Graphic images of a reportedly-dead Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are being transmitted by the AP, Reuters, AFP and possibly other wire services.
AFP describes how it got the photo:
It was taken in Sirte by a rebel fighter using a mobile phone. AFP photographer Philippe Desmazes was able to take a photo of the mobile’s screen a few minutes later and transmit the picture.
“I was covering the fall of Sirte and heard gunfire a little further west of where I was. The rebels explained to us that Kadhafi’s men had tried to break out at night a little further west. There had been fighting but this sounded more like celebrations than fighting,” said Desmazes.
“So I asked the fighters to take me there. When I got there, they showed me big concrete cylinders in which they said Kadhafi had been hiding when he was captured.“A little further on, I noticed some fighters gathered around a phone. I was lucky because I was the only one to notice them. The owner of the phone showed me the arrest of Kadhafi which he had filmed a few minutes earlier. Given the ambient light, it was very difficult to take a screen grab. The fighters gathered round and gave me enough shadow to take the shot. I was really lucky,” he said.
The AP images come from video screengrabs provided by Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, says Paul Colford, director of media relations. AP has been “very careful to use only stuff we’ve vetted and feel comfortable about,” Colford said.
By noon, the wire service had offered two photos, both from video. “One is a frame grab from Al Jazeera, which we’ve credited. In addition, the Al Arabiya operation has video that was shot by a rebel fighter. They provided a still image from the rebel fighter (opposing the Gadhafi regime). The Al Jazeera image moved about 10:30 a.m. ET. It was only after we were comfortable after watching the video from which this was taken that we were comfortable moving the photo. I expect there will be more coming by way of Al Jazeera as the East Coast day unfolds.”
He also believes there will be additional images forthcoming from regular AP sources. Videos provided to AP are available on its YouTube site with warnings to viewers about graphic content, including cell phone video of Gadhafi, provided by Al Jazeera. Cable networks have been airing that video as well. || Al Jazeera English first to air footage of dead Qadhafi; Qadhafi death shots handled carefully (Politico) | Chat archive: Al Tompkins and Kenny Irby on how to handle these graphic images
Julie Moos contributed to this report.
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