Review of Matters Related to the August 28, 2005 Shooting of Reuters Journalists
Abstract
We initiated this review to address a complaint by Reuters concerning the Army investigation into the death of a Reuters journalist and injury of a second Reuters journalist on August 28, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters complained that the Army Regulation (AR) 15-6 Procedures for Investigating Officers and Boards of Officers, investigation1 improperly concluded the Army soldiers involved acted within the Rules of Engagement (ROE). Reuters based its complaint on a private investigation contracted with The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG) that concluded the soldiers did not comply with the ROE and their use of force was prima facie unlawful. 2 Our review sought to determine whether the Army properly investigated the incident and reached conclusions supported by the evidence. Our review also examined whether systemic weaknesses3 in Army or Reuters policies and practices contributed to the incident. In completing our review, we focused on these specific questions: 1) Did responsible officials reach supportable conclusions based on relevant evidence? 2) Did systemic weaknesses in either Army or Reuters policies or practices contribute to the death and injury of Reuters employees? 3) Did responsible officials comply with applicable standards for investigating the death and injuries in this incident? 4) Did systemic weaknesses in Army policy or practice result in an inadequate investigation?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 04, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA596328
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense