Reuters has recovered two cameras that were being used by photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen when he was killed in Baghdad last week in a U.S. military action.
Photos on the cameras show no evidence of the firefight described by the U.S. military in its statement about the incident, which also killed driver Saeed Chmagh, the news agency reported. The cameras were recovered from Noor-Eldeen's body by U.S. soldiers on Thursday and returned to Reuters Sunday.
Several photos were taken while the cameras were in the custody of U.S. soldiers, according to Reuters.
Someone used Noor-Eldeen's wide-angle camera to shoot two shots of an American soldier in what looks like a barracks. They were taken more than three hours after the incident that killed Noor-Eldeen, based on the camera's digital clock. Earlier shots on the camera show shadows on the ground and the lower legs of a U.S. soldier, which Reuters speculates were snapped by accident as the camera was being carried.
Reuters revealed the findings in a story Monday, and distributed some of the photographs through its wire service. Among the images is an odd photo showing the top of someone's head with the sky and the side of a structure in the background.
Reuters says it wants a "thorough and objective investigation" into the action that left its two staff members dead, and demanded an explanation for why the cameras were confiscated.
The U.S. military has characterized the incident as a firefight in which nine insurgents and two civilians were killed. A military statement says U.S. and Iraqi forces were taking part in a planned raid when they were attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. U.S. troops returned fire and called in air support. Witnesses told Reuters that the attack involved an Apache helicopter, but witnesses did not report seeing gunmen on the ground.
"Our preliminary investigation raises real questions about whether there was fighting at the time the two men were killed," said David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters, in a statement. "For the sake of their memory and for the sake of all journalists in Iraq we need a thorough and objective investigation that will help us and the military learn lessons that will improve the safety of journalists in the future."
Reuters also revealed Monday that a 30-year-old Iraqi man who was working as a Reuters translator was shot dead last week, for a total of three Reuters employees killed during the week and seven throughout the war in Iraq. Reuters said the translator's family asked that his name not be released.
Also last week, an Iraqi correspondent for the New York Times, Khalid W. Hassan, was killed when his car came under attack by two cars of gunmen, according to the newspaper.
Provided by pdnonline.com
Photos on the cameras show no evidence of the firefight described by the U.S. military in its statement about the incident, which also killed driver Saeed Chmagh, the news agency reported. The cameras were recovered from Noor-Eldeen's body by U.S. soldiers on Thursday and returned to Reuters Sunday.
Several photos were taken while the cameras were in the custody of U.S. soldiers, according to Reuters.
Someone used Noor-Eldeen's wide-angle camera to shoot two shots of an American soldier in what looks like a barracks. They were taken more than three hours after the incident that killed Noor-Eldeen, based on the camera's digital clock. Earlier shots on the camera show shadows on the ground and the lower legs of a U.S. soldier, which Reuters speculates were snapped by accident as the camera was being carried.
Reuters revealed the findings in a story Monday, and distributed some of the photographs through its wire service. Among the images is an odd photo showing the top of someone's head with the sky and the side of a structure in the background.
Reuters says it wants a "thorough and objective investigation" into the action that left its two staff members dead, and demanded an explanation for why the cameras were confiscated.
The U.S. military has characterized the incident as a firefight in which nine insurgents and two civilians were killed. A military statement says U.S. and Iraqi forces were taking part in a planned raid when they were attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. U.S. troops returned fire and called in air support. Witnesses told Reuters that the attack involved an Apache helicopter, but witnesses did not report seeing gunmen on the ground.
"Our preliminary investigation raises real questions about whether there was fighting at the time the two men were killed," said David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters, in a statement. "For the sake of their memory and for the sake of all journalists in Iraq we need a thorough and objective investigation that will help us and the military learn lessons that will improve the safety of journalists in the future."
Reuters also revealed Monday that a 30-year-old Iraqi man who was working as a Reuters translator was shot dead last week, for a total of three Reuters employees killed during the week and seven throughout the war in Iraq. Reuters said the translator's family asked that his name not be released.
Also last week, an Iraqi correspondent for the New York Times, Khalid W. Hassan, was killed when his car came under attack by two cars of gunmen, according to the newspaper.
Provided by pdnonline.com
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