Waldemar Milewicz facts for kids
Waldemar Milewicz (born August 20, 1956, in Dobre Miasto, Poland – died May 7, 2004, in Latifiya, Iraq) was a famous Polish journalist. He was known for being a war correspondent, which means he reported from places where wars or conflicts were happening.
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A Reporter's Life and Work
Waldemar Milewicz studied psychology in college. In 1981, he started working for Polish Television (TVP), which is a public TV station. By 1991, he moved to the news team. There, he focused on making TV reports and documentaries.
He traveled to many places around the world where there was fighting. These places included Abkhazia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Chechnya, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Somalia, and Rwanda. His TV show, Dziwny jest ten świat (which means "This is a Strange World"), made him one of Poland's most famous reporters.
In 2003, he reported from the Iraq War. He stayed at a Polish army base there. He had planned to stop being a war reporter after this trip because he wasn't feeling well. Sadly, he was killed in Iraq by a group called Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.
How Waldemar Milewicz Died
On May 7, 2004, Waldemar Milewicz and his TV crew were driving back to their base in Najaf. They had just finished an interview in Baghdad. Their car was clearly marked as a press vehicle. Another car with armed men followed them closely.
About 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Baghdad, the attackers caught up. They shot at the journalists' car from behind. Waldemar Milewicz was hit first and died right away. Another person, Mounir Bouamrane, who was an editor and translator for TVP, also died when he got out of the car. The cameraman, Jerzy Ernst, was hurt in the arm. The driver, Assir Kamel al Kazzaz, was not hurt.
Investigation into the Attack
In 2006, Polish military intelligence arrested three men. They were suspected of being involved in the attack. One of the suspects was Salah Khabbas, who was believed to be a leader of the group.
A suspect also said that some Iraqi Police officers had seen the journalists' car leaving Baghdad. They supposedly told the attackers that "important people" were heading their way.
A Different Idea About What Happened
In 2012, a newspaper called "Rzeczpospolita" shared a new idea about why Waldemar Milewicz was killed. This idea came from old records. It suggested that he might have been killed by mistake.
The theory was that the attackers thought he was a different person named Waldemar Milewicz. This other person was involved in government and an arms trading company. The attackers might not have had a photo to check his identity. Waldemar Milewicz often traveled to dangerous places without wearing special protection. He did this to make it easier to talk to people for his reports.
Awards and Recognition
Waldemar Milewicz received many awards for his work.
- In 1995, he won the SAIS-Ciba Prize for Excellence in Journalism from Johns Hopkins University. This was for his reporting in Chechnya.
- In 2001, he won the Polish Grand Press Journalist of the Year Award.
- He also received several state awards, including two Order of Polonia Restituta medals. He received the Knight's Cross in 2002 and the Officer's Cross after he died.
His ashes were buried in the Military Cemetery in Warsaw.
Waldemar Milewicz was a fan of the English band Depeche Mode. According to his wishes, their song I Feel You was played at his memorial service.
