Marines Kill Two Haitians in Gun Battles

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=589&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20040310/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - U.S. Marines shot and killed at least two gunmen who opened fire near the private residence of Haiti's outgoing prime minister, Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards told The Associated Press on Wednesday.


It was the third fatal shooting by U.S. Marines in three days. On Sunday, they killed an alleged gunman who opened fire on a demonstration, and on Monday they fatally shot a driver speeding toward a checkpoint.


Edwards said the Marines were patrolling Tuesday evening near the private residence of outgoing Prime Minister Yvon Neptune when they came under "hostile fire." He said they then shot and killed at least two gunmen. No peacekeepers were wounded.


U.S. Southern Command spokesman Raul Duany said the gunmen were shooting from a rooftop near the prime minister's residence.

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[trumad]

1. Yeeee Haw

I hear that the Vanderbuilt ROTC will soon take over for the Marines....

[NNN0LHI]

2. Democracy appears to be busting out all over the place? n/t

[redqueen]

3. At the barrel of a gun, even.

Guess they just don't know what's good for them. Lucky for them we're here to set them free.

/sarcasm

[dax]

5. They shot assassins, get it in perspective!

Yvon Neptune is the leader of the Lavalas party, some of Philippe's men are on a roof trying to assassinate him before the marines can evacuate him and the Marines did the right thing for once. (Not like every night when they stand down and let the so-called "rebels" who are death squads roam through the neighborhoods and assassinate Lavalas members and supporters) Marines probably only shot because they were afraid of getting hit.

[redqueen]

6. Chill

I was commenting on the post above mine, not the OP.

Did you stop and think that if we had intervened on Aristide's behalf BEFORE this crap started that Marines wouldn't not even be there now?

:eyes:

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. Give 'em time. They just got there. They'll shoot some more tomorrow

[bushwakker]

7. Next week it will be: "Two Marines killed in Haitian gun battle"*

[eablair3]

8. they never recover the weapons or the bodies

from the story at the link:

"Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards said Marines were patrolling near the private residence of outgoing Prime Minister Yvon Neptune on Tuesday when they were shot at. The Marines fired back and killed at least two gunmen, he said. No peacekeepers were wounded.

The gunmen's bodies were not recovered but that is common. Peacekeepers must call health authorities to collect the remains, and family members sometimes take bodies away before they can be reported."

I noticed that the bodies of the gunmen (and their weapons) that the Marines shot at the "pro-Aristide march" a couple days ago were not recovered either. I was wondering that if the Marines shot the gunmen dead that the dead bodies could be identified and we could find out if they are "pro-opposition", "pro-Aritside", or perhaps connected to one of the groups like FRAPH, Group of 184, Convergence for Democracy, etc, of perhaps had connections to the CIA.

I would bet that if any of the gunmen were "pro-Aristide" that this would be published all over the place. But, it's all quiet on the identity of the gunmen killed. They just say the "bodies and the weapons were not recovered."

Similary, the gunmen that attack the home of the Prime Minister Neptune of the pro-Aristide Lavalas party are not likely to be pro-Aristide. And, again, the bodies and weapons are not recovered.

Wouldn't you think that the Marines would want to know the identity of who was shooting at them, so perhaps they would know who their enemies are? Isn't this a matter of security? To know the identity of who is shooting at you? Wouldn't you want to know who these gunmen were and what weapons they used? I assume the Marines are going to know what type of weapon is being fired at them from perhaps the sound of it, but it hasn't come out either? Of course, if an M-16 is used against them, the U.S. may not want this coming out. Why can't they find out the identity of these gunman that they shoot dead?

Perhaps they know, and the higher ups just won't let it be reported?