I think it is sad that this cameraman lost his life due to a mistake, and I allso understand that cameramen have a very valid reason to be in combat zones.....but hey, combat zones are dangerous places, particularly if you are carrying something in a manner that could easily be mistaken for a shoulder launched weapon, a fact I am certain Mr Dana was well aware of.
OIO has it right in my opinion, noncombatants like civilian news crews should dress in dayglo pink, with flouro orange equipment while in combat zones, and certainly while filming armour.
Or for that matter, just orange pants and a white shirt, or any other highly visible combination that no soldier in his right mind would contemplate wearing in the field.
Green shirt and dark blue flak jacket just doesnt make sense.
If my life, and those of my crew, plus the operational effectiveness of the armoured vehicle I was in command of, rested on a split second decision as to weather that in fact was a camera, or an RPG, or some other form of shoulder launched anti-armour weapon, I would have fired, and thats what I think sitting behind a computer, safe in my home. The guy in charge of that tank is on operational deployment in a country his army has recently invaded, and which is commonly known to not be all that friendly.
Considering the amount of RPG attacks in Iraq in recent months, it is very easy to see how this could happen, and allthough it truely is an unfortunate, and sad mistake,costing the life of a civilian, I hope the repercussions on the tank crew arent too severe.
Mr Dana died doing a job he obviously enjoyed, or at least had a strong passion for, what more could any of us really ask for.
