Image from Iraq captures a rare moment of humanity in a war zone
World Press Photo of the year 2003 and first prize People in the News singles category by French photographer Jean-Marc Bouju of The Associated Press, showing an Iraqi man comforting his 4-year-old son at a regroupment center for POW's in Najaf, Iraq, March 31, 2003.
The photo was taken during a rare moment of humanity in a war zone, Bouju said, when a father who had been taken prisoner by American troops was allowed to hold his 4-year-old son. The boy also was taken when the man was arrested.
The boy, Bouju said, was panicking and crying, so an American soldier cut the plastic handcuffs off.
“My little girl was four at the time and I couldn’t help thinking what would she have thought in the same situation,” he said. Bouju wasn’t able to get the prisoner’s name and doesn’t know where he or the child is now.
“I was in a camp in the desert somewhere in south central Iraq and they (U.S. forces) were bringing prisoners to put them in a holding area.”
On that day, Bouju was only able to transmit one image to his editors because of problems setting up a satellite link to his laptop. It was that photo which won the prestigious international award.
SOURCE: MSNBC NEW
FEB/13/ 2004
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