OH, THE FOURTH ESTATE:

Terry Lloyd killed in Iraq ITV News, 23 Mar 2003)

There is now sufficient evidence to believe that ITV News Correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed in an incident on the Southern Iraq war front yesterday.

It is believed his body is in a Basra hospital, which is still under Iraqi control.

Two members of his team, Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman, are still missing and currently there is no information on their whereabouts or condition.

The ITN team came under fire, apparently from Coalition forces, outside Basra. Iraqi ambulances took a number of dead and injured from the area into Basra and it is believed that Terry Lloyd's body was among the dead.

The fourth member of the team, cameraman Daniel Demoustier, was injured in the incident but was able to get back to US and British lines. He reported afterwards seeing Iraqi ambulances retrieve dead and injured.

Demoustier said that the legacy he believes Terry would want to leave from this tragic incident is that the spirit of free reporting in war zones should continue.

Just as it is necessary to curse the excesses of the press, it is necessary to honor the bravery of the folks like Terry Lloyd who are bringing us this story at great and even lethal danger to themselves. I'm certain I'd be terrified in a war zone, but at least if you're a soldier you've got a gun and some minimal sense of influence over your fate. Imagine being there with nothing but a pen and a pad? They too are heroes. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 23, 2003 1:25 PM