Two journalists from an ITN team are still
missing. They were caught in the crossfire between
coalition and Iraqi forces which killed ITN
correspondent Terry Lloyd near Basra on 22
March.
Fred Nerac, his French cameraman, and his
Lebanese interpreter Hussein Othman have not been seen
since.
Both Fred Nerac
and Hussein Othman were wearing three press
cards around their necks - one American, two Kuwaiti - all carried
both men’s name and picture. They also had their passports with
them that morning.
Hussein was wearing casual dark western clothes. He is short (1m
70) and of medium-build with short, dark hair and is slightly
balding, with no moustache. Hussein is Lebanese.
A press release by the media watchdog
Reporters sans Frontières accuses the US armed forces of
maintaining an unacceptable silence, declining to give any
information regarding the ITN team which came under fire on 22
March.
"We are still waiting for a
satisfactory explanation for the attack on the ITN crew at the
start of the war in which we think three colleagues were
killed," said the International Federation of Journalists,
adding that "there is eye-witness testimony accusing
the US of deliberately firing upon clearly marked television
vehicles."
The IFJ describes attacks on reporters as
"crimes of war" and indicates that 12 journalists and support staff
have already been killed in this conflict.
The IFJ says that the immediate aftermath
of the war should involve a review of international rules to try to
improve the levels of protection, for journalists and media staff.
"This war has been the most televised conflict in history, but the
protection afforded to journalists and media staff is prehistoric
by comparison," said Aidan White, general secretary of the
IFJ.
For pictures and more information
please go to:
www.fred-nerac.com or www.itv.com/news
In case you have any information
whatsoever, please call:
ITN : +44 20 7430 4411/+44 7715 160 884
