraman and soundman were found early Thursday near the city 60 miles north of Baghdad, local law enforcement officials said.

Bahjat had been reporting live Wednesday from the outskirts of Samarra, which security forces had sealed off after an explosion at a Shiite mosque. (Full story)
Officials at the Dubai-based satellite news channel said they lost contact with their team after their last broadcast at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) Wednesday.
A fourth team member managed to escape from the ambush and told police about the kidnappings.

He said two gunmen pulled up in a pickup truck, shooting in the air and shouting: "We want the correspondent," The Associated Press quoted Al-Arabiya as reporting.

snip

Saleh said Bahjat "is a victim of telling the truth. ... She loved her country and died because of her impartiality."
Al-Arabiya spokesman Jihad Ballout said Bahjat, 26, had joined the channel this year after working for rival Al Jazeera, Reuters reported. She is survived by her mother and sister.

In a statement, the channel said Bahjat was "known for her professional integrity and objectivity."
"Atwar was also the embodiment of non-sectarian harmony -- her father is a Sunni while her mother is a Shia Muslim."
The other two dead were Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, 39, and Adnan Khairallah, 36, according to the channel. They were employed by Wasan Media in Iraq and were working for Al-Arabiya at the time.
snip
"Until this new tragedy, Al-Arabiya lost a total of eight colleagues in Iraq, five of whom died in a car bomb that targeted Al-Arabiya's bureau in Baghdad, while three lost their lives as a result of U.S. fire.

snip

More than 60 journalists have been killed in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003, AP reported.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/23/journalists.killed/

[wicket]

1. This a knife through the heart

May her soul be at peace :cry:

[mom cat]

3. Blessed are the peace makers

and also cursed to be a target of the hate mongers on the world.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. If they're indiscriminately killing journalists now...

...it shows how frighteningly pissed off they've become. Things are going to get really, really bad - like the situations wasn't already bad enough.x(

It's a Michael-Corleone-in-Cuba moment - when people become pissed off and desperate enough, they can defeat the greatest armies.

We HAVE to get out of there, NOW!:grr:

[Blue Diadem]

4. More on her death at baghdadblog-really heartbreaking

http://baghdadblog.msnbc.com/

for some reason I can't copy and paste any of the article.

[GeorgeGist]

5. Dubai connection

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3236654.stm

Coincidence?:tinfoilhat:

[Holy Knight]

6. All of them are martyrs to truth and freedom

They have paid the ultimate price for their beliefs and our freedoms.

They put themselves at risk knowingly and aware of the dangers.

True heroes, true patriots of Good.

[RelativelyJones]

7. What a fucking waste