Blogger may have Helped US Military Identify AP Photographer, Alleged Terrorist Sympathizer Bilal Hussein (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
Bilal Hussein is an Iraqi photographer who works for the AP in Baghdad. Some of his acclaimed photos show al-Qaeda insurgents with weapons aimed at and attacks against American and Iraqi targets. Michelle Malkin has a few of Hussein’s photos here.
Hussein has been in American or Iraqi custody on unspecified charges for approximately 19 months. During that time, the AP lodged complaints aimed at gaining his release. A recent report indicates Hussein will now be charged by the Iraqis (at the request of the American military) because he “was caught in an apartment with known members of al Qaeda– with bomb making material.”
Rusty of The Jawa Report has learned that his blog posts on the AP photographer may have helped the American military identify Hussein:
“UPDATE: Holy crap, The Jawa Report credited with Bilal Hussein prosecution?!?!
A reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, informs me that The Jawa Report had something to do with Bilal Hussein’s prosecution. Apparently Bilal Hussein had been picked up in a raid in which he wasn’t the target. That target was a known al Qaeda operative, Hamid Hamad Motib, and bomb making materials were found in the house.
Hussein was arrested and taken to Abu Ghraib, but no one knew who he was. Just another low-level insurgent, I’m guessing.
He had been sitting in Abu Ghraib for a month, and nobody realized that he was the AP photog who had snapped dozens of staged photos with al Qaeda fighters. The reader was in Abu Ghraib as an investigator working on an unrelated case when he saw Bilal Hussein and recognized him from the extensive coverage we had on The Jawa Report.
He reported it up the chain of command and within days Bilal Hussein was transferred to a different facility, NCIS got involved, and eventually a criminal investigation opened on him. He ends the e-mail with:
“THANKS to you guys…you REALLY ARE making an impact on the [the war on terror] … you can claim credit.”
Hell, I hope so! I’ve communicated with the source before, and he seems legit to me.
The Jawa Report, sticking it to al Qaeda propagandists from the comfort of our living rooms. Any one wish to complain about the “chickenhawk” bloggers now?
It’s stories like these that make it all worth it!”
Well done.
Update 11/20/2007: Jules Crittenden has a lot more on this story, including links.
— DRJ
Bingo! Way to go Jawa Report. With luck, they’ll be able to nail him down and get a little well-deserved egg on the Associated (with terrorists)Press’ face.
Bill M (f6d923) — 11/19/2007 @ 11:09 pmBilal Hussein was very “lucky” to be in the right places at the right times to get photographic records of the war in Iraq, unlike Jamil Hussein, who just made a lot of shit up rhat happened in a lot of different places.
daleyrocks (906622) — 11/19/2007 @ 11:40 pmWatch the Democrats here deride the Jawa Report as sticking its nose in where it didn’t belong and getting an innocent sympathizer tried, arrested, and (hopefully) executed.
PCD (b7be44) — 11/20/2007 @ 5:01 amIt is nice to see Rusty receive credit well due. Much applause to him and his excellent work for a long, long time.
EHeavenlyGads (5ac5e3) — 11/20/2007 @ 6:02 amI’m glad to see this result. The AP has been screaming about this for months and the left has used this as an example of intimidating the press. There is, of course, the question of why it took 19 months to press charges, but still..
Way to go.
Dr T (69c4b2) — 11/20/2007 @ 6:21 amAnd who, you know, doesn’t exist.
Pablo (99243e) — 11/20/2007 @ 1:50 pmPablo – You had to say it. You know Jamil Hussein’s a pseudonym. I know it’s a pseudoym. The AP and the left know Jamil Hussein is a pseudonym but don’t dare admit it. The AP also know he filed fake stories but won’t admit it. Consider the can of worms reopened.
I haven’t seen squat out of the left on Bilal Hussein yet. Haven’t they been issued their talking points?
daleyrocks (906622) — 11/20/2007 @ 2:43 pmI spoke too soon. Gleenwald does have a pearl clutching post up about Hussein and the politicization of the war today. Among the gems:
“It is so vital to realize the direct connection between Hussein’s war journalism and the lawless detention of him by the U.S. military for almost two years. Hussein’s photographs helped earn AP the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for its war coverage in Iraq.”
What was lawless exactly? Glenn never specifies.
daleyrocks (906622) — 11/20/2007 @ 3:30 pmNot that anyone probably cares:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_detained_photographer
steve (75af92) — 4/15/2008 @ 2:31 pmThe charges were dropped and Hussein was released under an Iraqi amnesty law.
DRJ (a431ca) — 4/15/2008 @ 2:37 pmThe charges were dropped and Hussein was released under an Iraqi amnesty law.
Meaning no exoneration, right?
Eighteen weeks ago, the U.S. declared it had “convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is an imperative threat to security and stability in Iraq as a link to insurgent activity.”
steve (75af92) — 4/15/2008 @ 2:54 pm“The charges were dropped and Hussein was released under an Iraqi amnesty law.”
According to that article he hasn’t been released and the US might not respect the Iraqi Amnesty body. Let freedom reign.
stef (dfd808) — 4/15/2008 @ 2:57 pmthe US might not respect the Iraqi Amnesty body.
Seems a longshot.
Stars & Stripes
steve (75af92) — 4/15/2008 @ 4:21 pm“Seems a longshot.”
Good point.That was wrong.
“Meaning no exoneration, right?”
Yes. it is. People were wrong about him.
“The military said it has determined Hussein is not a threat and plans to free him Wednesday.”
stef (1d4dfc) — 4/24/2008 @ 5:12 amstef,
Why do you live here when you hate everything about this country? You defend every terrorist and attacker of the US.
PCD (5c49b0) — 4/24/2008 @ 5:15 am“You defend every terrorist and attacker of the US.”
Did you read this?
““The military said it has determined Hussein is not a threat”
stef (5e2e3a) — 4/24/2008 @ 5:31 amStef,
He got let loose because of the Iraqi amnesty, period. Also, his cover is blown. He won’t be trusted by the military ever again.
PCD (5c49b0) — 4/24/2008 @ 6:22 am“He got let loose because of the Iraqi amnesty, period. ”
What do you think this means?
“The military said it has determined Hussein is not a threat”
stef (c60020) — 4/24/2008 @ 6:24 amThey are still clinging to this exoneration thing?
JD (75f5c3) — 4/24/2008 @ 6:27 am