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Anger over dead Iraq journalist
from BBC News
Entered into the database on Wednesday, June 29th, 2005 @ 14:30:26 MST


 

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Bakri's wife was among the shocked mourners

The US military says it will investigate the death of an Iraqi television journalist killed by troops as he drove close to a US convoy.

Ahmed Wael Bakri has buried by family and friends amid anger and high emotion after his death on Tuesday.

US convoys usually display warnings telling drivers to keep at least 100 metres away, fearing suicide attacks.

"The Americans just do not care, this happens all the time," said one distraught mourner at Bakri's funeral.

In a rare move after the killing of an Iraqi civilian, the US embassy in Baghdad issued a statement of condolences to the family and his employer, the private Sharqiya TV.

"We were deeply saddened and hurt by Mr Wael al-Bakri's death and as is the case with incidents of unintentional killing, the investigation is ongoing and we are trying our best to find out the details of the accident," it said.

The apology was not accepted by the family during the funeral, which was punctuated by women's screams and shots fired into the air by automatic weapons.

A news editor at a local TV channel was reportedly killed by US troops on Sunday after they opened fire having come under attack Baghdad.

On Friday, another Iraqi reporter was shot dead - also allegedly by US forces driving in a convoy.

The US army has not commented on either death.