US troops had entered Baghdad and come to Hotel Palestine. The Saddam statue was toppled. The day before, a shell from an American tank hit our office, killing my good friend Taras. People were really worried that day. We wanted to go out, but not many journalists wanted to leave the hotel. I could not find a driver and everyone had left town fearing that the Americans would close in …
Les troupes américaines étaient entrées à Bagdad et venues à l’hôtel Palestine. La statue de Saddam Hussein a été démontée. La veille, l’obus d’un char américain avait frappé notre bureau, tuant mon bon ami Taras. Tout le monde avait peur ce jour-là. Nous voulions sortir, mais peu de journalistes voulaient se risquer hors de l’hôtel. Je n’ai pas pu trouver de chauffeur …
US-Truppen waren in Bagdad eingedrungen und hatten das Hotel Palestine erreicht. Die Saddam-Statue wurde umgerissen. Am Tag zuvor war eine Granate aus einem amerikanischen Panzer in unser Büro eingeschlagen und hatte meinen guten Freund Taras getötet. Die Leute waren an diesem Tag sehr beunruhigt. Wir wollten rausgehen, aber nicht viele Journalisten wollten das Hotel verlassen. Ich konnte keinen Fahrer finden. Wer konnte, hatte die Stadt verlassen, weil alle befürchteten, die Amerikaner würden näherkommen …
… I intended to call Taras from the phone at the hotel reception to ask him if he wanted to come out with me. I changed my mind at the last moment, telling myself if I wanted to go out I should not call my friends and get them in trouble. Two other photographers, Mike Moore from Daily Mirror and Sean from The Guardian, turned up inviting me to join them. We went to the bridge where Iraqi soldiers jumped at us with their guns telling us not to touch our cameras. They asked where I was from. I told them I’m from Yugoslavia, which saved all three of us. They took us back to the hotel. As I got there, I heard that Taras was killed, and other colleagues injured. Some colleagues
Photo de l article >
Goran Tomašević
« Une vision dantesque de notre humanité »
