Reuters Cameraman Killed For Filming U.S. Graves

Reuters Cameraman Killed For Filming U.S. Graves,
Brother Says

Mazen found U.S. troops covered in plastic
bags in remote desert areas and he filmed them
for a TV program

IslamOnline.net

8-19-2003

By Awad al-Ragoub, IOL Correspondent

AL-KHALIL, West Bank, August 19 -

The brother
of Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana said he was
deliberately murdered for discovering mass graves
of U.S. troops killed in Iraqi resistance attacks.
"The U.S. troops killed my brother in cold blood,"
Nazmi Dana told IslamOnline.net in exclusive
statements.

"The U.S. occupation troops shot dead my brother on
purpose, although he was wearing his press badge, which
was also emblazoned on the car he was driving," he
said.
He also recalled that his brother had obtained a prior
permit from the U.S. occupation authorities in Iraq to
film in the site.

On Sunday, August 17, U.S. troops shot dead the award-
winning Reuters cameraman while he was filming near the
U.S.-run Abu Gharib prison in Baghdad.
His last pictures show a U.S. tank driving toward him
outside the prison walls, several shots ring out from
the tank and the camera falls to the ground.

Mass Grave
"Mazen told me by phone few days before his death that
he discovered a mass grave dug by U.S. troops to
conceal the bodies of their fellow comrades killed in
Iraqi resistance attacks," Nazmi said.

"He also told me that he found U.S. troops covered in
plastic bags in remote desert areas and he filmed them
for a TV program. We are pretty sure that the American
forces had killed Mazen knowingly to prevent him from
airing his finding."

Nazmi said that the U.S. occupation troops were slowing
down the transfer of his brother’s body to his hometown
city of Al-Khalil (Hebron) in the West Bank.

"At the very beginning, the Americans refused to
transfer his body outside Iraq. After Reuters
intervened they offered to allow us to take the body to
Jordan by road but we refused because of the state of
insecurity in Iraq," he said.

"Thanks to Reuters international and diplomatic
contacts, the U.S. troops reluctantly agreed to
transfer the body on an army plane to Kuwait. From
there, the body will be flown to Jordan and finally
Palestine to be laid to rest," added the grieved
brother.

Last Mission

Mazen’s wife, Umm Hamza, did not rule out that the U.S.
troops targeted her husband personally, noting they had
agreed to give him a permit to film Abu Gharib prison
and then he was directly shot dead by two U.S. tanks.
Resolved as she was, Umm Hamza said the death of her
husband came as a bombshell, especially that she
expected him to be killed while covering the
developments in Palestine for his bravery and rare
heroism.

"Filming Abu Gharib was his last mission; he was
scheduled to leave Baghdad after getting the job done.
"I lost the dearest man to my heart, he was caring and
was loved by all his friends and relatives," she
lamented.

Settlers’ Enemy

Palestinian journalists hold a mock funeral for Mazen
Mazen’s camera was the Israeli settlers’ archenemy,
given that he exposed to the entire world their
terrorism against the Palestinians and their wildcat
outposts sprawling in four Al-Khalil posts.

His death cast a pall of sadness over the Palestinian
territories and reporters, who mourned him as "a
matchless colleague."

All international and local news agencies sent cables
of condolences to his family, lauding his patriotism
and determination to uncover the truth wherever it was.
The Palestinian information ministry and press
syndicate issued two separate statements, condemning
the attack on Mazen and the continued targeting of
journalists.

The two statements demanded the U.S. to show some
respect for human beings, particularly reporters,
pointing out that Mazen was a distinguished journalist
who did his best to serve his country and cause.
The ministry further urged all Arab and international
press unions "to open a probe into this crime and
expose to the entire world the murderers who have blood
on their hands and put them on trial."

Colleagues Mourn

Furthermore, dozens of Palestinian journalists
protested on Tuesday morning in Al-Khalil at the
killing of Mazen.
The marchers put on a peaceful demonstration from the
House of the Palestinian Press established by the
deceased and other journalists.

In Bethlehem, journalists also held a mock funeral for
Mazen, denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq and
displaying placards condemning his "assassination."
A U.S. military inquiry has recently exonerated an
American tank crew for firing on a Baghdad hotel
housing journalists, killing two foreign reporters and
wounded three others.

http://www.islamonline.org/English/News/2003-08/19/article08.shtml