Libyan Journalist Mohammed al-Nabbous Killed; Al-Jazeera Crew Arrested

BENGHAZI, Libya — A Libyan journalist who ran a webcast program showing the aftermath of government attacks and commentary on the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi was killed in Saturday's government assault on the rebel capital in the country's east.

Mohammed al-Nabbous, who founded a livestream channel called Libya Al-Hurra, or Free Libya, was hit by sniper fire as Gadhafi sent warplanes, tanks and troops into Benghazi, the first city to fall to the rebellion that began Feb. 15, friends said.

Also Saturday, Al-Jazeera TV said Libyan authorities detained a team of its journalists in western Libya.

The four correspondents are Tunisian, Mauritanian, Norwegian and British. They were reporting from Libya for several days, the network said.

"Libyan authorities will be held responsible for the safety, security and well-being of the team who are being held in Tripoli, adding that regional parties are deploying efforts to secure their release," the Qatar-based channel said in a statement.

Al-Nabbous was the second journalist reported killed in the rebellion.

A week ago, an Al-Jazeera cameraman was killed in an ambush near Benghazi, the first journalist slain in the month-long conflict.

Several reporters have been arrested in Libya, including four journalists for The New York Times detained by government forces during fighting this week in the eastern part of the country. The newspaper reported Friday that Libyan forces said they would release them, but there has been no confirmation that they have been freed.

Gadhafi has kept Western journalists under tight control, taking them on tours of towns he has seized, and around the capital, Tripoli, under government escort to see squares filled with pro-regime loyalists.

Rebels have given journalists more freedom but moving around the swiftly changing lines of control has been perilous.

In Washington, the State Department issued a reminder to media organizations that no U.S. officials remain in Libya, severely limiting the government's ability to assist journalists working for U.S.-based news organizations.

Comments

[banker67]

07:52 AM on 03/21/2011

Why do I have a feeling American taxpayers will ultimately pay the bill for this 'war'?

[richj45]

10:28 AM on 03/21/2011

Have you put gas in your car.. look at the prices, you already are paying

[stuoverit]

02:59 PM on 03/21/2011

Let me preface this with saying that I hate how bloated our military is and that our actions have widespread implications. That said, the actions in Libya have had minimal effect on prices at the pump (so far).Most current prices were determined months ago (at the very least a week in advance). The cost you see listed is the estimated cost per gallon when the trucks come to restock the gas station.

[Loulouthia]

04:53 PM on 03/21/2011

How can we pay for this "war," we can't afford to pay for another one we can't afford the ones we have going on now. I would rather pay for health care and education in my state of Florida where everything is being cut. Our professors at FSU have not received raises in years nor have our state employees. But at FSU we have lost at least 12 to 15 professors in the school of business to other colleges outside of this state offering them $70,000 over the pay they were receiving and of course they are not stupid they are taking it and leaving.

[banker67]

08:38 PM on 03/21/2011

I see your point: No matter how urgent the domestic need for funds, conservatives won't stand for spending. No matter how absurd the rationale for war, conservatives won't stand for any restraint on spending.
We now have three wars going, maybe four if you count Pakistan. Four simultaneous wars in oil country, and our leaders -- including Obama, whom I voted for -- have the nerve to tell the taxpayers it's not about controlling the world's oil supply for the greater profits of American oil companies.
Oil companies have had record profits for years, but never paid appropriate taxes. American taxpayers are losing their homes, their jobs and their health care yet are forced by a see-no-evil IRS to pay until they go broke.
This was ridiculous ten years ago. Now it's scandalous beyond adjectives.
And the wars just go on and on. I teach 'government' at the high school level and I can no longer pretend that our textbook is anything but fiction. It's a lie to tell students that our government has checks and balances, that Congress has the power to declare war, that elected officials care what their constituents want, and that High Court decisions are based on reason and legal precedent. I don't know what to tell the kids, but I know their textbook is profoundly untrue, just transparent propaganda. I'm not Josef Geobbels and I never will be. I won't teach kids lies.

[bart4u]

05:19 AM on 03/21/2011

Reporters will be arrested and placed in areas so they will not get bombed. Not a good place to be part of the media.

[burnseason]

02:40 AM on 03/21/2011

is anyone really surprised at this?

[kocean1]

08:46 PM on 03/20/2011

More trouble-why not let them work it out among themselves. Supply arms and training ? To little to late ?

[joebiteme]

07:19 PM on 03/20/2011

Did they think they were invited to a cook out??

[Mister Grumpy]

07:18 PM on 03/20/2011

I expect Obama to announce anyday now a program to bring to the US some Libyian refugees........ anyone want to take that bet?............

[WarrenPease]

07:52 PM on 03/20/2011

Thanks. You just implied that your life is more valuable than theirs.

[dmgg711]

08:52 PM on 03/20/2011

Did he announce any Egyptian refugees or even Japanese refugees? If he did, so what. I'm sure Governors, like Walker will find a way to have the working poor and middle class foot the bill.

[banker67]

06:06 PM on 03/20/2011

Wow, so the journalists were flying jet fighters? Or maybe they were near these jets when they were shot or arrested. Or maybe the picture has nothing whatever to do with this story, but the editor couldn't find a picture of 'the buxom soccer fan' to ensure click-throughs.
Strike all that. I see the connection: Both jets and journalists start with the letter 'j.'

[Holly Smoke]

10:23 PM on 03/20/2011

Please do put HP editor in the same league as G. BUsh

[Erewhon7]

05:04 PM on 03/20/2011

I don't care who wins, as long as none of them end up in Europe.

[CarmenCameron]

04:00 PM on 03/20/2011

The new age of information is in the pricess of changing the world as we know it. And the courageous reporters on the ground who keep us informed of the facts are among this revolution's greatest heroes. My respect and appreciation for their fearlessness is boundless as they shine the light of truth into the darkness of the desperate actions of repressive regimes in their death throes.

And Al Jazeera's brave men and women are at the forefront. May God bless and protect them always!

[palefeet]

03:23 AM on 03/21/2011

The adrenaline junkie "reporters"on the ground, unfortunately, are doing a good job of gleaning arbitrary subjective "facts" from dodgy sources to sustain the consumption of biased "news" products, and are not helping anybody. I consider them neither heroes or martyrs, rather foolhardy individuals who propagate falsehoods and hidden agendas through their general lack of investigative abilities...
Sound harsh? Well what about all the civilians who are brutalised and murdered every day by governments who use these so called "journalists" to give their b@llsh1t wars credibility...?
Dont idealise these pricks, they have alot to answer for...

[stuoverit]

03:00 PM on 03/21/2011

I think you know nothing about journalism or the kind of people who are foreign correspondents. Maybe you should direct your hidden rage elsewhere. Did a foreign-correspondent bang your significant other?

[LenR]

03:57 PM on 03/20/2011

Like everything else orbiting Gaddafy, either do it his way or die. Interestingly when he said the war would last years and years, he did it by telephone from an undisclosed location. In other words, brave Gaddafy was hiding in his bunker.

[happylonersarah]

03:18 PM on 03/20/2011

I wonder how many of those who put down al jazeera have actually seen it? If u have direct tv check out channel 28. They broadcast on it.
You might be surprised to learn something.

[Euroview]

04:12 PM on 03/20/2011

I agree. Even though I still watch CNN, I find Al Jazeera to be more comprehensive in its reporting.

It's important to haave a varied source of "credible" news. All news has its bias, the difference between credible sources and propangada outlets, is that the bias from the "credible" ones is that it is usually unintentional.

[happylonersarah]

04:29 PM on 03/20/2011

Exactly. Unfortunately some people stick one source.

[Mister Grumpy]

07:19 PM on 03/20/2011

It's more credible than Faux News.............

[happylonersarah]

07:52 PM on 03/20/2011

Yes it is.

[den1953]

02:41 PM on 03/20/2011

One thing about the Arab uprising it is taking the fear factor off of the illegal immigrants for the time being!

[Mister Grumpy]

07:20 PM on 03/20/2011

Sure it will until Obama wants to bring some Libyian refugees to the US.............