US military accuses AP photographer of being "terrorist media operative"

Tue Nov 20, 12:39 AM ET

The US military has filed a formal complaint with an Iraqi criminal court accusing a detained, award-winning Associated Press photographer of being a "terrorist media operative," the Pentagon said Monday.

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said the military made the complaint about Bilal Hussein, who has been held for more than 19 months without charges in US military custody, to Iraq's Central Criminal Court.

"We believe Bilal Hussein was a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP," he said. "MNF-I possesses convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to security and stability as a link to insurgent activity."

Morrell said an investigative hearing into the case by the court is scheduled to begin on or after November 28.

Hussein was detained April 12, 2006 after marines entered his house in Ramadi to establish a temporary observation post and found bomb-making materials, insurgent propaganda and a surveillance photograph of a US military installation.

Morrell said Hussein, who was part of an AP photo team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005, had previously aroused suspicion because he was often at the scene insurgent attacks as they occurred.

He said other evidence, which he would not describe, came to light after his detention "that makes it clear that Mr. Hussein is a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP."

Under Iraq's legal system, an investigative judge reviews the evidence and decides whether it is sufficient to press charges. The case then goes before a panel of three judges for trial.

The US military's role in the trial would be as a "complaining witness," Morrell said.

Hussein remains in US military custody, he said.

The Associated Press was notified that the military planned to seek criminal charges on November 14.

"While we are hopeful that there could be some resolution to Bilal Hussein's long detention, we have grave concerns that his rights under the law continue to be ignored and even abused," AP President and CEO Tom Curley said in a statement.

"The steps the U.S. military is now taking continue to deny Bilal his right to due process and, in turn, may deny him a chance at a fair trial.

"The treatment of Bilal represents a miscarriage of the very justice and rule of law that the United States is claiming to help Iraq achieve," the AP statement said.

"At this point, we believe the correct recourse is the immediate release of Bilal."

Ellie