When President Donald Trump tweeted a warning last week about a possible missile strike on Syria, the AP was well ahead in its planning for what would eventually follow.
An AP cross-format team had applied for visas for Damascus a month ago. Last-minute negotiations and a bit of luck led to them being issued two days before air strikes by the U.S., France and Britain were carried out.
And when the missiles started raining down, Hassan Ammar, a Beirut-based photographer, captured the signature image of the Damascus night sky. His photo, which dominated world play, earns the Beat of the Week.
The photo was the culmination of careful preparation in Damascus by the cross-format Beirut team of Hassan, senior producer Bassam Hatoum, reporter Bassem Mroue and Syria stringer Albert Aji. They determined how to best position themelves to report on the strikes, including placing a camera on its tripod on a balcony, hooked to a remote control so it could be operated from inside.
Damascus during missile strikes on the Syrian capital by the U.S., Britain and France, early April 14, 2018.
AP Photo / Hassan Ammar
A Syrian soldier films damage to the Syrian Scientific Research Center which was attacked by U.S., British and French missile strikes in Barzeh, Syria, near Damascus, April 14, 2018.
AP Photo / Hassan Ammar
Firefighters hose down smoldering rubble of the Syrian Scientific Research Center which was attacked by U.S., British and French missile strikes near Damascus, April 14, 2018. The Pentagon said none of the missiles filed by the U.S. and its allies were deflected by Syrian air defenses, rebutting claims by the Russian and Syrian governments.
AP Photo / Hassan Ammar
Smoke rises from the the ruins of the Syrian Scientific Research Center which was attacked by U.S., British and French missile strikes in Barzeh, near Damascus, April 14, 2018.
AP Photo / Hassan Ammar
Aji, whose office facing east provided a direct view to the mountain overlooking Damascus, left the office key with the team overnight, allowing an almost theatrical view. Quick work by the team once the attacks got underway resulted in AP dominating in all formats. Ammar's photo, showing the streak of a missile, drawn out in the long exposure, lancing up into the night, was unmatched by the competition. It was featured on about 100 front pages worldwide. AP video of the night sky was used more than 3,500 times on the first day alone.
"The coverage was driven by good cross-format coordination, planning and communication, both internally and with customers."
– Senior VP and Executive Editor Sally Buzbee
The AP team captured every significant turn of the story in all formats, many of them live, from the initial missiles to street demonstrations, reaction, a visit to the site of one of the strikes and, on Monday, a trip to the site of the chemical weapons attack. Hatoum coordinated video coverage, with Ammar and Aji shooting footage with phones when they reached the site of a strike. Mroue took photos of the chemical weapons inspectors' arrival in Damascus.
The team's work was widely credited on TV, radio, websites and in print worldwide and resulted in several outside media requests for interviews with Ammar for his photos, including by the BBC and European papers.
For his exclusive photo that led a comprehensive cross-format coverage, Ammar wins Beat of the Week.