One has to wonder what he was about to catch on film when he was murdered.
Israel clears troops in death of Reuters cameraman in Gaza Strip
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | 2:59 PM ET
Canadian Press: Josef Federman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JERUSALEM - The Israeli army has closed an investigation into the death of a Reuters cameraman in the Gaza Strip last April, clearing the tank crew that killed the young journalist of any wrongdoing.
The army found that troops acted properly when they opened fire on Fadel Shana, suspecting he was a militant preparing to fire a missile after he set up a tripod in a Gaza battle zone.
In this April 16, 2008 file photo Palestinian firefighters attend the scene after the car of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana was hit by a shell from an Israeli tank in southeast Gaza City, killing him and two bystanders. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Wissam Nassar, File Shana, 24, was killed instantly by a tank shell that sprays a hail of metal darts at its target.
Four bystanders also died in the attack.
Reuters said it was "deeply disturbed" by the findings and was considering unspecified legal action.
Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Press Association warned the army's decision could encourage further violence against journalists.
In a statement issued at its London headquarters, Reuters said the army probe could effectively give soldiers a "free hand to kill," without being sure of the identity of their targets.
Shana was killed April 16 while covering clashes between Gaza militants and Israeli troops.
Just before his death, Shana was filming an Israeli tank about 1.5 kilometres away, and his final video showed it firing a shell in his direction. The video cut off just as the shell burst in front of him.
In its report, the army said the tank commander sought permission to open fire after spotting a small group of people attaching an unidentified black object to a tripod and pointing it toward the tank.
The Foreign Press Association, which represents international news organizations operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories, expressed dismay over the findings saying they were the latest in a long line of cases clearing Israeli soldiers of deadly negligence.
www.cbc.ca/cp/world/080813/w0813120A.html
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