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Military Holds Iraqi Cameraman

Apr 8, 2005  •  Post A Comment

The U.S. military in Iraq said Friday it is holding as a possible security threat an Iraqi cameraman who was carrying CBS News credentials when he was injured April 5 during a battle between U.S. soldiers and insurgents in Mosul.

CBS News released a statement that said it is investigating the situation and will report further information when it becomes available.

The cameraman — who CBS News said was not being identified by the network or the Pentagon “for safety reasons” — “was referred to CBS News by our Iraqi fixer in Tikrit, who has had a trusted relationship with CBS News for two years,” said the CBS News statement. “The cameraman who was detained was shot last Tuesday in northeastern Mosul while videotaping for CBS News. At that time, the Pentagon said forces mistook his camera for a weapon and shot him. The cameraman was treated at a military hospital.”

“The Pentagon said Friday that the cameraman was arrested and is being investigated as to whether or not he was ‘more than an observer’ of insurgent activities,” said the statement.

The statement also noted: “It is common practice in Iraq for Western news organizations to hire local cameramen in places considered too dangerous for Westerners to work effectively. The very nature of their work often puts them in the middle of very volatile situations.”