An unembedded American journalist was found shot dead — three shots to his chest, after being abducted by gunmen — in Baghdad.
You’ve probably run across Stephen Vincent’s blog, “In The Red Zone.” The last post, by a friend, links to Vincent’s July 31 article in the New York Times.
Adds Laura Rozen at War & Piece: “NPR’s Philip Reeves says that Vincent and his translator were abducted outside his hotel by people in a white pick up with ‘police’ written on it, but no license plate. (Vincent describes a similar vehicle used by police loyal to radical Shiite clerics to commit sectarian assassinations in his oped). His translator Ward al-Khal was shot through the chest, and is hospitalized.”
Update [2005-8-3 14:3:6 by susanhu]: Word in that Vincent’s translator is also dead. Via Air America radio at 11am PDT.
Vincent’s last blog post was July 26’s “The Naive American.” A July 29 Washington Times editorial refers to that last post as a “stunning installment” on conditions in Basra, “where he says crooks and corruption are the problem, not terrorism.”
Vincent also links to his article on “the day-to-day challenges” of Iraqi police in the Christian Science Monitor.
There’s something incredibly sad about visiting the blog of such a gifted person who’s just died. But, there’s so much there, including a link to Vincent’s book, “In The Red Zone.” PHOTO: Spence Publishing, his publisher.
NOTE: Sybil has just written an outstanding diary on “Another Voice Silenced, James Vincent.”
grizmaster at dKos has diaried that British-trained Basra police are probably responsible for Vincent’s murder.
From GAO testimony on training Iraqi forces, including police:
Police. New officers: 8-week academy training. Serving officers: 3-week course.
After completed a 2-year course of training (Admin of Justice), new recruits generally go through a 14-week academy.
Every time they’re asked about Iraqi “insurgents” the brass have always included revenge-seekers, organized crime, and common street criminals. And lest we forget, some of the same people asking the British for help were the ones calling for their withdrawal. (Since the election, all multinational forces are technically under the control of the Iraqi government).
Another senseless death, another day in the war zone. Compound cluster f*ck doesn’t come close.
Great minds think alike. 🙂
I thought of deleting it, but it has different links
and maybe it will hang around (if recommended) and keep the story alive a little longer.
It’s heartbreaking to read how Vincent was a fixture in the hotel dining room where he made conversation with other reporters. He will really be missed. It is not as if we have dozens of unembedded reporters in Iraq.
I’m so sorry .. I almost always CHECK the diary list to make sure I haven’t duplicated someone else’s effort, but I simply forgot this morning :(:(
I’ve linked yours because, as you say, you add quite a bit, including his writing.
(I just added the info via War & Piece about the suspicious nature of the shooting.)
So sorry, I mispelled his first name X 2
Thanks Susan!
exposing the myth that the Brits had turned Basra into a peaceful paradise.
His murder, the killing of 14 more Marines – Even the Republicans have to start wondering how much support we have from the Iraqis.
BTW, anybody see this in this AMs NYT?
Buried in the article is the kicker:
Even when we “leave”, we’re not leaving.
They can’t leave . it’s a scam anyway to appease the American public.
21 Marines from a single Ohio unit. Just devastating.
I am certain that the American people will not stand for it, never mind political parties.
military bases for nothing. I understand they have been
consolidated into 4 bases, or 4 little US countries within Iraq.
Oh, Rumsfeld says they are not “permanent” they are
“enduring.” (Rumsfeld should be inicted for crimes
against the English language.)
So “leaving” is not really leaving, it is retreating to the bases. Where, isolated from the population and the country, entrance and exit will always be a problem.
Right on, Sybil. Those permanent bases tell the story. Just like the countless permanent bases in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Central Asia.
Someone I know wrote this yesterday: Troop Withdrawal Scam: Skeptics, Unite!
About non-journalists like Novak and Chris Hitchens,
they write with such certitude, but it is false.
Hitchens was on Air America talking about the debunked,
laughed at, derided, scoffed at, centrifuge story. “A centrifuge
for a nuclear program was dug up in an Iraqi scientist’s
yard.” He spoke with such certitude about this
‘discovery of WMD in Iraq’ that he convinced Al Franken.
Juan Cole re-debunked it the next day. There were pre-1991
plans for a centrifuge dug up.
As my granny would say “If wishes were horses, beggars
would ride.” The war pimps are wishing so hard to find
evidence of WMD but they will never ‘ride.’
Thanks for the entry on this, susanhu (and to sybil, too).
I’ve never read the NYT in the morning and then had to tell my wife that someone she cares for has been brutally murdered. This is the first time the war has hit home for our family. My wife, prior to moving out West three years ago, lived in the same apartment building as Steven and remains good friends with his widow. I, myself, have had the opportunity to have a number of political conversations with him over cocktails on the roof of their East Village apartment building. We disagreed on a number of issues, I recall, particularly the idea that the United States could spread democracy at the barrel of a gun – indeed, he completely bought the myth of the war being a vehicle to spread democracy. That said, however, his commitment to the spread of democratic ideals and to the Iraqi people (especially Iraqi women) in the face of fundamentalist extremism was particularly inspiring. I know that last year, he’d lost faith in the Bush administration’s ability, or even will, to democratize Iraq, and ended up voting for John Kerry – which shocked quite a number of his friends. Personally, I found him to be a very kind, warm man (if not a little aloof) – but also a consummate and dedicated professional.
The warm thoughts of myself and my family are with Steven’s family and friends now, especially his widow. He will be missed.