US Won't Release Reuters Photographer In Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Iraq is not obliged to obey an Iraqi court order to release a freelance photographer working for Reuters news agency and will hold him into 2009, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Iraqi Central Criminal Court ruled on November 30 that there was no evidence against Ibrahim Jassam Mohammed, and ordered the U.S. military to release him from Camp Cropper prison near Baghdad airport, where he has been detained since September.

"Though we appreciate the decision of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq in the Jassam case, their decision does not negate the intelligence information that currently lists him as a threat to Iraq security and stability," said Major Neal Fisher, spokesman for the U.S. military's detainee operations in Iraq.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[DthemanN]

Well at least we're not going to "accidentally' bomb and kill him like we did all those Al-Jazeera reporters. Our bad, yall!

[chaos4700]

I keep wondering if we're ever going to run out of fresh horrors when it comes to the strategic and political blunders that the Bush Administration has brought us.

[Imokyrok]

The powers that be don't seem to care that these acts reinforce the contempt the rest of the world feels for the US. All US citizens who read this should write to their representatives about this journalist and those of us who live outside the US should write to the us ambassador for our respective countries.

[karela]

It will be a relief when Bush is gone and all this crazy secrecy, detention without charges and cowboy bullying becomes a thing of the past. They say the guy is a threat to Iraqi security but they can't tell Iraq about it? These are cowboys and bullies and they need to be smacked down hard. I hope Obama gets somebody on this junk very quickly. This is so wrong.

[jerrypl]

This is what the White House is spinning the successes of our criminal president:

"Above all, George W. Bush promised to uphold the honor and the dignity of his office. And through all the challenges and trials of his time in office, that is a charge that our president has kept."

Bush has failed his office and the nation. He has no integrity and should be indicted over the crimes he supported in Iraq. If this photographer has committed no crime, then release him. But Bush likes to hold without a reason.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[Hemkit]

Unless this man is directly involved with Al-Qaeda, he should not be held. Isnt' that why we are in Iraq now, to go after Al-Qaeda? At least that's what I've been told...

[boing007]

Unless this man is directly involved with Al-Qaeda, he should not be held. Isnt' that why we are in Iraq now, to go after Al-Qaeda? At least that's what I've been told...

That's the flavor of the month. Next month it could be different.

[kfdan]

If you are a journalist ... just substitute you name for that of Ibrahim Jassam Mohammed. You have now entered Alice's Wonderland.

[bubbuh]

I suspect the fellow will be realeased in February.

[squander123]

Now remind me again, what was the invasion of Iraq in aid of...? Oh that's right, freedom. The United States sure is a freedom-loving country...

[JustNotTrue]

heh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good one..........they THINK they are free but are slaves to credit.

[DogLeg]

My apologies to Mr. I J Mohammed, to Reuters, NPR, the Iraq courts and the Iraq people for the complete lack of civility perpetrated on your country by this most disreputable American administration and its lacky military. I wish I could say it will end soon, but I fear we are in for more of the same.

That any military representative can ignore a civilian master does not bode well for your country nor ours. This is a travesty of justice among millions this administration, this country has been held unaccountable for for far too long.

It may be that our 'karma' is upon our pitiful excuses.

I only wish I could speak for more than myself.

[Sapphdia]

I wonder what he knows or what he would have reported...

[Destin]

Funny, when I was in the military, we were taught one very important thing. ALWAYS follow and respect local law. Whether you are stationed in California, New York, Korea, Germany or even Iraq. Once you are off-base, local law trumps our law.

[Listusc18sec2391]

That was BEFORE the USA became like N a z i Germany.

[Destin]

True, the Bush Junta has changed quite alot in it's reign of error.

[firelord5000]

I guess freedom of speech/journalism is for only us? Wonder what exactly he came across that is so damaging.

[PATina]

Me too. Hopefully when he's released... he'll write a story on it.

[instagladiator]

Agreed. He must have stumbled across some "good stuff". I predict he will either be released come Jan 21, 2009 or else, (read between the lines) he'll end up taking his own life because he couldn't stand being confined any longer?

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

They're using the same intelligence that said Saddam has WMD's.

[lisakaz2]

If there were legitimate grounds to hold this man, they should demonstrate this. They don't. This govt has NEVER done that. It's impossible to believe them, esp. when the news service has supported this photographer without reservation. Seems like revenge for pics they didn't like.

[Jamesdean]

These kinds of acts do nothing but spread ill-feelings toward America and provide fodder to anti-American elements. We need to take a very good look at ourselves or we will continue to pay the price.