Shootings by U.S. at Iraq Checkpoints Questioned -WP

[Rose Siding]

The deadly shooting of an Italian intelligence officer by U.S. troops at a checkpoint near Baghdad on Friday was one of many incidents in which civilians have been killed by mistake at checkpoints in Iraq, including local police officers, women and children, according to military records, U.S. officials and human rights groups.

U.S. soldiers have fired on the occupants of many cars approaching their positions over the past year and a half, only to discover that the people they killed were not suicide bombers or attackers but Iraqi civilians. They did so while operating under rules of engagement that the military has classified and under a legal doctrine that grants U.S. troops immunity from civil liability for misjudgment.
...
But Army documents indicate that the 3rd Infantry Division -- the military unit that includes the troops responsible for shooting Calipari -- was involved in other shootings of civilians at checkpoints. In April 2004, Army criminal investigators asked a sergeant serving in the division if he and his fellow soldiers had shot at women and children in cars, and the soldier answered, "Yes." Asked why, he replied, "They didn't respond to the signs , the presence of troops or warning shots."

The soldier, whose name was redacted in documents released by the Army on Friday in response to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, went on to say: "We fired warning shots at everyone, they would speed up to come at us, and we would shoot them. You couldn't tell who was in the car from where we were, we found that out later. . . . We didn't go through the cars digging around for stuff, we would just look in and see they were dead and could see there were women inside."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12507-2005Mar6.html

[bemildred]

1. Mistake my ass. Where is the car? Where did it happen? nt

[bpilgrim]

2. what check-point?

is it only the U.S. press that mentions these alleged check-points anymore?

peace

[DELUSIONAL]

3. The propaganda of the US media becomes evident

in the way they use bush/Rove wording.

And the comparing the way the International Press is covering this story.

It is getting to the point that I don't believe anything I read in the US corporate media.

[chlamor]

4. "...one of many incidents..."

in which an internationally known reporter/hostage was 700 meters from the most guarded airport in the world traveling with secret service from an "ally" who had been in communication with their gov't and who had a plane waiting etc. etc. etc.

chaos, confusion, fog of war can we just move on- but first hand over your journal and the photos. Wash your hands of the Wash. POst so your brain doesn't get washed America.

Let the spin begin.

[radfringe]

9. Let the spin begin? You bet...

by the end of the week -- probably sooner we will hear that this is just an isolated incident and it was just the actions of a few exuberant troops doing their job...

meanwhile from the talking-heads we will hear -- shut-up, just shut-up, what are you, unpatriotic!!?? Criticizing the handling of this incident is sending the wrong message. While we are deeply saddened by the incident, we support our troops. nothing to see here folks, move along....

[rogue_bandit]

5. Repeated mistakes...

Repeated mistakes require the development of preventive measures. They could have put in pop up spikes, they could have put in s-curve barriers forcing a slow down, they could have put in big bumps or deep divots in the roadway.

The absence of preventive measures indicates purposeful actions, to my mind.

[Conservativesux]

6. Oh goodie! When these young lads come back here with PTSD we will all pay.

[Voltaire99]

7. The "mistakes" that dare not speak their name

Give me an M.

Give me a U.

Give me an R...

[NightOwwl]

8. I smell...

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. kick