Don't Let Me Stop You: CBS Cameraman Arrested in Mosul

Greyhawk has the rundown on an Iraqi cameraman working for CBS, who has been arrested as an "insurgent." On Tuesday a car bomb exploded in Mosul, injuring 5 American solidiers. In the aftermath a crowd gathered, and American forces spotted a terrorist waving an AK-47 trying to incite the crowd. He was shot and killed by the Americans. Standing next to him, pointing something (which turned out to be a camera), was the CBS cameraman, who was also shot and wounded slightly. The crowd fingered the cameraman as an insurgent, too, and the film in his camera showed lots of fresh, "insurgent" attacks.

The cameraman is now under arrest, and CBS is distancing itself from him. Greyhawk traces the evolution of the story, including CBS's accounts where the "perp" evolved from "free lance reporter and cameraman employed by CBS News" to "a cameraman carrying CBS press credentials."

Reporters Without Borders jumped on the case, saying "Once again the US forces have targeted a journalist just doing his job." Sisyphean Musings thoroughly deconstructs the RWB accounts on this and past "targeting" incidents.

ScrappleFace weighs in with:

"CBS to Give CIA Tips on Infiltrating Enemy Groups - by Scott Ott

(2005-04-08) -- After U.S. troops this week arrested a cameraman employed by CBS who apparently also worked for the Iraqi insurgency, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) asked CBS News president Andrew Heyward for 'some tips on infiltrating enemy organizations,' according to an unnamed source.

'The CIA has not been able to get any reliable human intelligence out of Iraq for years,' said the source. 'But CBS News has a double-agent on the payroll. Although, working for both CBS and the terrorists might not qualify him, strictly speaking, as a 'double' agent.'

In response to the CIA request, the CBS News chief said he would 'do what he could, as a patriotic American, to help the CIA. But there's no trick to getting good information like this. It's all about trust.'"

We particularly enjoy the bit about "working for CBS and the terrorists" not making him a "double agent."