ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff and Videographer Seriously Injured in Iraq

[Unassisted]

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1553996&page=1

ABC News' Bob Woodruff and Cameraman Injured in Iraq

'World News Tonight' Co-Anchor and Cameraman Slammed by IED While with Iraqi Army

Jan. 29, 2006 — - "World News Tonight" anchor, Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured after their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in Taji, Iraq, today.

Woodruff and Vogt are undergoing surgery at the U.S. military hospital in Balad. Both men suffered head injuries. Woodruff sustained shrapnel wounds and Vogt was hit by shrapnel in the head and suffered a broken shoulder.

Woodruff, Vogt and their four-man team were traveling in a convoy with Iraqi security forces. They had been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and were in a mechanized vehicle when the explosive went off. The exposion was followed by small arms fire.

"This is very common over there now," said White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, who also covered the Pentagon for years and has had entensive experience in Iraq, on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" this morning. "These attacks are planned, and this [the small arms attack] is a secondary attack. Sometimes when the medical personnel come in, they have small arms fire following up on that."

Both were wearing body armor, helmets and ballistic glasses. They had been traveling in a U.S. armored humvee, but then transferred into the Iraqi vehicle. The men were medevaced to the Green Zone to receive treatment. They were then flown by helicopter to Balad which is about a 20-minute ride from Baghdad, said Raddatz.

"There are very good doctors, the best medical care you can possibly get, in Balad," said Raddatz.

Woodruff has been on assignment in Iraq and planned to broadcast from the war-torn country this week for the State of the Union address.
The father of four children, he was one of the first reporters in Pakistan following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Woodruff's overseas reporting of the fallout from Sept. 11th was part of ABC News coverage recognized with the Alfred I. DuPont Award and the George Foster Peabody Award, the two highest honors in broadcast journalism.

He has also covered the Iraq conflict in Baghdad, Najaf, Nassariya and Basra. During the initial invasion, Woodruff reported from the front lines as an embedded journalist with the First Marine Division, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

Vogt, the father of three daughters, was sitting next to ABC News producer David Kaplan when the producer was shot and killed in Bosnia, and has considerable experience documenting war.

Earlier this month, Vogt, who has been with ABC News for more than 15 years, was with Woodruff in Iran. He was recently in another convoy in which someone was killed by an IED.

"They've covered all the wars, the hot spots," said ABC New's Jim Sciutto, who is covering the war in Iraq. "The best we have with Doug. He's the cameraman we all request when we go to the field because he's so good, a fantastic eye. He's won so many awards for ABC."

[Caseyfan21]

Even more evidence why we don't need reporters over there getting in the way of the soldiers. I appreciate the hands on coverage but for the safety of these people in the media, I don't think we need them right there on the front lines.

With a family and a successful career, I really hope he gets better soon.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Tragic news and I hope they all heal completely and are able to resume a normal life. Sometimes it can be forgotten when we watch or read these people that they are in a very dangerous place. Reporters have died in warfare for a long time. I guess it is a blessing that we have not heard more stories like this one these days. My prayers to these men and their families.

It leads me to ask (and not to take away from this tragic story)... do these reporters get "extra pay" for doing these assignments? Or do they do it as either a part of their livelihood or do help advance their career?

[GAC]

Even more evidence why we don't need reporters over there getting in the way of the soldiers. I appreciate the hands on coverage but for the safety of these people in the media, I don't think we need them right there on the front lines.

With a family and a successful career, I really hope he gets better soon.

My sentiments exactly. And there is not only the risk of getting oneself killed, but also taken hostage. They also continue, for the sake of a story (or scoop), to try and wander into dangerous areas where the military says stay clear of.

[westofyou]

Even more evidence why we don't need reporters over there getting in the way of the soldiers.

Someone needs to report the news from a non slanted POV.

Ernie Pyle would disagree with you.

[Unassisted]

I would guarantee that ABC is rethinking the wisdom of sending high-profile talent to Iraq. I doubt we'll see Elizabeth Vargas reporting from there in the near future.

The reports out of Germany are that these guys are in stable condition and that Woodruff's brain appears to be unaffected. With the seriousness of their injuries, certainly some aspect of their lives will be changed forever.

BTW, I saw on ABC's web site last night a message of support from CBS anchor Bob Schieffer. Bob mentioned that Woodruff developed his interest in TV news while working as Dan Rather's interpreter when he was in China covering the Tiananmen Square massacre. Although he was a law-school grad at that point, Woodruff decided during that gig that a career that would put him at the scene of current events around the world was the career for him.

[CrackerJack]

My sentiments exactly. And there is not only the risk of getting oneself killed, but also taken hostage. They also continue, for the sake of a story (or scoop), to try and wander into dangerous areas where the military says stay clear of.

I appreciate what these people do, because I do not trust our government in the least to report what is going on over there fairly, and we as tax paying citizens, and others with family and friends involved, need and want to know what is really going on.

Military reporters have been around forever doing this, it's nothing new, Iraq should not be an exception because it's a different type of violence that specifically targets civilians, contractors and reporters...Vietnam was just as dangerous for embedded reporters.

Any time that a reporter is a burden or a danger to an operation, mission, or soldiers' lives - they certainly have every right to refuse their inclusion, and do.

These reporters were traveling with Iraqi Army members - not US soldiers though, and were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunately the Iraqi Police and Army will be targets of the insurgents/terrorists for a long time, even more so once the US leaves, if they ever do.

[zombie-a-go-go]

2300+ other US citizens have perished in Iraq as well, how many of their names made the front page?

[RedFanAlways1966]

2300+ other US citizens have perished in Iraq as well, how many of their names made the front page?

I guess it depends on what newspaper you read. I read the Dayton Daily News and there are front page stories about these things all the time. A lot more than just these 2 men. Perhaps b/c the Lima (OH) Company was hard hit in Fallujah. Remember the young lady from WV that was taken prisoner? Her fellow troop members, the ones that got lost and drove into the enemy's location and perished, were all front page news at the time. Matt Maupin (although not confirmed killed).

[Unassisted]

2300+ other US citizens have perished in Iraq as well, how many of their names made the front page?

Even though he's not a household name, he has 1/2 of Peter Jennings' job, so that confers automatic celebrity status. The fact that a celebrity met up with tragedy will always be news. It just happened to be in a war zone.

The way I see it, this front page news should serve to jolt folks here who had grown complacent about the deaths and injuries that there are still many thousands of men and women in harm's way over there.

And in all seriousness, the next distraction/news from Paris Hilton or Angelina Jolie, et. al. will undoubtedly knock Mr. Woodruff off of the front page soon enough.

[GAC]

2300+ other US citizens have perished in Iraq as well, how many of their names made the front page?

Serving as a member of the armed forces versus a reporter is quite different IMO.

There isn't a person on here that doesn't appreciate what those imbedded reporters do. The problem is that sometimes they don't take the advice of the military, and wander into areas where they know they don't belong or the risk is very high. And they not only place themselves at risk, but also others. To me, that is not worth it for the sake of a story.

[westofyou]

To me, that is not worth it for the sake of a story.

Some think it is if they're chasing the truth instead of a story.

[Chip R]

Serving as a member of the armed forces versus a reporter is quite different IMO.

I think that's the difference right there in why this garners more publicity than when a member of the armed forces gets wounded/killed. Not to sound callous but it's really not big news whan that happens to a soldier because it happens quite often. When a civilian is wounded/killed, then it's a bigger story because it rarely happens. It's the old Dog Bites Man/Man Bites Dog thing. Neither are good but the latter is bigger news than the first because it doesn't happen as often as the former.

[RBA]

Has politics been allowed back into this forum? Okay, I'm about to post multiple threads of political type topics. Don't anybody stop me.

[Chip R]

I don't see how a reporter and cameraman getting injured and debating whether it is more newsworthy than soldiers getting injured is a political thread. If someone gets shot in Washington D.C. it doesn't make it a political thing.