Reuters Inquiry Finds US Soldiers may have Murdered Journalist Covering News in Iraq

Reuters news agency said today that an inquiry it commissioned into the shooting of one of its journalists by U.S. troops in Iraq found that the killing was “unlawful” and a violation of U.S. military rules of engagement. The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern at the findings.  Reuters said the inquiry by Risk Advisory Group (TRAG), a European risk management consultancy, found the August 28, 2005 shooting of Reuters soundman Waleed Khaled unjustified. “These troubling findings reinforce the perception that U.S. troops have acted with indifference or recklessness when journalists have sought to cover their activities,” said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. “The military has consistently failed to properly investigate the deaths of journalists at its hands.” Khaled, 35, was shot several times in the head and chest by U.S. snipers as he drove with cameraman Haidar Kadhem to investigate an attack on Iraqi police in Baghdad’s Hay al-Adil district. Kadhem was wounded and was held by U.S. forces at an undisclosed location for three days. At the time of the shooting, Kadhem had been filming through the windshield with a small hand-held camera and at one point briefly leaned out the window, Reuters said. The car was then riddled with 17 bullets. An investigation by the Army unit responsible for the shooting said that the soldiers who opened fire acted within rules of engagement that allow them to fire if they feel under threat, Reuters reported. The conclusions of the TRAG report were summarized in a Reuters story which said the use of force by U.S. troops was neither proportionate to the perceived threat as required under the rules of engagement nor justified. Khaled’s car was stationary when it came under fire. Ballistic evidence "supports the contention that shots were fired to kill or injure the occupants" rather than disable the vehicle, the report said. [more]