The circumstances surrounding her shooting made her killing noteworthy. Her case was not new. This year is expected to be one of the most violent for journalists in recent years. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported 44 journalists and media workers were killed in the first half of the 21st century. 50 journalists were killed in 2020 compared to 45 last year.
The White House has to balance interests in the region with demands for justice for a slain U.S. citizen. When Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan in 2002, the FBI collaborated with officials from that country. His killers were found guilty and freed by the Pakistan government.
The civil war in Syria claimed the life of an American reporter. Three years ago, a U.S. federal court found that the assassins of Marie Colvin were never brought to justice. The White House denied that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia had ordered the assassination of a US resident.
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) were among the senators who wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The senators from New Jersey sent a letter to the administration asking for more information on the investigation.
In the aftermath of Abu Akleh's killing, senators Chris Van Hollen, Patrick Leahy, Christopher Murphy and Dick Durbin wrote to Antony Blinken insisting on a more transparent and directly involved U.S. investigation into the event. | Saul Loeb/Pool via AP Photo
Grieving and rage are still present for the Abu Akleh family. They need the answers soon. The Biden administration encouraged the family to come to Washington, so they quickly booked their own flights. They want to meet with both of them in person. They would like the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate.
The Abu Akleh family said they were given a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Blinken after this interview.
The interview has been edited to make it clearer.
Joseph Gedeon said that the person was a US citizen. More hasn't been done.
The U.S. government is very disappointing to us. We would like to see a stronger stand for a U.S. citizen who was killed by an Israeli soldier. We hope that there will be an independent investigation. An investigation was opened by the U.S. government for the killing of a Palestinian and an American. If no action is taken and there is no accountability, every American is at risk.
She was killed in cold blood. She is practicing her right to speak her mind. Launching a thorough, credible and transparent investigation is what this administration should have done. They didn't do that. On the Fourth of July, they released a statement that they said was an investigation. It lacked transparency and lacked evidence based answers. We haven't seen any meaningful action from the Biden administration. It has been very disappointing and upsetting to see so many calls for accountability go unanswered. We want the administration to take meaningful action.
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