Free James Foley
When you
hear that a colleague has problems in a conflict zone a strange sensation
invades you. It is that “It could have been me”. In my case, being in the
process of withdrawing from journalism, it is a relief to think I won’t be in that
place again. Neither me nor my loving ones, who in the end, are the ones that
suffer most.
Photo Nicole Tung |
That
however doesn’t save you from getting goose bumps. The last colleague in the
list is James Foley, kidnapped in Syria almost three months ago. It isn’t the
first time he faces this problem. Back in Libya, Gaddafi troops captured him
and two other journalists and retained them for six weeks.
The case of
Foley is a bit more personal than others. Although I haven’t meet him outside
Facebook, I admire his work and moral heights. Last summer, James coordinated
together with Manu Brabo a campaign to donate an ambulance for a hospital in
Aleppo, Syria. Before that, he fundraised money for the children of
photographer Anton Hammerl, killed during the capture of Foley, Brabo and
Gillis in Libya.
James was
kidnapped in Thanksgiving day near Idlib, when he was heading for the border.
Little more is known. Nor who did it, why they did it or where is James now.
His family has tried desperately to find information about him and raise
awareness in the media with no results so far. The website www.freejamesfoley.org has an online petition for the release of the American journalist.
The kidnap
of James together with the death of two journalists in Syria just during
January highlights the dangers journos face in conflict areas. It’s becoming
more and more frequent to hear these news, with kidnappings becoming a quick
way of getting foreign attention or money.
Although
journalists know what they face when in a war zone, the situation has escalated
quickly. New journos, poorly trained in safety or without experience, but eager
to get a foot in the door make it more dangerous. In addition to that, the
media has gone from being collateral casualties to legit targets, as
demonstrated in Gaza and Syria. A situation that far from improving, it’s
getting worse.
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