We're a little tardy in noting Jason P. Howe's new book, "COLOMBIA: Between the Lines." It is available in both a standard and a limited edition through Howe's Conflictpics site. Here is a write-up and a few of Howe's images from the book. WarShooter wishes Howe well.

Nervous policemen patrolling an oil rich border town, a wounded Government soldier lying next to his dead colleagues, a rebel couple kissing, displaced families building new homes and a self confessed killer reading her daughter a bedtime story; these are some of the characters that inhabit the shadowy and dangerous world in which photojournalist Jason P. Howe immersed himself over a period of 5 years to document the Colombia behind the headlines.

Sensational news stories and cold analysis insulate us from the reality of daily life for the thousands of Colombians that have taken up arms and the millions that have fled their homes to escape the violence. These stark images reduce the decades of conflict to the basic human struggle to survive. The difference between victim and victor, rebel and refugee, assassin and activist is often only a matter of perspective. The conflict constantly evolves as ideologies, politics, social injustice and most importantly greed continue to add fuel to a self perpetuating war that is resulting in one of the world’s worst and most under reported humanitarian disasters.

The following is a bit of the commentary that came in through Lightstalkers following the news that Zoriah's photographs of the suicide bombing had resulted in him being removed from Iraq by the military. I am posting it here to keep everyone informed. Zoriah is now on his way back to the United States, where several news organizations plan on interviewing him about his experiences in Iraq and the events that transpired after his photographs were published. I will post updates as he passes them along.

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Zoriah: Iraq War Diary gets him kicked out of Iraq

Just read this….really disappointing, to say the least. Zoriah was doing important work.

by M. Scott Brauer | 02 Jul 2008 23:07 | Nanjing, China |

that is too too bad…his work was powerful, intense, real, as were the words and his diary…..