Key Takeaways:
– A new monument to fallen journalists, the “Guardians of Truth,” was unveiled in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq.
– The monument features the names of 551 journalists killed since Iraq’s conflict began in 2003.
– CBS News sound engineer James Brolan and cameraman Paul Douglas, killed in 2006, are among the names on the monument.
– The Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani spearheaded the monument’s creation.
The Memorial of Bravery and Sacrifice:
Reporting from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, authorities, family members, and fellow journalists congregated in the city’s Freedom Park on Saturday. They gathered for an event of honor and remembrance – the unveiling of a memorial called the “Guardians of Truth”. This monument stands as a tribute to the courage of journalists who lost their lives while covering Iraq’s conflicts spanning over two decades, starting in 2003.
The Guardians of the Proverbial Truth:
The monument is an immersive display, featuring massive metal plates etched with the names of 551 departed journalists. These individuals who devoted their lives, both local and foreign, are listed alphabetically under the year they were tragically killed.
Among those memorialized are two revered heroes from CBS News, James Brolan and Paul Douglas. On May 29, 2006, while on assignment in Baghdad, the sound engineer and cameraman were killed by a roadside explosion. Their colleague, correspondent Kimberly Dozier, survived the explosion but sustained severe injuries.
The lasting impact of their loss echoes through their peers. A decade post the catastrophe, correspondent Mark Phillips solemnly remembers his fallen colleagues stating, “The shock was so deep and the loss so great that no amount of time could really diminish it.”
Remembrance and Support:
In their honor, CBS News’ London bureau continually pays tribute and extends support to The Rory Peck Trust and Reporters Without Borders. Both charities focus on the protection and support of journalists and their families globally. Furthermore, the journalists’ names grace a memorial in Bayeux, Northern France, where three colleagues from London cycled to in 2009, raising funds for these charities.
The Monument’s Pioneer and the Guardians of Iraq:
The visionary behind this remarkable memorial, Qubad Talabani, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, took to the monument and shared his thoughts. Describing it as “a recognition of those fallen journalists’ courage and commitment to tell the truth”, he hinting that the monument would help keep their bravery alive.
Unsurprisingly, a significant number of the names on the monument are of Iraqi journalists, who died reporting the hardships faced by their country. This bold act underpins the reality that journalism has remained one of Iraq’s most perilous jobs since 2003.
Unprecedented Losses:
Reflecting on the heavy toll on journalism in Iraq, the leader of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, Mouaid al-Lami, states, “We saw more than 530 journalists sacrificed since 2003. It is an unprecedented number of fallen journalists in one single war.”
Many journalists at the unveiling were there not only as spectators but also as individuals paying homage to their fallen contemporaries and friends. This includes Yassir Ismael, who tragically lost his father and elder brother, both Associated Press journalists, in 2006.
For Ismael, the monument is intriguing, “emotionally overwhelming,” and the “first of its kind in Iraq.” Expressing gratitude towards the brave, including foreign journalists, he says, “We are in debt to all those heroes who helped to tell the stories of our suffering to the world.”