The Command Post - Iraq - 3 Malaysian Journos Kidnapped, Translator Killed

April 13, 2003

3 Malaysian Journos Kidnapped, Translator Killed

Deutsche Welle is reporting on TV (but not on their website) that 3 Malaysian Journalists were kidnapped, and their Iraqi translator killed by gunmen in Iraq. No further details as yet.

UPDATE : They've been Freed. From The Australian

The Malaysians were attacked early yesterday while travelling in two vans from the Sheraton Hotel in the Iraqi capital to a hospital, said Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The journalists were part of a 28 member group that left for Iraq last week. They were funded by the Malaysian government, which accused Western news organisations of biased reporting in Iraq and entrusted the Malaysian team with providing balanced coverage of the war.
Abdullah said an Iraqi man hired as an interpreter was killed.
Two doctors who have been helping to treat Iraqis - Jemilah Mahmood, president of the Malaysian Medical Relief Society, and Baba Deani - were wounded, but were recovering in a hospital.
Three people were abducted - Terence Fernandez, a reporter for The Sun newspaper, Anuar Hashim, a New Straits Times photographer, and Omar Salleh, a cameraman with the state-run Radio Television Malaysia, Abdullah told reporters.
The journalists were later released unharmed and were sent to a Baghdad hospital, Zukri Valenteno Ali, a spokesman for the Malaysian media team in Iraq, was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama. No other details were immediately available.

Posted By Alan E Brain at April 13, 2003 03:03 AM | TrackBack

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field day on journalists YAHOOO to bad they didnt get arrnet and rivera...shit all the dumb luck..u know i bet the iraqis think if they kill all the journalists that they will win the war?

Posted by: aby normal at April 13, 2003 03:07 AM

Wasting all that ammo on journalists when there are a convoy of lawyers on the way?

If you are reporting in a war zone, occationally people shoot at you. People who are willing to dress as civilians and blow themselves up aren't going to leave you alone just because your shirt says "Press"

Posted by: dave at April 13, 2003 03:18 AM

It's interesting that Muslim Malaysia felt it necessary to send their own press people to get the truth. After all, they reason that if they were in the British and Americans shoes, they would lie, woudn't they? Really, it is good they are finding out what it's like for themselves, even if it means getting wounded.

Posted by: Rich Arnone at April 13, 2003 07:28 AM

I am a Malaysian supporting the fine work of the coalition in liberating Iraq. I am dissappointed with all the news reporting here in Malaysia. It is bias and not much different from the disinformation minister. Do send as many Iraqis who can feed them with the truth about Sadam's oppression, tortures and astrocities in the name of Islam! Thanks

Posted by: Pchan at April 13, 2003 09:42 AM

G'day Pchan. I'm glad your countrymen are safe. Here in Australia we think Dr Mahathir is a little - well - funny. In the head. But no matter, we look upon both the Malaysian government and Malaysians as our friends. No doubt many Malaysians think that some Australian leaders are idiots. That's OK, so do we.
Can you give us any good URLs for English-Language Malaysian news websites please? Thanks.

Posted by: Alan E Brain at April 13, 2003 10:37 AM

GOOD! NOW THEY KNOW HOW VICIOUS ISLAMISTS CAN BE. THAT'S MUSLIM VIOLENCE FOR YOU, MALAYSIA, FUCKWITS!!! NOW, TELL THAT TO THE MUSLIM MAJORITY IN YOUR COUNTRY...HOW MUSLIM ARABS ATTACKED YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS! NOTHING NEW THERE!!! FORGIVE MY CAPS...I JUST WANT TO SCREAM THE TRUTH DOWN MALAYSIA'S THROATS!!!

Posted by: chuckie at April 13, 2003 04:46 PM

Now that I've vented myself...reality check: I apologise for my emotional outburst. I'm sure not all Malaysians are biasesed..their gov't is. In any case, Malaysians are internet-savvy enough to search for the truth themselves. I, myself, don't claim a monopoly of TRUTH(being an American). However, all I ask that we try to be NEAR THE TRUTH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

Posted by: chuckie at April 13, 2003 04:50 PM