Military seeks charges against photographer

[unhappycamper]

The U.S. military plans to seek a criminal case in an Iraqi court against Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, shown here in a 2005 file photo. The military has refused to disclose what evidence or accusations would be presented.


Military seeks charges against photographer
By Brian Murphy - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 20, 2007 5:38:29 EST

NEW YORK — The U.S. military plans to seek a criminal case in an Iraqi court against an award-winning Associated Press photographer but is refusing to disclose what evidence or accusations would be presented.

An AP attorney on Monday strongly protested the decision, calling the U.S. military plans a “sham of due process.” The journalist, Bilal Hussein, has already been imprisoned without charges for more than 19 months.

In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell explained the decision to bring charges now by saying “new evidence has come to light” about Hussein, but said the information would remain in government hands until the formal complaint is filed with Iraqi authorities.

Morrell asserted the military has “convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to stability and security in Iraq as a link to insurgent activity” and called Hussein “a terrorist operative who infiltrated the AP.”

AP Associate General Counsel Dave Tomlin rejected the claim: “That’s what the military has been saying for 19 months, but whenever we ask to see what’s so convincing we get back something that isn’t convincing at all.”

The case has drawn attention from press groups as another example of the complications for Iraqis chronicling the war in their homeland — including death squads that target local journalists working for Western media and apparent scrutiny from U.S. intelligence agents.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_apphotographer_071119/