A Journalist In Jail

ASSOCIATED PRESS photojournalist Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, is being held by American forces in Iraq. He's accused of being an insurgent, although exact charges are unknown. The US military has not disclosed details of his April, 2006 arrest or the reasons behind it.

"In the 19 months since he was picked up, Bilal has not been charged with any crime, although the military has sent out a flurry of ever-changing claims," AP president Tom Curley wrote. "Every claim we've checked out has proved to be false, overblown or microscopic in significance."

Hussein was on the AP team - along with Jim MacMillan - that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for their war coverage.

The AP reports that U.S. officials have asserted Hussein offered to provide false identification to a sniper seeking to evade U.S.-led forces, that he possessed bomb-making equipment, and that he took photographs that were synchronized with insurgent blasts. The AP has found no corroboration of the accusations.

"We believe Bilal's crime was taking photographs the U.S. government did not want its citizens to see," Curley wrote.

By the way, yesterday's guest, Jim MacMillan, will be teaching a course in Journalism and Psychological Trauma next semester. Check out the course description here.