Photojournalist Banned by Marines in Iraq
Zoriah Miller was an embedded blogger. He’s a photojournalist who has posted a photo of Marine KIA.
This vile horrible person blogs at Zoriah.net.
Zoriah Miller says he was censored by the U.S. military in the Iraqi city of Fallujah after photographing Marines who died in a suicide bombing. Zoriah Miller posted those pictures on his blog, was dismissed from his embed assignment, and is now screaming censorship.
Ventura County Star ….for complete article
BAGHDAD — It’s a disturbing picture.
The dead Marine is lying on his back, his face damaged beyond recognition because of the blast.
But for photojournalist and blogger Zoriah Miller, 32, it was important to capture the daily toll of war in Iraq.
“I just feel this war has become so sanitized that it was important to show,” said Zoriah, who prefers to go by his first name. “My only discomfort is the idea that the family could accidentally stumble on it.”
The Marine commanders who saw the photograph were not happy, saying it violated a “trust” between the military and journalists.
Claims of security risks
Zoriah was immediately “disembedded” from a Marine unit and barred from working with the military in Anbar.
In Gen. John F. Kelly’s letter officially kicking him out of province, the Marines said Zoriah “provided the enemy with specific information on the effectiveness of the attack and the response of U.S. and Iraqi forces to the attack.”
Zoriah denies he did anything wrong.
“All I can say is he’s no longer welcome here in Anbar,” said Lt. Brian Block at Camp Fallujah, where the Marine command in Anbar is headquartered.
Later, Lt. Cmdr. Chris Hughes, who is in charge of the Camp Fallujah command, said in a prepared statement that “there is no right to embed” with military units. Under the embedding program, the military allows journalists to be assigned to a military unit to chronicle the war. Journalists rely on soldiers for transportation, food and protection.
Zoriah violated the ground rules he agreed to when he was embedded, Hughes said in the statement. He added that Zoriah broke his “trust in the relationship” with soldiers.
‘Picture of what war is like’
While waiting to be transported out of the area, Zoriah was guarded for a time by armed Marines out of fear someone upset by the graphic photo might try to harm him.
“You’re a war photographer, but once you take a picture of what war is like then you get into trouble,” said Zoriah, a Denver native who has been in Iraq for much of the past year.
The Marines don’t see it that way. In his letter, Kelly went on to say that Zoriah could no longer be trusted, and that he “presented a threat to all” in the Multi-National Force in Western Iraq.
Zoriah has been flown out of the Marine base and returned to Baghdad. He plans on returning to the U.S. and appealing the Marines’ decision.
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Wild Thing’s comment………
This creep should have never been allowed anywhere near a US Military facility. He calls himself a humanitarian photojournalist. Just the word humanitarian photojournalist sends of bells and whistles in my brain. That should have done the same thing when he applied to be embedded with our miltiary.
humanitarian = lefite to the max!
Probably trying to get some fame like some did, with some of the photos that came out of Vietnam!- He thinks the war is sanitized- He must be whacked!! Yes he needs to get out, stay away and take a long rest like Rip Van Winkle! Sounds like another liberal POS trying to make our Soldiers look bad!!!
Cheryl, I think so too. He is an awesome photography but that means nothing when it comes to the agenda he has and his camera is his weapon of choice against our troops.
It’s too bad the rest of the media didn’t get a quick ticket home too.
Mark, I would love that. I never really understood why there has to be anyone embedded. The various branches have their own photographers and a lot of the guys are great at writing about things that happen.