In The Red Zone

Free-lance reporter and blogger Steven Vincent was found dead on the roadside in Basra, Iraq from multiple gunshot wounds.

Just a few days ago, he wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times exposing the corruption in Basra's local government and police force which are controlled by Shiite religious groups. He was also critical of British troops for turning a blind eye to what's going on.

There's speculation Vincent was killed in retaliation for this. Per Laura Rozen, NPR reports "Vincent and his translator were abducted outside his hotel by people in a white pick up with 'police' written on it, but no license plate". As Rozen notes, Vincent described a similar vehicle in his NYT op-ed piece used in assasinations of Sunni Muslims by Shiite extremists.

Steve M. links to a Times of London piece confirming the abduction which also mentioned an alternative theory.

Vincent apparently supported the war in Iraq. I don't agree with his politics but there's no denying this was a courageous man. He ventured outside the safe enclave of the Green Zone to the rest of war-torn Iraq he called the Red Zone, which is more than I can say for indiscriminate cheerleaders of the war like the Truth Tour.

Unlike the Truth Tour, he acknowledged the realities on the ground, criticizing coalition forces and the corrupt and compromised Iraqi leadership in whose hands the Bush Administration will leave the Iraqi people.

Steven Vincent was also a blogger. His last entry was posted here.

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