Thread: Myth, Fact, and the al-Dura Affair

The AP inquiry found no support for either of those claims. The bulk of the photographs Hussein provided the AP were not about insurgent activity; he detailed both the aftermath of attacks and the daily lives of Iraqis in the war zone. There was no evidence that any images were coordinated with the insurgents or showed the instant of an attack.

These are some examples of Bilal Hussein "photojournalism" turned in to - and distributed by - the Associated Press.

A typical example of photography from the “insurgents’” perspective by Bilal Hussein/AP



And another up-close-and-personal snapshot of a day in the life of the “insurgents:”



Many more graphic photos of Hussein’s work here including this chilling photo in the middle of the Ramadi desert taken by Hussein as triumphant terrorists posed with the body of just-executed hostage Italian national Salvatore Santoro on Dec. 15, 2004: http://iraq-kill-maim.org/ik25/iraq-kill25.htm




It’s clear the photographer wasn’t fearful at all for his own life.

The Yahoo! archive of Hussein’s photos for AP is here. http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/se...&c=news_photos


And plenty more here. http://sirhumphreys.blogspot.com/200...her-bilal.html


In November 2004, AP published a glowing profile of Bilal Hussein that was–surprise–critical of the American forces’ assault on Fallujah. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1115-04.htm

Military files complaint against detained AP photographer
19 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US military has filed a formal complaint with an Iraqi criminal court accusing a detained, award-winning Associated Press photographer of being a "terrorist media operative," the Pentagon said Monday.

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said the military made the complaint about Bilal Hussein, who has been held for more than 19 months without charges in US military custody, to Iraq's Central Criminal Court.

"We believe Bilal Hussein was a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP," he said. "MNF-I possesses convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to security and stability as a link to insurgent activity."

Morrell said an investigative hearing into the case by the court is scheduled to begin on or after November 28.

Hussein was detained April 12, 2006 after marines entered his house in Ramadi to establish a temporary observation post and found bomb-making materials, insurgent propaganda and a surveillance photograph of a US military installation.

Morrell said Hussein, who was part of an AP photo team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005, had previously aroused suspicion because he was often at the scene insurgent attacks as they occurred.

He said other evidence, which he would not describe, came to light after his detention "that makes it clear that Mr. Hussein is a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP."

Under Iraq's legal system, an investigative judge reviews the evidence and decides whether it is sufficient to press charges. The case then goes before a panel of three judges for trial.

The US military's role in the trial would be as a "complaining witness," Morrell said.

Hussein remains in US military custody, he said.

The Associated Press was notified that the military planned to seek criminal charges on November 14.

"While we are hopeful that there could be some resolution to Bilal Hussein's long detention, we have grave concerns that his rights under the law continue to be ignored and even abused," AP President and CEO Tom Curley said in a statement.

"The steps the U.S. military is now taking continue to deny Bilal his right to due process and, in turn, may deny him a chance at a fair trial.

"The treatment of Bilal represents a miscarriage of the very justice and rule of law that the United States is claiming to help Iraq achieve," the AP statement said.

"At this point, we believe the correct recourse is the immediate release of Bilal."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...sQ-Kp_qzn109wQ

11/ 159

Pulitzer Prize in Terrorism?
by Jim Hanson
December 9, 2007 5:09 PM



Hussein's Pulitzer Prize winning shot of Insurgents

The Associated Press won a 2005 Pulitzer for Breaking News Photography for its team coverage of the Iraq War. But the US Military discovered at least one team member - Bilal Hussein - had been a little too cozy with the terrorists when he got that coverage. Now, nineteen months later and to the chagrin of the AP, they are releasing him to Iraqi authorities and turning over evidence. Jim Hanson has inside details for Pajamas Media.




AP photographer Bilal Hussein was on the radar screen of US forces prior to his being detained in a chance encounter April 12, 2006. He was a stringer working in Fallujah who filed numerous reports and photos that seemed to need a high degree of cooperation from the terrorists. He has been in custody for 19 months and will soon face trial by the Iraqi government on charges related to his activities with Sunni insurgents in Fallujah and Ramadi. Evidence against him is expected to be given to the Iraqi government this week.

Geoff Morrell, Pentagon Press Secretary had this to say: “We believe Bilal Hussein was a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP. MNF-I [Multi-National Force Iraq] possesses convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to security and stability as a link to insurgent activity.”

Hussein was in his house with Hamid Hamad Motib, a known al-Qaeda leader, last year when Marines wanted to use the house as an observation point. They determined Motib’s identity and status as a wanted terrorist and took both him and Hussein into custody. They also recovered a number of items that led them to believe that Hussein was involved in insurgent activities. The US will now provide the evidence it has to the Iraqi government.

Pajamas Media has seen an email from a military source involved with the operation, confirming that Bilal Hussein and several others in the Fallujah area during 2004 had come to the attention of US forces tasked with information operations.

They noted ongoing reports coming out of Fallujah that did not match the reality they were aware of. Stories of children and civilians being killed would come out, but in areas where the Marines had not conducted operations. Many of these stories featured pictures and reporting from Hussein and quotes from the same two doctors at Fallujah Hospital. During this period of time Fallujah was controlled almost completely by al-Qaeda and Sunni insurgents. Anyone doing anything was subject to their approval.

Bilal Hussein had free reign to be anywhere and was often taking pictures in the company of insurgents and terrorists. He and the other stringers who made up AP’s Pulitzer Prize winning photo team managed to capture assassinations as they happened. They were on site at bombings within seconds to capture the carnage almost as it happened.

This access and the number of false reports of civilian deaths led the information operations staff to take note. They began monitoring Hussein more closely for two reasons: one they were tasked with countering or debunking false claims of civilian casualties and atrocities, second because Hussein’s very tight relations with the insurgents could be used against the Marines themselves.

This team was comprised of US Public Affairs and Intelligence personnel as well as a Special Ops unit to exploit any actionable intelligence gathered. It was an extraordinary measure and only the fact that Hussein and several others were acting as de facto terror press agents prompted it.


The photo below is an example of the kind of access Hussein and other AP photographs were able to obtain. The dead man, who appears quite recently murdered, is Salvatore Santoro - an Italian working for a British NGO in Iraq.

Reports of Santoro’s being missing and then of his demise were almost simultaneous.



The gunmen on the spot were from the Islamic Movement of Iraqi Mujahadin.

The photographer on the spot to publicize this event was Bilal Hussein.

(Thanks to Jawa Report.)

http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/12/puli..._terrorism.php