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Iraq
AP staffer found shot in the head in Iraq
2007-01-06
The body of an Associated Press employee was found shot in the back of the head Friday, six days after he was last seen by his family leaving for work. Ahmed Hadi Naji, 28, was the fourth AP staffer to die violently in the Iraq war and the second AP employee killed in less than a month. He had been a messenger and occasional cameraman for the AP for 2 1/2 years. "All of us at AP share the pain and grief being felt by Ahmed's family and friends," said AP President and CEO Tom Curley. "The situation for our journalists in Iraq is unprecedented in AP's 161-year history of covering wars and conflicts. The courage of our Iraqi colleagues and their dedication to the story stand as an example to the world of journalism's enduring value."
I'll bet Jamil Hussein did it.
Posted by:Fred

#16  My best guess is that he had an uncontrollable psychic experience, somehow created a tulpa doppelganger, who then proceeded to shot him/himself in the head as a manifestation of an hidden self-hatred. I believe that if you think about it, it's the only logical explanation.
Rare, but it happens.
Posted by: anonymous5089   2007-01-06 12:07  

#15  I suspect this dude was capped by either the Iraqi secret police or even by our own SOCOM. First of all, it was a straight, execution style hit. Professional and no gratuitous violence. That is a typical way to dispatch a lower level but annoying fifth columnist of the propaganda type.

It is the typical Phoenix Program stuff, and it works damn well in suppressing traitors, infiltrators and saboteurs.

Say goodnight, Gracie.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-01-06 10:55  

#14  Be sure there'll be outrage[tm] at AP along with long columns about the life of their Horst Wessel stringer. Eclipsing the amount of coverage of thousands of lives of Iraqi police and soldiers dying for months to establish a democratic Iraq. Or other pro-democracy Iraqi reporters murdered by the 'insurgents' for the past couple years. Media Martyr[tm] and his story at 10.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2007-01-06 10:32  

#13  To quote the immortal Super Chicken "You knew the job was damgerous when you took it Fred."
Posted by: steve   2007-01-06 09:18  

#12  a head injury to an AP correspondent might not be debilitating. I suspect he'll be able to continue reporting during his "stability" in one fashion or another
Posted by: Frank G   2007-01-06 09:12  

#11  #9 Is there any speculation that this might be our forces or perhaps a contractor outfit sending a message to AP?

You might be amazed to learn what it takes to arm a contractor in Iraq right now. I suspect the USEMBASSY and MNC-I would feel more at ease providing the Iraq National Police a Chem/Bio capability than arming US contractors.

Posted by: Besoeker   2007-01-06 05:28  

#10  Robjack, we should be so lucky. A nice mercenary army would be refreshing right about now.
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-01-06 04:00  

#9  Is there any speculation that this might be our forces or perhaps a contractor outfit sending a message to AP?

not Channeling Eason Jordan - just saying...
Posted by: Robjack   2007-01-06 02:30  

#8  're
Posted by: RD   2007-01-06 02:00  

#7  damn your using a cell phone Mike? am i ever olde fashion. :-(
Posted by: RD   2007-01-06 02:00  

#6  I swear, if this phone does one more double post, It's getting BFH'ed.
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-01-06 00:35  

#5  Since the danger is unprecedented and they obviously can't protect their staff from Iraqi police officials named Jebril Hussein, I think the AP should admit defeat, cut their losses and pull out their troops. They are obviously in a QUAGMIRE!
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-01-06 00:34  

#4  Since the danger is unprecedented and they obviously can't protect their staff from Iraqi police officials named Jebril Hussein, I think the AP should admit defeat, cut their losses and pull out their troops. They are obviously in a QUAGMIRE!
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-01-06 00:33  

#3  Red-on-red is always a bitch...but it does beg the question of just why we can't defeat these assholes if they're schtoopid enough to keep wasting their PR staff.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)   2007-01-06 00:22  

#2  unfortunately, Ahmed was the independent corroborator for all of Jamil's info. Now we'll never know...
Posted by: Frank G   2007-01-06 00:17  

#1  The wages of treason are
Death!
Death!
Death!
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-01-06 00:05  

00:00