Local man wrongly identified at terrorist

[struggle4progress]

A Brighton software consultant says some national news outlets used his picture to identify a suspected terrorist. Now, he's preparing to sue for libel. Asif Iqbal shares the same name with a British detainee. On Wednesday, the detainee went public with accusations of abuse at Guantanamo Bay's detention camp. When the story aired, CNN, The Associated Press and the CBS evening news used the Brighton man's photograph. With New York on a heightened alert, Iqbal says he's afraid for his safety. Iqbal's attorney has drafted a letter to CBS and CNN, asking them not to use the photograph.

http://www.10nbc.com/news.asp?template=item&story_id=12244


An innocent man wronged
Pittsford resident fearful after CBS identifies him as terrorist of same name
By Alan Morrell
Staff writer

<snip>
The other Asif Iqbal is a Briton of Pakistani descent who was taken into custody by American forces in Afghanistan two years ago. Treated as a terrorist suspect, he was held incommunicado by the United States in the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until his release earlier this year. He returned to England on March 9, according to news reports.

The CBS story mentioned former detainees' allegations of abuse at Guantanamo, including allegations made by the British Iqbal, said A. Katherine Piccola, a lawyer who is representing the local Asif Iqbal. That story, and the subsequent Web account, included a photo of the local Asif Iqbal that originally ran in the Democrat and Chronicle and was picked up by The Associated Press.

Piccola said CBS contacted her via e-mail on Thursday, saying it had removed the incorrect photo from its Web site. CBS did not, however, respond to Piccola's directive to run a correction, she said.
<snip>

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0807IN55MIQ_news.shtml