US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist

[Guest guest]

" Zepp " <zepp

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 05:21:04 -0800

[Zepps_News] #US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist

 

 

 

 

 

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1682208,00.html

 

 

 

*US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist*

 

 

*Monday January 9, 2006

The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>*

 

American troops in Baghdad yesterday blasted their way into the home

of an Iraqi journalist working for the Guardian and Channel 4, firing

bullets into the bedroom where he was sleeping with his wife and children.

 

Ali Fadhil, who two months ago won the Foreign Press Association young

journalist of the year award, was hooded and taken for questioning. He

was released hours later.

 

Dr Fadhil is working with Guardian Films on an investigation for

Channel 4's Dispatches programme into claims that tens of millions of

dollars worth of Iraqi funds held by the Americans and British have

been misused or misappropriated.

 

The troops told Dr Fadhil that they were looking for an Iraqi insurgent

and seized video tapes he had shot for the programme. These have not yet

been returned.

 

The director of the film, Callum Macrae, said yesterday: " The timing

and nature of this raid is extremely disturbing. It is only a few days

since we first approached the US authorities and told them Ali was

doing this investigation, and asked them then to grant him an

interview about our findings.

 

" We need a convincing assurance from the American authorities that

this terrifying experience was not harassment and a crude attempt to

discourage Ali's investigation. "

 

Dr Fadhil was asleep with his wife, their three-year-old daughter,

Sarah, and seven-month-old son, Adam, when the troops forced their way in.

 

" They fired into the bedroom where we were sleeping, then three

soldiers came in. They rolled me on to the floor and tied my hands.

When I tried to ask them what they were looking for they just told me

to shut up, " he said.

 

 

 

--

" Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking

about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order.

Nothing has

changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists,

we're

talking about getting a court order before we do so "

-George W. Bush, April 20, 2004

 

Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!

Pay your taxes so the rich don't have to.

 

http://www.zeppscommentaries.com

For news feed, http:////zepps_news

For essays (please contribute!) http://zepps_essays