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The Guardian have recently published an interesting video on their website featuring Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch.  In the video, Bouckaert pores through the various records, negatives and video footage that has been coming out of newly liberated Libya, in an attempt to highlight any human rights abuses imposed under the Gaddafi’s regime.  

One such sickening example of the regime, was the 1984 show-trial and public hanging of thirty year-old Sadiq Hamed Shwedi - whose alleged crime was a conspiracy to assassinate the leader of the revolution.

The look of fear in his features is compounded by a quivering voice as he reiterates what he has been forced to say.  In the background, amidst a furor of cheers, the watching crowd is largely made up of school children and students; forced to watch after being bussed into Benghazi’s basketball stadium.  

Later on in the video Peter goes through early negatives captured during the 1969 Libyan revolution lead by Gaddafi.  The documentation shows a somewhat human side of Gaddafi, depicted as a handsome late-twenty-something army officer relaxing, reading, even smiling; a far cry from the images we see of him today.

The varied content of the negatives quickly brings us crashing back to reality, reverting back to a series of public hangings and prisoners held captive by a perverted and sadistic regime.

Whether NATO involvement in Libya is right or wrong, one thing is certain.  Gaddafi is a man that needs to be ousted from power, and whose regime needs to be judged on its actions.

John D McHugh: ‘We ran behind a Humvee… by that point I’d accepted that I was going to get shot – there were so many bullets in the air, it sounded like a swarm of bees.’ Photograph: John D McHugh/Getty Images

I chanced across this article by the Guardian, and thought it incredibly interesting.  The title is pretty self explanatory, from the eyes of a war photographer.  Click on the picture to read other stories from the article.  A worthy read.

This is the last picture I took before I got shot. I’d been embedded with US troops in Nuristan for five weeks when we went to help a unit that had been ambushed nearby. There were bodies on the road, dead and dying. Taliban started shooting down on us from the mountains. I jumped behind a rock. I could hear bullets hitting it, and thought, “Oh fuck, oh fuck.”

We ran behind a Humvee, but now we were being fired on from both sides. By that point I’d accepted that I was going to get shot. There were so many bullets in the air, it sounded like a swarm of bees. They had us pinned down and a sniper was picking people off one by one.

The bullet went through my ribs and out of my lower back. It felt as if I’d been punched. I fell to my knees, but managed to get behind another rock. The entry wound was the size of a penny; the exit bigger than the palm of my hand. The pain was overwhelming. I was convinced I was going to die and felt angry with myself. Then I started worrying that I might live but end up paralysed. Maybe I was better off dead? My mind refocused and I thought, “No, fuck that!”

It was 25 minutes before anybody could get to me. My cameras were on the ground, and as they grabbed me I had to lean down and pick them up. When we got to the local base, a medic said, “Hell, I can see right through you.” As soon as I knew that I’d recover, I told my girlfriend I was going to go back out. The work I do is important and also, if I hadn’t, it would mean I’d never really understood the risks in the first place.

“Marion and Atlas in shower after the beach in Rio de Janeiro”

I’ve just heard war photographer Christopher Anderson, of Magnum, is hanging up his gloves and bidding farewell to conflict photography.  Upon learning about the recent loss of his good friend Tim Hetherington, Chris has decided to re-evaluate the things that matter, and focus on raising his own three year old son.

‘While Mr. Anderson knows better than to say never again, he believes he’s through with conflict photography.  ”Before having a child” he said, “one’s world revolves completely around your self.  With a child, you become less important - which eventually makes you a better photographer.’”

Why do photojournalists do it?  Why do they expose themselves to near constant danger by flying to war torn countries to capture atrocities, murder and misery.  Is it for the rush of adrenaline, the clarity between black and white, or simply the ability to act as a voice for those unable to show what is being done to them by warring factions?

April 20th, 2011.  The world mourns the loss of two award winning photographers, British Tim Hetherington and American Chris Honduros.  On assignment for Vanity Fair and Getty respectively; they covered the confusing humanitarian crisis on the front lines of the besieged city Misrata.  The mortar shell attack that killed the two photographers also gravely wounded British photographer Guy Martin, who is now being treated in a hospital in Misrata.

Tim was probably best known for his Academy Award Nominated film ‘Restrepo’, and World Press Photography Award winning series on the Sleeping Soldiers.

Tim’s chilling last tweet on social networking site Twitter reads “In besieged Libyan city of Misrata.  Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces [sic].  No sign of NATO”