Pierre Billaud

Pierre Billaud (May 21, 1970 - November 11, 2001) was a French radio reporter and journalist. He started his career on Radio France then then joined Radio Tele Luxembourg as international reporter. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905EFDC1038F930A25752C1A9679C8B63 A NATION CHALLENGED: THE NEWS MEDIA; Two French Radio Journalists and a German Are Killed in Taliban Ambush of a Rebel Force] , "The New York Times", November 13, 2001] He covered the conflicts of Algeria, Israel, Palestine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Billaud devoted various reports to the situation of the children and the women in Afghanistan.

Death

Billaud, along with fellow French journalist Johanne Sutton and German journalist Volker Handloik, was killed in an ambush in Dasht-e Qaleh, Takhar Province, Afghanistan on November 11 2001. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/journalists-riding-on-tank-killed-in-ambush-616773.html Journalists riding on tank killed in ambush] , "The Independent", 13 November 2001] The trio were travelling on a Northern Alliance armoured personnel carrier when they came under attack by Taliban troops with machine guns and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Australian journalist Paul McGeough and French journalist Véronique Reyberotte survived the attack. Accordind to Reyberotte Billaud and Sutton jumped off the tank. Former French president Jacques Chirac and former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin praised Sutton and Billaud for their courage.

References