New York, June 30, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of Yasser Salihee, an Iraqi reporter for Knight Ridder Newspapers who was killed in Baghdad last Friday on his day off from work.
Knight Ridder reported yesterday that Salihee was driving alone in his neighborhood of Amariyah and approaching a joint patrol of American and Iraqi troops when a bullet pierced his windshield and struck him in the head.
Knight Ridder said the shot appeared to have been fired by a U.S. military sniper, although Iraqi soldiers in the area might also have been shooting at the time. Witnesses have provided conflicting accounts of other details. It was unclear whether the troops were visible to Salihee as he approached, or whether troops warned him in any way.
Knight Ridder reported that the U.S. Army is investigating the killing.
