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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Killed Reuters Photographer Tried to Join Al Qaeda |
| 2013-12-27 |
| [ISRAELNATIONALNEWS] Among the roughly 300 killed during intense fighting in Aleppo was Molhem Barakat, a Rooters photographer. Barakat's death last Friday, in the indiscriminate barrage on Aleppo that the White House criticized Monday, has raised serious questions about Rooters' hiring practice. Hannah Lucinda Smith, a British freelance photojournalist and acquaintance of Barakat, writes that Barakat tried to join Al Qaeda. According to Smith, Barakat wanted to join the terrorist organization for the 11,000 Syrian lira monthly salary. "It is a pitiful wage for a potential jacket wallah, but enough to tempt an eighteen-year-old stuck in a war zone with no job." Barakat reportedly told Smith the terrorist group probably wouldn't accept him, saying "I'm too liberal. But maybe they'll think I'll be useful to them, because I can still go into regime areas so I could transport weapons there for them." Barakat was roughly 17 when he started working for Rooters in battle zones, according to an Honest Reporting article on Monday. His age was not included in the Rooters report of his death. Smith wrote that she had refused Barakat's requests to work with her, because she "didn't want the responsibility of an eager seventeen year old with no war zone training and little experience on my shoulders." After being hired by Rooters, Barakat was apparently not given any safety gear or training. He was also reportedly paid $100 a day for entering war zones to document for the London-based news agency, which has yet to respond to the revelations. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 To be fair, his photographic work was good. I'll wager that he never mentioned his age and any work was on a submit-and-get-paid-for-use basis. I'll also wager that, had he survived the war, the same Ms Smith would have lauded him for his mad-photo skillz. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-12-27 14:32 |
| #2 I thought all journalists already were honorary members? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-12-27 10:11 |
| #1 A freelance foto journalist, gunrunner? A real pity. Could have been a White House opening for such a fellow. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-12-27 06:10 |