U.S. Military Says Soldiers Fired on Civilians

U.S. Military Says Soldiers Fired on Civilians

www.nytimes.com

BAGHDAD — The American military admitted Sunday night that a platoon of soldiers raked a car of innocent Iraqi civilians with hundreds of rounds of gunfire and that the military then issued a news release larded with misstatements, asserting that the victims were criminals who had fired on the troops.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The attack on June 25 killed three people, a man and two women, as they drove to work at a bank at Baghdad’s airport. The attack infuriated Iraqi officials and even prompted the Iraqi armed forces general command to call the shooting cold-blooded murder.

So the initial reports from the military, that the car contained criminals, fired on troops, then crashed into the checkpoint and exploded, and that a weapon was recovered from the wreckage, were simply... mistakes:

In a statement issued late Sunday, the American military said that “a thorough investigation determined that the driver and passengers were law-abiding citizens of Iraq.”

Is it just me, or has the US Military lost all credibility in their public statements? In the past, we could be pretty sure they were lying with purpose, to maintain operational security, etc. But, more and more, it seems they're spinning the truth or simply lying about everything, to cover their mistakes, and influence the initial public perception when the news hits CNN or FOX.

That might be fine, for the 'easily distracted' domestic media audience, but the rest of the world isn't so gullible -- is portraying such an image of deceit really in America's best interest? What's the larger agenda here?


www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, i like the source of this article. It looks like George is loosing even control over the media. Those headlines are nothing new, there are numerous sites with information on those US/UK "mistakes" where thousands of civilians died already in Iraq and Afghanistan.

edit/ The larger agenda will be another statement about the headline, maybe some "professional discussions" on CNN and FOX and that's it. In just 72 hours no one will remember it - like always.





[edit on 28/7/08 by absente]

reply to post by absente

Well, I'm guessing that the initial incident probably was a mistake, not deliberate on the part of the soldiers involved, except in that the RoE might be a little too hair-trigger.

But the really disturbing thing is the spin. It seems almost conclusive that the US military is treating the perception of the American public as the actual battlefield in this war.

Are we in Iraq to fight terrorism, or to create an onslaught of 'breaking news' to the American public, highlighting terrorist threats?

The way this incident was treated, to such an extent that it almost certainly could not have just been 'mistakes', indicates the second, and, in fact, only serves to worsen mistrust and instability among Iraqis, potentially creating more terrorist threats in the future.

Originally posted by Ian McLean
reply to post by absente

 

But the really disturbing thing is the spin.

Yeah exactly that, in the fog of war mistakes will always happen. What's really disturbing is how the US army does not want to be held accountable for it's mistakes.

I'm not a religious man, but I'm sure a bunch of the ones who roll into this thread to defend this disgusting behaviour will be. Just remember, thou shalt not lie.

so a mistake was made ...
people died as a result of that mistake ...
who pays? is anyone held responsible?

american soldiers (or their paid mercenaries/contract workers) who make deadly mistakes in Iraq should be subject to prosecution by the Iraqi legal system (courts) as suggested in the article
if u don't like that idea then GET OUT of there
and don't go anywhere else for that matter until your country's existence is legitimately at stake - not to some trumped up future possible threat but something real, dire and current

you'd think americans didn't value life at all the way they go around extinguishing it willy nilly on other continents and in other countries.
(oh yeah - their own too - forgot about the death penalty they inflict on their own)

In a statement issued late Sunday, the American military said that “a thorough investigation determined that the driver and passengers were law-abiding citizens of Iraq.”

Mmm it really takes a thorough, careful analysis to see that the guy sitting in the car ISN'T wielding a machine gun at you...

Maybe it's time to make prescription glasses standard issue for all the boots in Iraq?

Honestly is this like some sick joke or something to them? See how far we can push the envelope and slaughter innocent people for anyone takes notice?

A soldier guarding the rear of the convoy fired several warning shots, according to Colonel Stover. When the car did not stop, 9 of the 18 soldiers in the platoon opened fire.

Yeah some soldier is firing bullets all over the place while your driving in your car, the first thing your going to want to do is to slow right down and see what's the problem...
Absolutely ridiculous...

So the standard procedure for dealing with a situation where you have no clue as to what your facing or if it's even a threat is to shoot right away and ask questions later?

Now I can see why there's already a million civilian deaths.

Some of the soldiers involved in the shooting had previously been involved in what the military calls “escalation of force” episodes involving civilians, he added.

Which is why keeping them on the front lines in neighbourhoods and cities is a smart idea...


Another tragic chapter in the strange, sad, unjust world that is Iraq.

Here's CNN's story:

Investigators have determined three Iraqi civilians were unarmed and attacking no one when U.S. soldiers fatally shot them in western Baghdad last month, the U.S. military said Sunday.
...
Still, investigators determined "neither the soldiers nor civilians involved in the incident were at fault," the release said.

Huh, I couldn't seem to find FOXNEWS's report...