CBS News Translator Slain By Insurgents

Anwar Abbas Lafta Becomes The Third CBS News Employee Killed In Iraq War

(CBS)  Editor's Note: Anwar Abbas Lafta, an Iraqi who worked as a translator for CBS News in Baghdad, has been abducted and slain by insurgents. He became the third CBS News employee to be killed in the war.

Cameraman Paul Douglas and soundman James Brolan were killed by a car bomb in Baghdad on May 29, 2006. Corrrespondent Kimberly Dozier was seriously injured in the same blast. She recovered and has returned to work.

In this reporter's notebook, CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan remembers her slain colleague and recounts the terrible events that led to his death.

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Some time ago, we hired a new Iraqi translator to work in our office in Baghdad. He was an older man, well-respected and well-known in his community.

His name was Anwar Abbas Lafta.

Anwar spoke fast, loved to talk, and often tortured me with bizarre requests for old French movies that he loved and I had never heard of, but would dutifully search for and try to bring for him when I came back to the country after short visits away.

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Statement From CBS News

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I started to dread the sight of that little piece of white paper in his hands as he approached me because I knew it was going to take hours of my life to find what he wanted, but I just couldn’t say no to this distinguished man, deprived of the artistic culture he loved so much.

With his unique way and wily mind filled with knowledge of Iraq’s history and its people, Anwar eagerly shared the ways of a world he knew to be hard and unforgiving.

And it didn’t take long for him to create the “Anwar" moment that would become legend at CBS…

New and enthusiastic, he came rushing up to the newsroom and stood in the doorway, bursting with expectation. When our bureau chief - the "legendary Larry Doyle" as he is known at CBS - raised his head and looked at Anwar, it was all he needed.

Anwar burst into the room, raised both hands together above his head and with a wide sweep of his arms making an arc around his body, he announced:

“Breaking news!!”

First stunned into silence and anticipation, the office watched transfixed. But on the second take we erupted in laughter - a truly wonderful shared moment that relieves the soul, a spark of light in the relentless darkness that surrounds us here.

It always made us chuckle to recall Anwar’s spectacular theatrical flourish. No one even remembers what the news actually was - except that it wasn’t really breaking news. But after that we rarely lost an opportunity to make our own announcements with the same dramatic flair, preceding things like, “I’m going to bed” or “We’re out of Red Bull again."

Now whenever we do this, if we ever do this again, it will mean something else entirely. It will be a memory not of laughter, but of pain. Pain at knowing that Anwar Lafta Abbas is dead.

He was taken from his home around 8:30 in the evening local time in Baghdad earlier this week. After leaving work at 5 p.m., Anwar stopped in to see an ailing relative at a nearby hospital. His brother and sister were waiting for him at home.

They say it wasn’t long after he arrived that a knock came at the door.

Anwar’s brother went to answer, and the answer he got when he opened it was a rifle butt smashed in his face. The group of about eight armed men wore body armor and went straight for Anwar. There was no doubt, his relatives have said, that he was the reason they came to that door, of that house, on that night.

But Anwar was not a man to go quietly. And like every Iraqi, he knows what it means when a death squad comes for you.

So he reached for his weapon and tried to put up a fight, but in the delicate words used to mask a more brutal truth, “They overwhelmed him."

Anwar always told me he was not afraid. He always spoke his mind. He did not run from confrontation. And he had no illusions about the state of his country. He had worked previously for the U.S. military and had a great respect and affection for many of the soldiers he knew, while still being highly critical of what he saw as America’s mistakes, and its failure to truly understand Iraqi culture.

So when I heard that Anwar resisted his kidnappers, and was still fighting as they forced him into one of their unmarked white land cruiser vehicles waiting outside, it did not surprise me.

In fact, I played that over and over in my mind all that night. And when I awoke in the morning with that terrible, sick feeling that something is wrong before you’ve had a chance to bring your brain into focus, it was the first image that popped back into my head. As I came slowly to consciousness after just two or three hours of sleep, the full weight of it all hit me and propelled me from bed, rushing into the office for news.

Over the next few days we did everything we could to try find him - which is almost nothing in country where militias and death squads and government forces appear to be free to do anything they want without fear of recourse. That’s not always true, of course, but it happens so often it seems that way to the people living though it every day.

Thoughts of Anwar’s family and what they were going through - the worry, the pain, the terrible, wrenching fear that he might be undergoing torture - all that plagued my conscious and unconscious moments, shadowed every minute of my days and nights.

Like Anwar, his brother is also a fighter and he had picked up a weapon and chased after the kidnappers, shooting at them. They returned fire, and sadly, terribly, shot Anwar’s sister in the arm.

She survived, but with medical care in Baghdad in tatters, who knows what the long-term impact of her injuries will be?

And now, along with her wounded arm, she has a shattered heart.

Her brother’s body has been found.

It’s over.

The wait. The fake ransom demands. The uncertainty. And worst of all - the hope. It’s over.

Anwar is one of thousands of Iraqis, maybe even tens of thousands, who have died this way.

But he was ours.

And it hurts.

A searing sadness, a pain that hits you in the belly and knocks you to the floor and you’re not sure if you got back up or you’re still down there but no matter whether you stand up or stay down, there’s no escape from this new reality.

“Breaking news” in the Baghdad bureau has gone back to being a scrawl along the bottom of the TV screen for now. Life, we all know, will go on, in one form or another.

But maybe in a while, when we can bear it, someone will come into the newsroom when the toilet paper runs out, raise their arms together over their head, and announce with vigor,"breaking news. "

And somewhere Anwar will smile. And know he is not forgotten.

[vellwanger]

RE: Sen. Craig ;

all homosexual men know what tap,tap,slide means in a public bathroom stall ....your gig is up lol

[crater7]

He"s still in charge;

BUSH & CAESAR, HITLER & BUSH, NAM & IRAQ, IRAQ & WORLD WAR TWO?

NOBODY LIKE THOSE EITHER, SO WHAT''S YOUR POINT?

STAY THE COURSE.

[mypatch]

for all the comments on Bush. He''s still in charge. The jews didn''t like Caesar either until they needed him. Too BAD.

[grazinggoat]

lars008 is back! lars008 must be getting rusty, I haven''''t seen his classic "can we kill them now!"
LOL
Posted by tbweb at 04:14 AM : Aug 28, 2007

-arsee008 is a very educative personage! Since he represents the (KrappySainthood) of America, he ought be hired by the PatRobertson, Fallwell(onhisface!), Hagghards and the rest of spiritlyNpolitically essential rightWing America. Hand in hand with sickRick, arsee008 is an essential asset for the Nation. lol!

[nolalou]

Feelfree1,

You have the nerve to justify killing this man, and you said "pro-war propagandists and apologists like Kimberly Dozier, and Lara Logan."

This shows you have to heart and no f-ing brain, you MORON! Lara Logan has been on CNN and other news programs sharply critical of this war! Just do a YouTube search on Lara Logan, and you can find video clips of her appearance on CNN.

I don''t agree with the decision to go to war in Iraq, and I think we should get out now, but that doesn''t mean I can justify killing innocent people! There is a civil war going on there, and there are no ''good guys'' in this battle! To claim they are justified in killing Americans , or ''American collaborators'' borders on TREASON! YOU F_ING JERK! You''re lucky somebody hasn''t hauled you off to Guantanamo yet!

[secundus2]

I ran into 93_pesos_short_of_100 at my bodega yesterday. He is the virtuous twin of somebody who posts here frequently. He explained his evil twin''s fascination with defecation by telling me that the boy''s anal sphincter is blocked by a giant yucca -- it''s the only experience he''s had with *** and he blames the South Bronx for his condition.

That bad translator Anwar actually pursued a profession that helps human understanding; he enabled folks who could not communicate break down the language barrier between them and he tried to help the free flow of information from Iraq. Sounds like a death-penalty offense to me.

[vellwanger]

Mr. Lafta was truely a brave soul. Lets not forget all the innocent Iraqis dying in the cross fires too. Sad ending.......... Support our troops!

[mcvet]

Why no comments on the King Nazi, Craig? I wonder why? Could it be that the Religious Reich doesn''t want to know what America thinks about their golden boy and his actions? Hummm??? Sieg Heil and Amen.

[mcvet]

Such a surprise. America depends on oil. It is in our national interests to make certain that we have a reasonably priced and uninterrupted flow of oil. No one else will protect out interest if we don''''t. Every country looks out for itself.
Posted by rhs648 at 12:04 AM : Aug 28, 2007

Typical Nazi. Kill the son or daughter of a common person so YOU will not have to be inconvienanced. God but you people are slimy... the worst! Sieg Heil Y''all.

[mcvet]

It is a shame that some blacks are ashamed of blacks who excel in America. These are people blacks should hold up as examples for their children to emulate.
Posted by rhs648 at 12:09 AM : Aug 28, 2007

ROFLMAO YOU concider Condi a success? ROFLMAO My My how low your standards are... A boot licker for the WORST President in U.S. History, a complulsive LIAR? A Man so Incompetent he attacks the WRONG country? I hardly think thats the roll model ANY kid should have, let alone a Black Kid! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

I am sick of these turkeys who say this war is about oil. You people can''''t seem to understand how much america has spent on this war...so shut up and stop repeating the same old stupid rhetoric...


Posted by godin6 at 01:37 AM : Aug 28, 2007

How come you Nazi''s can repeat a LIE over and over and over again and it''s okay but let someone tell the TRUTH just once and YOU clowns want to control the debate? Who can forget before the last election when you losers were spewing the lies about the Insurgency being on it''s last legs and how we were Winning in Iraq? Oh but lets not forget the lie to top all lies. You losers actually had the vast majority of the Religious Reich BELIEVING that Saddam and Bin Laden were Pals, got together every week for a little torture and they were going to bring all those WMD''s to our land. Why don''t you fools just sit down and shut up... ALL of us have seen enough failure out of you clowns to last a lifetime. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

also the bush is a moron comments
serves no usefull puprose ...

if you want to blog then state your opinion on the topic at hand...

sheesh
Posted by godin6 at 01:40 AM : Aug 28, 20

Why would you say that? With the Election coming up next year American''s need to be reminded OVER and OVER again just how bad this President really is... they need to be reminded EVERY day what Religious Bigotry and Division can give them. No! Every American who feels that Bush is INDEED a MORON and is the worst should say it and say it LOUD as often as they feel it necessary. BUSH IS A MORON!! HE''s TOTALLY INCOMPETENT! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[tomtomasters]

Einstein is a terrorist who created the Atomic bomb. Those who live by the sword die by it. Those who do not live by the sword, you know those people who seem to do nothing, are really the people for peace. The only way to stop violence is not do it. What did Jesus do? What did Ghandi Do? What did Martin Luther King Do? Yes the good men died, but they live forever. Yet the bad men live to die forever.
Why don''t you stop the violence? How does more killing avenge? It can never avenge! There is no justice in killing. You can not kill evil, it dies upon its lack of provocation. You can not kill life, it lives because it is God. God can not kill himself. He is because he is life. Follow life..not the path of false glory and killing. Glory and honor is to refuse the military, to refuse the gun, to refuse the idea that it is you or him. It is always he is first.Walk on the water children, be saints and quench the the burning fires of hell. Let the smoke remind us of our good deeds.

[radiob-2009]

-tnx radiob, anytime you have an opportunity please feel free to ''''lent it to us''''... :)
by grazinggoat


The Chathman House is British, as I am of British/American descent dating back to 1700. ;)

[lars008-2009]

LOOK WHO IS TARGETING CIVILIANS!!!

Qaeda warns of attacks ''worse than 9/11''
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070530102648.wuwa6k96&show_article=1

Hizbullah Deputy Sec-Gen Sheikh Naim Qassem: We Have Jurisprudent Permission to Carry Out ''Martyrdom'' Operations, Fire Missiles on Israeli Civilians From Ayatollah Khomeini
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD154907

Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp

But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.

"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.

Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.

The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108
American Al Qaeda Member Threatens Attack
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/terror/main2865282.shtml

[tbweb]

Posted by lars008 at 04:13 AM : Aug 28, 2007,,,

lars008 is back! lars008 must be getting rusty, I haven''t seen his classic "can we kill them now!"

LOL

[lars008-2009]

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry

USA''s PLEDGE 2 THE WORLD GIVEN BY JFK!!

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961

One ought never to turn one''s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Winston Churchill

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.

[lars008-2009]

there is no peace with fascist nazi islam%u2026.. there never has been in it%u2019s 1400 year existence%u2026

dnc are like john adams and want to give the jihadist their lunch money hoping they will leave us alone....

gop are like thomas jefferson and want to spend their lunch money on weapons and go kick the jihadists in their arses.....

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam..... he killed plenty of them....

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli''s envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
muslim justifies slavery and piracy%u2026
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?6bdec278-6a71-4436-bc4d-29d1c54b0ad7

[tbweb]

Anyone in Baghdad faces an uncertain future and a high probability of death, it comes with the territory, Baghdad is far from a vacation resort and I''m sure Iraq''s travel industry isn''t making any money. The new French President is now talking about bombing Iran! More death to come.

[lars008-2009]

Washington Post, Other Newspapers Won''''t Run ''''Opus'''' Cartoon Mocking Radical Islam

A popular comic strip that poked fun at the Rev. Jerry Falwell without incident one week ago was deemed too controversial to run over the weekend because this time it took a humorous swipe at Muslim fundamentalists.
http://salon.com/comics/opus/2007/08/26/opus/