Civilian Iraqi deaths at checkpoints occur daily - NYT blows it off

[katinmn]

BBC hints that US media is helping to cover-up Italian tragedy (whether intentional or through incompetence).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4326751.stm

US media wary of shooting account
The US media have treated with care allegations by freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena that the American military deliberately shot at her.

"Average Iraqis say it is not clear to them what constitutes threatening behaviour - and they have called on the US military to launch a public information campaign to help cut down on the incidents.

US and Iraqi officials have no figures on the casualties, but there are several incidents at US checkpoints every day, according to reports compiled by Western security companies.

As in the case of Ms Sgrena, accounts vary widely in most of the checkpoint incidents.

However, unlike the politically sensitive incident involving the Italian journalist, few of the incidents involving Iraqi civilians are ever formally investigated, Mr Burns noted."

The article continues with the New York Times's John Burns reporting that American soldiers are fearful for their own safety, must make quick decisions, and that "civilian deaths are regrettable but inevitable consequence of a war."

[Karmadillo]

1. Washington Post account. Can't have a war without shooting women and

children.

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

<edit>

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."

Another member of the division told investigators that he also saw women and children shot while approaching checkpoints.

more...

[katinmn]

4. Billboards in Arabic. Has the Military ever considered it?

They put signs out in Arabic encouraging them to vote.

Why not a sign before the checkpoint that says: "Stop ahead or you are dead."

Seems too easy.

[leftchick]

2. here is one from last night.....

Residents observe the car in which, according to eyewitnesses, an Iraqi civilian was killed during an overnight patrol by US and Iraqi soldiers in the Sadr City area of western Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites) in this Feb. 7, 2005 file photo. Friendly fire, often at U.S. military checkpoints, is taking a toll on the United States and its allies, and with the shooting deaths of an Italian intelligence agent and a Bulgarian soldier, highlighting the fearful reality of everyday life on Iraqi roads. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim/ File

[katinmn]

5. Everyone admits it is happening daily

:wtf:

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. if you heard a "warning shot", would you really slow down/ stop the car?

i think not,

that is the stupidest plan i have ever heard

[Frederik]

6. Italian foreign minister disputes US story

The Italian foreign minister, Gianfranco Fini, has given the following account of what happened:


- The agent, Nicola Calipari, had established "all necessary contacts" with the American authorities in Bagdad when he arrived in Bagdad earlier the same day.
- The car was driving "no faster than 40 km/h", which should be about 25 mph.
- The light was turned on inside the car.
- A bright light was suddenly directed at the car from a distance of about 10 metres. The driver hit the brakes and the car comes to a near standstill.
- Then a hail of gunfire is directed at the car.

(http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3218,36-400746,0.html)
In French, but can be Babel Fished of course.

Someone here speculated that the GIs might have directed their searchlight at the car, in a split second seen "swarthy" faces and perhaps guns, panicked and fired. But if the light was turned on inside the car, that doesn't make much sense.

Would one mistake an embassy car (presumably of the black, expensive sort) with the interior lights turned on for Iraqi suicide bombers?

Fini dismissed the claim that the Americans were not informed of the rescue operation.

I don't know what happened, but the circumstances certainly are conspicuous.