January 1, 2006

We are appealing to you for your help in finding out what really happened to Fred NERAC in Iraq on the 22nd of March 2003. He is the first journalist to go missing in Iraq, part of an ITN crew of four. Two were shot dead - Terry LLOYD, a senior ITN reporter and Hussein OTHMAN their "fixer". The fourth person was Daniel DEMOUSTIER, a Belgian cameraman, who survived. Fred NERAC is a French journalist living in Belgium and working for a British television channel.

Five investigations to date have yielded no further material evidence of
what became of Fred NERAC after the 22nd of March 2003. These are:

- ITN enquiries made in March and April 2003 by AKE, a company specialising
in conflict situations
- the "factual" American MILITARY official report,
- the British MILITARY one from June 2003 to September 2004,
- the Danish MILITARY one,
- and the "still to be completed" official French one from January 2005 till
now (the first conclusions were made in October 2005).

So far Mrs Nerac has had no access to those official reports, apart from the
ITN and American ones. She has only received a short summary of the British
report. The French authorities did not receive it either but were allowed to
consult parts of it for the purposes of their own investigation.

IN THE US REPORT THE TESTIMONIES OF THE MARINES ARE ALL THE SAME: THEY JUST SAW CARS COMING TOWARDS THEM, THOUGHT THEY WERE SUICIDE BOMBERS AND OPENED FIRE. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THEM CAN BE MORE PRECISE. THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED FROM TELLING THE TRUTH OR FROM PROVIDING MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICERS.

We want to know Why there is so little information. What happened that
people are unwilling to talk about?

Why can’t Mrs Nérac get a copy of the British report?

We think there are still many unanswered questions. The American authorities
seem very reluctant to cooperate with the British and French authorities.

As many troops were there that day, might there be some ex-marines who
would/could talk now ?

IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE, WE THINK WE MIGHT LEARN MORE FROM SPEAKING TO THE MARINES INDIVIDUALLY, IN A NON-MILITARY CONTEXT (SOME MARINES MAY HAVE LEFT, HAVE RETURNED TO CIVILIAN LIFE ETC…).

Below, there is some factual information about this case. It’s a copy
of Fabienne Nérac’s mail to Jimmy Massey, an ex-marine. He could not help us
as he knew nobody from this division.

With many thanks

On behalf of the Fred Nerac Committee,
Catherine Jacmin

–
Catherine Jacmin
rue StÈnuit
1342 Limelette
tel/fax: 00.32.(0)10.41.93.78 - 00.32.(0)479.89.25.05
e.mail: catherine.jacmin@skynet.be