Free James Foley

When you hear that a colleague has problems in a conflict zone a strange sensation invades you. It is that “It could have been me”. In my case, being in the process of withdrawing from journalism, it is a relief to think I won’t be in that place again. Neither me nor my loving ones, who in the end, are the ones that suffer most.

That however doesn’t save you from getting goose bumps. The last colleague in the list is James Foley, kidnapped in Syria almost three months ago. It isn’t the first time he faces this problem. Back in Libya, Gaddafi troops captured him and two other journalists and retained them for six weeks.

Photo: Nicole Tung

The case of Foley is a bit more personal than others. Although I haven’t meet him outside Facebook, I admire his work and moral heights. Last summer, James coordinated together with Manu Brabo a campaign to donate an ambulance for a hospital in Aleppo, Syria. Before that, he fundraised money for the children of photographer Anton Hammerl, killed during the capture of Foley, Brabo and Gillis in Libya.

James was kidnapped in Thanksgiving day near Idlib, when he was heading for the border. Little more is known. Nor who did it, why they did it or where is James now. His family has tried desperately to find information about him and raise awareness in the media with no results so far. The website www.freejamesfoley.org has an online petition for the release of the American journalist.

The kidnap of James together with the death of two journalists in Syria just during January highlights the dangers journos face in conflict areas. It’s becoming more and more frequent to hear these news, with kidnappings becoming a quick way of getting foreign attention or money.

Although journalists know what they face when in a war zone, the situation has escalated quickly. New journos, poorly trained in safety or without experience, but eager to get a foot in the door make it more dangerous. In addition to that, the media has gone from being collateral casualties to legit targets, as demonstrated in Gaza and Syria. A situation that far from improving, it’s getting worse.