Today's Washington Post editorial page, which has been a consistent cheerleader for the war in Iraq, trumpeted what it sees as a drop in violence in that quagmire.
This afternoon, the Washington Post reported on the death of one of its reporters in Iraq:
Salih Saif Aldin, 32, was reporting on the violence that has plagued Baghdad's Sadiyah neighborhood Sunday afternoon when he was shot in the forehead. According to residents of the neighborhood and the Iraqi military officers at the scene, he was taking photographs on a street where several houses had been burned when he was killed. His wounds appeared to indicate he was shot at close range.
"Courageous beyond imagination, Salih was determined to unveil the truth," said Sudarsan Raghavan, The Post's Baghdad bureau chief. "He was instrumental to The Post's coverage of Iraq. He will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues."
At least 118 journalists have been killed in Iraq while on duty, nearly 100 of them are Iraqis, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Foreign news organizations rely heavily on their Iraqi staff members to navigate the hazards of reporting here.
Saif Aldin left The Post's Baghdad bureau Sunday afternoon in a taxi to interview residents in Sadiyah about clashes between militiamen and insurgents. A Washington Post colleague received a telephone call just after 4 p.m. from a man who said he was a police officer and was using Saif Aldin's cell phone. The man said he was standing next to Saif Aldin's body, which later was observed lying on the street, covered with newspapers.
Main & gay blog