We're a little tardy in noting Jason P. Howe's new book, "COLOMBIA: Between the Lines." It is available in both a standard and a limited edition through Howe's Conflictpics site. Here is a write-up and a few of Howe's images from the book. WarShooter wishes Howe well.

Nervous policemen patrolling an oil rich border town, a wounded Government soldier lying next to his dead colleagues, a rebel couple kissing, displaced families building new homes and a self confessed killer reading her daughter a bedtime story; these are some of the characters that inhabit the shadowy and dangerous world in which photojournalist Jason P. Howe immersed himself over a period of 5 years to document the Colombia behind the headlines.

Sensational news stories and cold analysis insulate us from the reality of daily life for the thousands of Colombians that have taken up arms and the millions that have fled their homes to escape the violence. These stark images reduce the decades of conflict to the basic human struggle to survive. The difference between victim and victor, rebel and refugee, assassin and activist is often only a matter of perspective. The conflict constantly evolves as ideologies, politics, social injustice and most importantly greed continue to add fuel to a self perpetuating war that is resulting in one of the world’s worst and most under reported humanitarian disasters.

The following is a bit of the commentary that came in through Lightstalkers following the news that Zoriah's photographs of the suicide bombing had resulted in him being removed from Iraq by the military. I am posting it here to keep everyone informed. Zoriah is now on his way back to the United States, where several news organizations plan on interviewing him about his experiences in Iraq and the events that transpired after his photographs were published. I will post updates as he passes them along.

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Zoriah: Iraq War Diary gets him kicked out of Iraq

Just read this….really disappointing, to say the least. Zoriah was doing important work.

by M. Scott Brauer | 02 Jul 2008 23:07 | Nanjing, China |

that is too too bad…his work was powerful, intense, real, as were the words and his diary…..

Zoriah: I hope you are o.k. and safe. I'm not really surprised that this happened. I think the military has very strict regulations as to what can and cannot be seen by the rest of the world... particularly, here in the U.S., and especially with an election coming up.

Write when you have time. Christine and Melissa sent me the news.

David

dldurant@dc.rr.com

A Message from Zoriah: I would like to wish a happy Fourth of July to all of the Marines, soldiers, and military personel who struggle to survive and bring order in a chaotic situation in Iraq.

I would like to wish a happy Fourth to their families back home, and also to all of the Iraqi’s and Afghans who live day in and day out in a climate of uncertainty and fear.

May all of you find peace and unity and return to your lives, families, and children safe and unharmed.

I have been banned from documenting the conflict in Fallujah and Anbar Province by the US Marine Corps and am currently waiting in Baghdad's Green Zone to find out if I will blacklisted completely and forced to leave Iraq. Unconfirmed sources tell me that this issue has gone all the way up to General Petraeus. I stand firm in that I have been unjustly censored by the US Military for reporting strictly under the guidelines given to me.

A big thanks from me to all of the US Marines and their families who have emailed me and voiced their support of the post and of the issue as a whole.

words and images by Zoriah

A few hours after posting my story on the suicide bombing in Anbar Province, I was woken up by a young marine who took me to receive a phone call. A high ranking Public Affairs Officer told me that they were requesting that I remove my blog post immediately. I asked on what grounds, as media rules state that wounded and killed soldiers may be portrayed in images as long as their name tags and identifiable features are not shown. I had made very sure my images followed those guidelines, asking a large number of soldiers on base if they could find anything at all that would identify the dead. I made sure of this primarily out of respect for the families.

I was told that the Marine Corps would not allow even the pants or shoes of a injured or killed Marine to be depicted in images, This was a rule I had never been told or even heard of and I refused to remove the blog post. It seemed insane to me that the Marines would embed a war photographer and then be upset when photographs were taken of war.

A few minutes later my embed was terminated and a convoy was arranged, despite a fierce sand storm, to bring me to Camp Fallujah where I would wait for the first flight out of the Marines area of operation into the Green Zone.

I am still waiting for my flight out, one day later. Apparently they fear that someone is angry enough to do me harm, as I now must go to the chow hall with two armed escorts. However, I have had five or more marines approach me on base and tell me that the images were the best and most powerful, real photographs of war they had ever seen and that they supported my choices 100%.

I truly labored with the decision to post these images and I still do. But in my heart of hearts I know that people need to see and feel the reality of this horrible situation. How can things change if all that comes out of Iraq are sanitized, white-washed images of war designed for mainstream media outlets who focus on making money instead of the quality and truth in what they report.

For the families of the Marines, interpreters and the Iraqi police and civilians killed in the attack, you have my deepest condolences. These men were attending a city council meeting and working together to better their community. They were doing a good thing when something terrible happened to them.

I have done everything I can to post images that are not in any way identifiable. I have photographed to the best of my ability, hoping to capture images that speak the truth yet capture the horror and senselessness of these kinds of attacks in a dignified, emotional and artistic way. I have made sure there are ample warnings that the post is very graphic and very disturbing. I put it on a separate page that contains even more warnings and buffer text and images before the graphic content is displayed to avoid anyone stumbling on it by accident.

If despite my safeguards these images end up hurting people, I offer you my sincerest apologies. Please know that my intent is to show the true nature of the horrors of war in hopes that this will deter others from committing or accepting senseless acts of violence.