Iraq 24/7

May 03, 2006 - This week marks the 3-year anniversary of when President Bush hung a Mission Accomplished banner from the USS Abraham Lincoln and optimistically told fellow Americans "major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed, and now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph Biden, however, doubtingly said the Bush administration's effort to establish a strong central government in Baghdad has been a failure, doomed to ethnic rivalry that spawned widespread sectarian violence.

However you frame it, the picture of conflict in Iraq has been growing more and more complex, and has been stirring up bipartisan controversy in the American public's eye. In order to survey as much coverage as possible, ZUMA has photographers Mark Allen Johnson and Bill Putnam working directly in the field, sending us images of not only the daily demoralizing brutalities but also the encouraging advances that are being made.

Fresh to the fray, Mark Allen Johnson, offers the versatility and adaptability that is habitually required when stationed in a volatile environment such as Iraq. This quickly responsive photographer says he thrives "on the challenge of capturing and organizing brief moments into images that have multiple layers of perspective."

Unable to typecast him into a specific genre of photography, Johnson has brought diverse images to ZUMA ranging from atrocious cow slaughtering in Nigeria, pregnant women in jail, midget rentals in Los Angeles, illegal drug use, and deadly border crossings in Mexico. He has an amazing ability to adapt to any situation and think quickly on his feet, and his chameleon-like character gives him broad international appeal. He now brings us stunning inside views of US Military's involvement in Iraq.

Bill Putnam, more of a veteran in Iraq, is currently embedded with Abu Co. 1st of the 187th Infantry in Salahuddin, Iraq, and continues to bring us consistently intelligent photos. As he finds ways to be in the right place at the right time, Putnam is not just a silent observer of the situations he steps into, but an active acumen, and his quick insight into people and situations translate skillfully into his images.

Having these two diverse photographers capturing the day-to-day proceedings in Iraq is going to give ZUMA the most comprehensive coverage possible. "I am entirely confident in both Putnam and Johnson. Though they both work as independent individuals, their combined talents articulate paramount exposure of the truth," says ZUMA Press Director Scott Mc Kiernan.