US confirms its troops killed Reuters journalist in Iraq

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAC162490.htm

US confirms its troops killed Reuters journalist in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. military confirmed on Thursday that its soldiers killed a Reuters journalist in Iraq but said their action was "appropriate".

Describing Sunday's incident, when television soundman Waleed Khaled was killed by multiple shots, Major General Rick Lynch said: "That car approached at a high rate of speed and then conducted activity that in itself was suspicious. There were individuals hanging outside with what looked to be a weapon.

"It stopped and immediately put itself in reverse. Again suspicious activity. Our soldiers on the scene used established rules of engagement and all the training received ... decided that it was appropriate to engage that particular car.

"And as a result of that the driver was indeed killed and the passenger was hurt by shards of glass."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4202186.stm

Innocent civilian

Waleed Khaled appears to have been fired on without any warning. He leaves behind a wife who is four months pregnant and a seven-year-old daughter.

The Reuters cameraman with him was injured and, although the main witness to what had happened, he was promptly arrested by the Americans.

....

When an American journalist working for Reuters, managed to get to the scene with a British security adviser, he found the Americans laughing and joking around Waleed's body.
They were also refusing to give the injured cameraman any water.

The security adviser - a former British soldier - said it was apparent to him that the American troops wanted to clear away any evidence before there could be an outside inquiry.

He said what was most worrying was that the unit did not seem to care that they had shot dead an innocent civilian.