In memoriam

Steve Vincent, journalist, author, and blogger is dead.

Vincent graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in English in 1980, and have been writing and traveling most of his life. In 2003, in an effort to find out more about the daily life of the local Muslims, he left for Iraq on self-financed trips, two months or more at a time. In the Red Zone: A Journey Into the Soul of Iraq is the one result of such fact-finding missions.

Vincent was slated to return to USA in mid-August, having collected enough material for a new book. After being abducted from the port city of Basra on August 2, he was found by the side of the road with gunshot wounds to his head. His translator was found alive, albeit seriously wounded.

National Review has published a tribute to him, as well as a list of all the articles he wrote for them.

San Francisco Chronicle also published news of the tragedy on Thursday August 4th 2005 (although I beg to differ, how does being a supporter of the war make one a "radical"?).

There is some speculation that Vincent was murdered for his writings against Islamic fundamentalism. Others suggest that he was murdered for traveling openly with his translator, who is a Muslim woman.

Rest in peace, Steve.