Haifa Street photos

In what I earlier dubbed a grossly irresponsible essay, former NYT photographer D. Gorton repeated blogospheric innuendo that an AP photographer had foreknowledge of the Dec. 19, 2004 attacks on Haifa Street.

I was able to logon to the AP Photoarchive (not through work) and download the full sequence of photos, which I have presented here.

All of these moved on the AP wire Dec. 19, 2004 — if Gorton and some of the other bloggers had actually done any research before levying their scurrilous accusations, they might have been able to find ’em.

No, none of them prove that the AP photographer wasn’t “tipped” to the shooting. But as Kevin Craver has said, it’s not the AP’s obligation to prove itself innocent when confronted with rumor and innuendo. And the photos do support the AP’s account of how its photographer got the shooting.

The captions also disprove Gorton’s allegation that there “‘does not appear to be any independent verification of AP’s anonymous photographer, who also appears to be the source for the AP news dispatch.” It’s in the caption of the photo! Verification [of the news photographer’s account was provided] by Adel al-Lami, a member of the Iraqi election comission.

The photos are presented here in no particular order. The captions are the AP’s. (Other bloggers — please do not link directly to these photos – host ’em yourself! Click for bigger images)

** RETRANSMISSION FOR ALTERNATE CROP ** A man, centre, lying down, is killed while another man walks to execute a second man, seen on his knees on the right, on Baghdad’s Haifa Street , Sunday Dec. 19 2004 . About 30 gunmen ambushed a car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killing three of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. Adel al-Lami, a member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq,said the early morning attack took place in downtown Haifa Street, a thoroughfare running through central Baghdad and the scene of repeated clashes between security forces and insurgents. (AP Photo / Str)


People stand around the body of a man who was killed on Baghdad’s Haifa Street, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004. About 30 gunmen ambushed a car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killing three of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. Adel al-Lami, a member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, said the early morning attack took place in downtown Baghdad’s Haifa Street,a thoroughfare running through central Baghdad and the scene of repeated clashes between security forces and insurgents. (AP Photo / Str)


Two men lay dead after they were killed on Baghdad’s Haifa Street, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004. About 30 gunmen ambushed a car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killing three of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. Adel al-Lami, a member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, said the early morning attack took place in downtown Baghdad’s Haifa Street,a thoroughfare running through central Baghdad and the scene of repeated clashes between security forces and insurgents. (AP Photo / Str)


A man, centre, lying down, is punched before being killed, while another man walks to execute a second man, seen on his knees on the right, on Baghdad’s Haifa Street , Sunday Dec. 19 2004 . About 30 gunmen ambushed a car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killing three of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. Adel al-Lami, a member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, said the early morning attack took place in downtown Haifa Street, a thoroughfare running through central Baghdad and the scene of repeated clashes between security forces and insurgents. (AP Photo / Str)


Iraqi children look at a burning car after it came under attack at Baghdad’s Haifa Street Sunday Dec. 19 2004. About 30 gunmen ambushed the car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killingthree of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. (AP Photo/Str)



Iraqi children look at a burning car after it came under attack at Baghdad’s Haifa Street Sunday Dec. 19 2004. About 30 gunmen ambushed the car Sunday in central Baghdad carrying employees of the Iraqi organization running next month’s elections, killingthree of the workers while two escaped unhurt, an official from the election body said. (AP Photo/Str)