[Transcend]

This is despicable and absolutely pathetic. Freedom my ass.

http://harpers.org/archive/2007/04/horton-photojournalist-in-custody

A Pulitzer Prize-winning war photographer is seized by U.S. Forces and locked up for one year. The U.S. refuses to bring any charges. When American military spokesmen suggest their "suspicions" in interviews with the media, virtually all of them are exposed as false within a matter of weeks. No matter. He is still held. But surely this is some dark alternate universe, and not the one we inhabit, you think?

No. Bilal Hussein belonged to a team of Associated Press photographers who received the profession's highest award – the Pulitzer Prize – for their coverage of fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2005. One year ago today he was seized by U.S. Forces in Iraq. He has been held in continuous custody since that time. No formal charges have ever been brought against him, and the accusations raised by the Pentagon and the U.S. Command in Baghdad have changed continuously – sometimes changing even in the course of a single press cycle. A large part of those accusations have already been demonstrated to be false. However, in addition to stated accusations – the U.S. Forces insist that they have secret charges which, in the manner of Franz Kafka's novel The Trial they are unwilling to present to Bilal Hussein. They are also afraid to present them to a court.

The Associated Press story marking the anniversary quotes the photojournalist's lawyer, former federal prosecutor Paul Gardephe saying:

U.S. officials indicated they lacked solid evidence on seven of the allegations and could not reveal the evidence they did have on the other two allegations because it was classified. One of those allegations is that Hussein offered to provide false identification to a sniper who was seeking to evade capture, while the other is that he took photographs that were synchronized with insurgent explosions, Gardephe said.

Gardephe disputed the validity of both those allegations. False identification cards have long been easily available from a variety of sources in Iraq, and Gardephe said insurgents would likely have a ready supply without having to turn to an AP photographer for one. He also noted that the military didn't even claim Hussein actually provided a false ID, just that he allegedly made an offer.

As for the photo allegation, Gardephe said he examined all of the more than 900 photographs Hussein submitted to the AP during a 20-month period before his detention. "There are no photos that are synchronized with an explosion," he said. "The absence of evidence leads to the conclusion that Bilal is being held because of the photographs he took for the AP—which were published around the world—and which were part of AP's Pulitzer Prize-winning submission in 2005," Gardephe said.

I was involved with Bilal Hussein's case through the end of last year and I personally conducted investigations that disproved many of the contentions advanced – and then quickly withdrawn – by U.S. Forces in Iraq. From my own examination of the case and discussions with U.S. representatives, I was convinced that Bilal Hussein was seized and has been held in captivity for the last year for one reason: the Pentagon was embarrassed by the photographs he took of the fighting in Al-Anbar province. They contradicted the message the Pentagon was putting out about the nature and scope of fighting in Al-Anbar and senior figures in the Bush Administration were particularly galled that the AP won the Pulitzer Prize for its photographic coverage of the war. The Pentagon wanted to send a message to the entire press community in Iraq: Cross us, and we can just lock you up. And we don't need reasons. This is justice in the style of the Bush administration.

In the meantime, Bilal Hussein starts his second year of incarceration on no charges, and America's reputation for justice in the world suffers another blow.

 

[ohio]

Hey if you haven't done anything wrong you have nothing to worry about, right?

 

[Transcend]

Hey if you haven't done anything wrong you have nothing to worry about, right?

Besides a few years in coinfinement in Iraq without a trial or even charges laid. Wonder how many times the US has tortured him so far?

Can't wait to see the lawsuit that eventually stems from this. The international news story that stems from it will be fantastic, I am sure.

 

[N8 v2.0]

..checking my Care-o-meter...


oops... looks like 0

 

[Silver]

The guy's last name is Hussein. What do you two faggots need evidence for? He's obviously guilty.

 

[BurlyShirley]

The guy's last name is Hussein. What do you two faggots need evidence for? He's obviously guilty.

I've been saying it. Barak "Hussein" Osama will not be winning any presidential races with that kind of name.

 

[N8 v2.0]

 

[$tinkle]

about this:

As for the photo allegation, Gardephe said he examined all of the more than 900 photographs Hussein submitted to the AP during a 20-month period before his detention. "There are no photos that are synchronized with an explosion," he said.

found this:
(http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/blogger/1846/763/1600/BilalHussein-propaganda.jpg)

so these RPGs didn't explode, or are we playing a silly semantics game?

found a few more too that seem to indicate he was a little too close to terrorist attacks to be viewed as non-partisan, especially in a land where over 80 journalists were killed by gunfire (by joo-ish spies, naturally)

 

[Transcend]

Um, that's exactly the job of a photojournalist. Would you like to see the work of James Nachtwey, one of the best photjournalists since the camera was invented? He happens to ALWAYS be right there.

I suggest you start with the Israel or Chechnya sections. Is Natchwey now a palestinian terrorist for having captured the palestinians throwing molotovs or a Chechnyan rebel for having photographed someone firing on the Russians?

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

"I have been a witness, and these pictures are

my testimony. The events I have recorded should

not be forgotten and must not be repeated."

Journalists are SUPPOSED to be impartial, and cover both sides of the story. They are supposed to report what is going on. Iraqis are fighting back. It's news. Sorry that the US Military can't seem to figure that out. If anyone, they are acting more like terrorists than a civilized, democratic nation.

The US wouldn't dare grab him, as there would be an international uprising. Let's just grab the guy with an Arab name instead who happens to show things we don't want seen.

 

[Silver]

Remember the flap amongst the right wing blogs a few years back with a Pulitzer winner who they gave **** for being right there. Didn't he use a 500mm lens?

 

[Transcend]

Remember the flap amongst the right wing blogs a few years back with a Pulitzer winner who they gave **** for being right there. Didn't he use a 500mm lens?

Not familiar with it, but possible for this Hussein guy I guess. I know i would not want to be toating a 500mm lens around in a combat zone though. Natchwey is pretty reknowned for using nothing other than a 16-35mm, a 50mm and an 85mm.

 

[Silver]

Not familiar with it, but possible for this Hussein guy I guess. I know i would not want to be toating a 500mm lens around in a combat zone though. Natchwey is pretty reknowned for using nothing other than a 16-35mm, a 50mm and an 85mm.

Ah yes...I knew that idiot Malkin had something to do with it the flap:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/8/135018/4693

So 300m away, which looks plausible to me looking at the image here:

http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2005/breaking-news-photography/works/warzone20.html

It's obviously pretty heavily cropped, or else he was using a 1 megapixel pocket camera...

Here is the anchor baby's post on it:

http://www.michellemalkin.com/archives/001999.htm

edit: Yeah, a 500mm lens would look a lot like a rocket launcher, wouldn't it? Having said that, that kind of crop from a 70-200 (hell, throw a TC on there if you're looking to make it even more plausible) from anywhere from 100-200m or so trivial.

 

[sanjuro]

Dude, who cares? It is not like we shot our own soldiers and tell the other ones to keep quiet...

 

[Westy]

..checking my Care-o-meter...


oops... looks like 0

Now that a precedent is being set you'll cry yourself to sleep every night when Hillary detains Limbaugh.

 

[MMike]

NOw THAT would be funny.... Limbaugh, Rivera, Coulter and O'Reilly in an Abu Graib-style pyramid....

 

[Westy]

NOw THAT would be funny.... Limbaugh, Rivera, Coulter and O'Reilly in an Abu Graib-style pyramid....

With Chelsea smoking a butt and giving the thumbs up?

 

[$tinkle]

Um, that's exactly the job of a photojournalist.

applying the "good for the goose; good for the gander" mantra, shall a photojournalist not be held accountable for having the knowledge of a crime about to take place & not notify interested parties, so that "it may be reported & never ever be repeated"? cool. i'll call myself a photojournalist & report on child rape, ritualistic slaughter, serial killing, or the next disaffected college student as he snaps. please don't say something eTarded like "but, it's a war zone"

Iraqis are fighting back. It's news. Sorry that the US Military can't seem to figure that out. If anyone, they are acting more like terrorists than a civilized, democratic nation.

i thought our actions are what caused international terrorists to funnel into iraq. i'm confused: which is it? and if the u.s. military is acting like terrorists, which civilians are they targeting, instead of taking out military targets (bomb makers, "militiamen", etc.)? their actions & operations are fundamentally identical as to the actions in afghanistan, which has been embraced by the left as a "just war, however poorly mismanaged".

The US wouldn't dare grab him, as there would be an international uprising. Let's just grab the guy with an Arab name instead who happens to show things we don't want seen.

gee, what are the odds we'd find a photojournalist who could effectively be embedded who also happens to have an arabic name who is a citizen of iraq? i expect these odds would be staggering, but can't be sure for my abacus is in the shop getting recalibrated. furthermore, since this is a "hearts-n-minds" war, taking out part of the propaganda machine is fine w/ me. and don't give me "habeus corpus", or something else which applies to u.s. citizens; he's an iraqi who's complicit w/ terrorists.

 

[Transcend]

applying the "good for the goose; good for the gander" mantra, shall a photojournalist not be held accountable for having the knowledge of a crime about to take place & not notify interested parties, so that "it may be reported & never ever be repeated"? cool. i'll call myself a photojournalist & report on child rape, ritualistic slaughter, serial killing, or the next disaffected college student as he snaps. please don't say something eTarded like "but, it's a war zone"i thought our actions are what caused international terrorists to funnel into iraq. i'm confused: which is it? and if the u.s. military is acting like terrorists, which civilians are they targeting, instead of taking out military targets (bomb makers, "militiamen", etc.)? their actions & operations are fundamentally identical as to the actions in afghanistan, which has been embraced by the left as a "just war, however poorly mismanaged".gee, what are the odds we'd find a photojournalist who could effectively be embedded who also happens to have an arabic name who is a citizen of iraq? i expect these odds would be staggering, but can't be sure for my abacus is in the shop getting recalibrated. furthermore, since this is a "hearts-n-minds" war, taking out part of the propaganda machine is fine w/ me. and don't give me "habeus corpus", or something else which applies to u.s. citizens; he's an iraqi who's complicit w/ terrorists.

Sorry, it's a warzone. Who should he reporting things to?

 

[$tinkle]

Sorry, it's a warzone. Who should he reporting things to?

http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/

[set rovianFilter="on"]

also, he should be re-assigned to warziristan

 

[Transcend]

http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/

[set rovianFilter="on"]

Sorry, wrong answer! Also about propaganda machine....he's a pullitzer prize winning Associated Press reporter, he doesn't work for Al Jazeera (which wouldn't excuse the action even if he did).

Sorry, the US is full of **** again. Like I said, absolutely pathetic.

 

[$tinkle]

Sorry, wrong answer! Also about propaganda machine....he's a pullitzer prize winning Associated Press reporter, he doesn't work for Al Jazeera (which wouldn't excuse the action even if he did).

he's not a reporter; he's a stringer w/ an afternoon of o.j.t. on AP-issued equipment. big diff.

i'm surprised you're not put out the AP would pimp him out for profit. how is that not "absolutely pathetic"?

 

[N8 v2.0]

he's not a reporter; he's a stringer w/ an afternoon of o.j.t. on AP-issued equipment. big diff.

i'm surprised you're not put out the AP would pimp him out for profit. how is that not "absolutely pathetic"?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070425.KHADR25/TPStory/TPInternational/America/

 

[sanjuro]

Hey if you haven't done anything wrong you have nothing to worry about, right?

http://www.innocenceproject.org/

 

[$tinkle]

what the soldier in iraq thinks of the Associated <with terrorists> Press:
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20074241445.aspx

 

[Transcend]

what the soldier in iraq thinks of the Associated <with terrorists> Press:
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20074241445.aspx

Sweet! Thats exactly what the rest of the world thinks of US soldiers in Iraq too. How fitting!

 

[Transcend]

he's not a reporter; he's a stringer w/ an afternoon of o.j.t. on AP-issued equipment. big diff.

i'm surprised you're not put out the AP would pimp him out for profit. how is that not "absolutely pathetic"?

He's a photojournalist. The AP and any wire service for that matter, rarely send their own people into warzones. I string for the CP, it's how the wire services work as they can't possibly have enough full time staff people to cover every inch of the planet.

 

[$tinkle]

http://www.innocenceproject.org/

that's stupid; you can't prove innocence.

what's next? presuppose they're innocent unless evidence to the contrary is presented? simply frivolous.

 

[ohio]

applying the "good for the goose; good for the gander" mantra, shall a photojournalist not be held accountable for having the knowledge of a crime about to take place & not notify interested parties, so that "it may be reported & never ever be repeated"?

You're right, we should also arrest all the civilians in the area that saw something explode and did nothing about it.

 

[ohio]

if the u.s. military is acting like terrorists, which civilians are they targeting?

uh, this journalist.

 

[Transcend]

uh, this journalist.

Not to mention the few hundred thousand iraqis killed or maimed.

 

[Echo]

I like how every debate with $tinkle comes down to who can spew more of their wing's rhetoric.

 

[Silver]

Not to mention the few hundred thousand iraqis killed or maimed.

Brown muslims aren't people, silly...

 

[$tinkle]

You're right, we should also arrest all the civilians in the area that saw something explode and did nothing about it.

yes, b/c seeing an explosion without prior knowledge to its planning is precisely the same as squeegying your freshly misted neighbor off your perfectly focused lens.

if the u.s. military is acting like terrorists, which civilians are they targeting?

uh, this journalist.

complete w/ prayer rug, attorney, 3 squares, & all the electricity he could ever want coursing through his body.

nice gratitude you got there.

 

[$tinkle]

Not to mention the few hundred thousand iraqis killed or maimed.

remind me again: is the military sunni or shia?

 

[Changleen]

$tinkle, none of your arguments have actually addressed the point.

 

[ohio]

yes, b/c seeing an explosion without prior knowledge to its planning is precisely the same as squeegying your freshly misted neighbor off your perfectly focused lens.

First, there's no indication that he has prior knowledge of specific attacks. He, along with many others, knows where areas of conflict are located. Unlike others he places himself there to document the conflict. Surprise... if you sit in a combat zone with a camera, you may actually capture some photos of combat.

Second, there's no bad-simaritan law that I know of. Simply knowing of an attack and not sharing is not aiding the enemy, or again, there would be many many civilians (who have knowledge of much, but have learned to not aid anyone... huh, sounds similar to a journalist's position) to arrest.

 

[$tinkle]

First, there's no indication that he has prior knowledge of specific attacks.

after reading this, if true, the pictures could have very well been staged. there goes his photojournalist bona-fides!

Second, there's no bad-simaritan law that I know of. Simply knowing of an attack and not sharing is not aiding the enemy, or again, there would be many many civilians (who have knowledge of much, but have learned to not aid anyone... huh, sounds similar to a journalist's position) to arrest.

this may apply in a lawless land; silly me: i thought the law meant something to people who say bush declared an illegal war.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Then why the f*ck is the government so shifty about the charges?

"Uh...he's guilty of #1."
"No...he's not."
"Ok...Uh...he's guilty of #2."
"No...he's not."
"Ok...uh...he's guilty of #'s 3, 4, 5, & 6."
"No...he's not."
"Ok...uh....It's a secret."

Yeah. That really makes for great law practice.

Please remove your head from your ass. You can see better without all the sh*t in your eyes.

Why don't we just go back to the 40's and do what the gubment did to all the asians. I'm sure history will look kindly on us this time.

 

[ohio]

after reading this, if true, the pictures could have very well been staged. there goes his photojournalist bona-fides!
this may apply in a lawless land; silly me: i thought the law meant something to people who say bush declared an illegal war.

Point A - I don't see how staged glamour shots are pre-emptive knowledge of a strike, but maybe you also have a hard time distnguishing real life from the "talkies".

Point B - So point me to a law (convention, statute, even precedent will work in a pinch) that says civilians in war zone need take part in the conflict. I kind of thought NOT taking part was what made them civilians... silly me.

 

[$tinkle]

Point A - I don't see how staged glamour shots are pre-emptive knowledge of a strike, but maybe you also have a hard time distnguishing real life from the "talkies".

staged & published = propaganda, right? so maybe he's "only" duplicitous.
[btw, "talkies" was funny]

Point B - So point me to a law (convention, statute, even precedent will work in a pinch) that says civilians in war zone need take part in the conflict. I kind of thought NOT taking part was what made them civilians... silly me.

even after applying the woman filter i have no idea what post of mine this relates to.