US troops shot and critically wounded a newly-wed Iraqi female television producer on New Year's Day after she failed to heed warnings from soldiers in Baghdad, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has reported quoting the military and her station. A US military statement said that Iraqi police and US soldiers had observed Hadil Emad, who had had failed to listen to warnings, behaving "erratically" before American soldiers shot her on New Year's Day.
The incident took place near a checkpoint in the central Baghdad neighbourhood of Karrada.
"Concerned by the danger she might present to the security forces and civilians, given her repeated failure to respond to warnings, multi-national division Baghdad soldiers fired two rounds, wounding the woman," the US military said.
Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has called on the US military high command to discipline the soldiers who shot and seriously wounded Emad. “The US military said Emad ignored the orders to stop given by its soldiers but how could she have complied when her hearing is impaired?” RSF reacted. “An unarmed person’s failure to immediately respond to a warning is anyway not grounds for opening fire on them. We hope Emad recovers quickly from her injuries and we offer her colleagues our sympathy. Above all, we call on the US military to shed light on this disgraceful incident and to adopt the necessary disciplinary measures.”
The AFP report said: [Link]
Mohsen al-Darraji, a spokesman for Beladi TV, said that 25-year-old producer Hadeel Emad had failed to heed warning shots because she had impaired hearing. "The American troops did shoot in the air but she did not hear due to her hearing condition," Darraji told AFP. "The American troops shot her and the bullet entered her chest and came out of her back." "Her kidney was removed in emergency surgery and her liver and stomach have been damaged," he added.
Beladi TV, which is owned by former prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said Emad, was in serious condition at Baghdad's Al-Yarmuk hospital. "American forces shot Hadeel Emad who works as a producer and critically wounded her... We are condemning this brutal crime, which was committed by US forces against Hadeel Emad," it said. Emad had married just one week ago, the station said.
The Associated Press (AP) had some other details: [Link]
A medical official at al-Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad confirmed Emad was brought in for treatment and was listed in critical condition. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information.
An Iraqi police officer told the AP that Emad was walking with her husband and ignored warnings from US troops to stop. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information.
The US military did not identify the woman, but said she was taken to an area hospital. A US military spokesman, Col. Bill Buckner, said the incident was under investigation and referred all further inquiries to Iraq's Interior Ministry.
