Stephen Vincent

From the news reports:

Vincent was in Basra writing a book about the history of the city. He also maintained a Web blog about life in Iraq, and most recently had an op-ed piece in The New York Times on Sunday. ...

Vincent was an eyewitness to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and traveled twice to Iraq afterward, paying his own way and "traveling without security or official connections, living by his wits," according to the Spence Publishing site.

The result was his book, "In the Red Zone: A Journey into the Soul of Iraq," published late last year. Vincent dedicated the book to those who lost their lives in the attacks.

CNN 03 Aug

Mr. Vincent was a short, wiry cigar-smoking 49-year-old. He and his wife, Lisa Ramaci, lived in the East Village in New York.

NYT 04 Aug

on his blog, he was unsparing in his criticism of the region's religious leaders, politicians and Iraqi and international security forces. He bristled at the conventions of Islam that, in his view, subjugated women. ...

A widely respected Basra journalist who knew Mr. Vincent - and requested anonymity out of fear for his safety - said Mr. Vincent was getting very close to understanding the intricate local relationships between religion and politics.

NYT 09 Oct 2005