Gunmen slaughter 11 relatives of Iraqi journalist

Source: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) — An Iraqi journalist said on Monday gunmen went on a killing spree in his Baghdad home, murdering seven children and four adult relatives in the latest assault on media staff in the war-scarred country.

Dia al-Kawwaz, editor of Internet website Shabeqat Akhbar al-Iraq (Network of Iraqi News), said militiamen sprayed his relatives with bullets after storming into his house on Sunday.

"Four gunmen entered my family house in Shab area. Two of my sisters, their husbands and seven children between five and 10 years old were killed yesterday (Sunday) morning," Kawwaz told AFP on Monday by telephone from Amman.

He accused Shiite militiamen of carrying out the killings, saying they "stormed the house when the family was having breakfast".

"Earlier I was accused of being pro-US and so had to flee to Germany and now I am accused of being a Saddamist," said Kawwaz, a Shiite, who has lived in Germany for the past 20 years.



Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gucnEe_kCraeTjD3C-ddzvZwEp_g

what am I saying? they already have.
and the damned newspapers believe them and report it as fact.

Things are just going swimmingly in Iraq, it seems. :sarcasm:

I feel for this guy... What guilt he must feel, even if it is misplaced guilt.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7117632.stm


Wonder if his family thinks he feels misplaced guilt

Mr Kawwaz (r) held a public wake for relatives he said had been killed

Iraqi journalist's family 'safe'
The family of an Iraqi journalist - who he claimed had been killed by gunmen in Baghdad - have appeared on Iraqi television, apparently safe and well.
Dia al-Kawwaz, who lives in Jordan, said that several members of his family were killed by Shia gunmen on Sunday.

But a taped report on the US-owned al-Hurra TV showed his family, none of whom seemed distressed or injured.

Mr Kawwaz' sisters denounced his actions, saying there had never been any sort of threat against them.

One of his brothers-in-law suggested that he had made the story up for political reasons.

Mr Kawwaz edits a website that has been critical of the Iraqi government and the US military presence in Iraq.

He has lived outside Iraq for more than 20 years.


snip
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7117632.stm
well... after 20 years I hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes.

wtf