Terry Lloyd
The case of Terry Lloyd, the British journalist killed in Iraq, apparently by an American bullet, is a tragedy. Now that a coroner has ruled that he was unlawfully killed (ABC News) this sad episode is being transformed from a tragedy for his family into a self-righteous media circus and a gold mine for the lawyers. (Guardian, BBC)
War zones are inherently dangerous places where people are liable to get shot. Journalists are not bullet proof and if they go wandering about on their own after stories, as did Lloyd, they are liable to get shot. That appears to be what happened: it was a tragedy waiting to happen in the chaos of a war zone.
To their credit, the US authorities have refused to provide a scapegoat. I hope that is their final word. It is unacceptable to send troops into life-threatening situations and then set the lawyers on them if they shoot first and ask questions later. We have seen quite enough of that in the UK; it serves no useful purpose but makes very useful enemy propaganda.
It is time to accept Lloyd's death for what it is, a tragic episode in a war full of such tragic episodes, and move on.
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