Photo journalist refuses to accept prize of newspaper uncritical of government's war cooperation

Morizumi Takashi, a photo journalist known for his extensive coverage of the effects of the Iraq war, declined an award offered by the Sankei Shimbun for his book on the grounds that the newspaper is uncritical of the Japanese government's support for the war on Iraq.

Morizumi's book "We are now in Iraq" contains many photos that he took in Iraq as well as an anti-war speech made by Charlotte Aldebron, 13 years old at that time, at a peace rally in the U.S.

On his web site, Morizumi wrote that the Sankei strongly supports the views of the Japanese and U.S. governments calling Iraqi people struggling to achieve Iraq's independence "terrorists". "If I accepted this prize, I could no longer hold my head up before Iraqi children," said Morizumi. (end)