{snip}
His death came four days after publication in the New York Times of an opinion piece he wrote critical of the increasing influence of Shi'ite Islamist parties in the southern city of Basra, Iraq's second city and the subject of his next book.
"Basra was clearly his favorite place in Iraq," Muncy said, adding that Vincent had studied the security situation carefully before going there some three months ago to research the book. "He honestly didn't think, and I did not either, that something like this would happen," Muncy said.
Steve Mumford, an American artist who shared an apartment with Vincent in Baghdad in 2003, said Vincent had told him in an e-mail some weeks ago he had a lot of information he knew could get him killed if it was published.
"He probably could have waited until he left. All I can think is he felt he had to get it out as soon as possible," Mumford said, adding that this was Vincent's third visit to Iraq and he had been due to leave soon.
(snip)
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2005-08-03T175737Z_01_N03714248_RTRIDST_0_USREPORT-IRAQ-JOURNALIST-PROFILE-DC.XML