dinsdag, september 23, 2003
U.S. soldiers detained an Associated Press photographer and driver on Tuesday, handcuffing them, forcing them to stand in the sun for three hours and denying them water or use of a telephone. Soldiers detained photographer Karim Kadim and driver Mohammed Abbas, both Iraqis, near Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, and kept their guns trained on them, despite repeated attempts to explain they were journalists. The troops were looking for explosives planted in the area.
"We identified ourselves from the very beginning as press, even before we approached the troops. I was asked not to take any pictures and I didn't. We were told to leave and we walked away, and then one of them shouted at us to come back," Kadim said. An armored personnel carrier arrived moments later. Three soldiers disembarked and aimed their guns at the two men. "A sergeant ordered us to raise our hands and face an APC. We were searched, and they took away all my camera gear. Then our hands were tied behind our backs, first with rope, and then with plastic handcuffs," said Kadim, extending his wrists to show marks left by the cuffs.
The two were made to stand for three hours in temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius. The two were later taken to a U.S. base, where Maj. Eric Wick apologized. Wick also called the AP office in Baghdad, saying it "was a misunderstanding on our part."
Bron: AP.
"We identified ourselves from the very beginning as press, even before we approached the troops. I was asked not to take any pictures and I didn't. We were told to leave and we walked away, and then one of them shouted at us to come back," Kadim said. An armored personnel carrier arrived moments later. Three soldiers disembarked and aimed their guns at the two men. "A sergeant ordered us to raise our hands and face an APC. We were searched, and they took away all my camera gear. Then our hands were tied behind our backs, first with rope, and then with plastic handcuffs," said Kadim, extending his wrists to show marks left by the cuffs.
The two were made to stand for three hours in temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius. The two were later taken to a U.S. base, where Maj. Eric Wick apologized. Wick also called the AP office in Baghdad, saying it "was a misunderstanding on our part."
Bron: AP.
# posted by Jan-Edward : 23:56
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