US troops 'shoot three-year-old boy'

[HELEX]

March 28, 2004

US forces fired on a civilian car in Tikrit, killing a three-year old boy and wounding six women and children as well as their male driver, Iraqi police and relatives have said.

Police said US soldiers based in Saddam Hussein's hometown, 175 km north of Baghdad, shot at the family's red car in the town last night.

"There was a family; four children, three women and their driver," an Iraqi police major said. "The US forces fired on them and all of them were injured. One child was killed."

A ******* reporter at Tikrit hospital saw a US officer visiting the wounded in hospital.

A US military spokesman in Tikrit said today he had no information about a child being killed. Major Neal O'Brien said he knew of one incident in which four Iraqis were injured after their car ran a checkpoint.

"At about 7.15 (0315 AEDT Friday) last night, a patrol engaged a civilian vehicle that refused to stop at a checkpoint," he said.

"Four Iraqi civilians were injured and evacuated by Iraqi ambulance."

He said there were two cars involved in the incident.

******* Television footage showed a red car full of bullet holes. The seats were covered with shattered glass and stained with blood.

Iraqi police heard the gunfire and came out to the scene with an ambulance. Doctors said the three-year-old died in hospital from severe wounds to his stomach.

"The Americans are criminals," his mother, May Qahtan, said from her hospital bed today. "Saddam is the only terrorist? The Americans are the ones killing all these people, all these children. Isn't that terrorism?"

US troops have a major base in Tikrit, and regularly carry out patrols and raids in the town and villages nearby.

In January, the US army said it was investigating the death of at least three people shot in their car near Tikrit, an incident which stoked anger against US forces in the already tense area.

An Iraqi survivor said a US military convoy opened fire on the car. One US officer in Tikrit said it was likely US troops were responsible, given that a heavy-calibre machine gun appeared to have been used. But no US unit ever admitted to the shooting.

Rights groups have criticised US forces for being too hasty to open fire in Iraq. Iraqi civilians say US soldiers sometimes fire randomly if they come under attack or think they are under attack, killing or wounding innocent civilians in the process.

- *******

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/28/1080331001795.html

Most News about Iraq speak for themself...

[Fox2]

It is a sad tragedy, indeed. But I don't believe it means exactly what you want it to mean.


A US military spokesman in Tikrit said today he had no information about a child being killed. Major Neal O'Brien said he knew of one incident in which four Iraqis were injured after their car ran a checkpoint.

When a car decides to run a checkpoint, a soldier cannot risk letting that car through. He can't read the minds of the occupants, or even sometimes see those inside. All he knows is there is a car speeding through a checkpoint, where it should stop. If he lets it go, it could mean that more of his friends or Iraqi civlians lose their lives.

The soldier who fired on that car was doing his job. It was not his fault the driver of that vehicle decided to speed on through and risk death. If anything, this shows that this particular driver did not care enough for his own family's safety to obey the rules.

So, I ask you, put yourself in the G.I.'s shoes. Could you decide whether to fire on a car speeding through a checkpiont? Would you let it go on through when it might contain militants who want to kill you, your friends, and their own people? What would you do?

[HELEX]

Was the checkpoint clearly marked or even visible? Did they warn the car? Were there obstacles to slow down approaching cars?


One US officer in Tikrit said it was likely US troops were responsible, given that a heavy-calibre machine gun appeared to have been used. But no US unit ever admitted to the shooting.

If it was that near to be a danger they could see there was not only one but 8 Persons in the car. Not very typical for suicide bombings...

There are some frightened 19 year old soldiers with their fingers on the trigger. And I dont want to be in their place, yes perhap I had shot too but that doesnt make it better.

[Fox2]

As for your beginning questions, we will never know. But, given the professionalism of the US Military, and the training they had to go through in preparation for this war, I imagine they had given the car enough warning so they would know to stop. But unfortunately, we cannot and will not know the details, so insinuating it was something more than an accident is speculation, and honestly, may be inaccurate.

As for the number of occupants in the car, how do you know every militant is going to use himself as a bomb? That is a fallicy, and does not hold up to what has been seen. It could have been a sapper team, the trunk could have been full of IEDs, ready to be set. They could all be armed with AK-47s, ready to barricade themselves somewhere and take hostages, or simply slaughter some people en masse.

Again, speculating can always lead to inaccuracies or distortion of facts.


There are some frightened 19 year old soldiers with their fingers on the trigger. And I dont want to be in their place, yes perhap I had shot too but that doesnt make it better.

Nothing can ever make it better, least of all for the G.I. that knows he just shot a little kid. This is the type of stuff that leads to PTSD and other post-war mental disorders.

My point is, we don't know the specifics. To insinuate there was some sort of mallice on the part of the soldier is speculation, and will not hold up simply because there is nothing that supports it. Infact, everything you presented there points to the fact that the car ran a designated checkpoint. If the driver of the car infact knew he should have stopped, but went ahead anyway, he is the guilty party here.

[Sergeant]

1 people 8 people... it just flies out of the window when car is coming fast towards the checkpoint. Very sad and unfortunate thing this is but.. the soldiers at the checkpoints are humans too and if I saw a car speeding to the checkpoint and I wasn't sure.. who knows what I'd do, but I think I'd shoot, and shoot a lot.

[ibstolidude]

March 28, 2004

US forces fired on a civilian car in Tikrit, killing a three-year old boy and wounding six women and children as well as their male driver, Iraqi police and relatives have said.

Police said US soldiers based in Saddam Hussein's hometown, 175 km north of Baghdad, shot at the family's red car in the town last night.

"There was a family; four children, three women and their driver," an Iraqi police major said. "The US forces fired on them and all of them were injured. One child was killed."

A ******* reporter at Tikrit hospital saw a US officer visiting the wounded in hospital.

A US military spokesman in Tikrit said today he had no information about a child being killed. Major Neal O'Brien said he knew of one incident in which four Iraqis were injured after their car ran a checkpoint.

"At about 7.15 (0315 AEDT Friday) last night, a patrol engaged a civilian vehicle that refused to stop at a checkpoint," he said.

"Four Iraqi civilians were injured and evacuated by Iraqi ambulance."

He said there were two cars involved in the incident.

******* Television footage showed a red car full of bullet holes. The seats were covered with shattered glass and stained with blood.

Iraqi police heard the gunfire and came out to the scene with an ambulance. Doctors said the three-year-old died in hospital from severe wounds to his stomach.

"The Americans are criminals," his mother, May Qahtan, said from her hospital bed today. "Saddam is the only terrorist? The Americans are the ones killing all these people, all these children. Isn't that terrorism?"

US troops have a major base in Tikrit, and regularly carry out patrols and raids in the town and villages nearby.

In January, the US army said it was investigating the death of at least three people shot in their car near Tikrit, an incident which stoked anger against US forces in the already tense area.

An Iraqi survivor said a US military convoy opened fire on the car. One US officer in Tikrit said it was likely US troops were responsible, given that a heavy-calibre machine gun appeared to have been used. But no US unit ever admitted to the shooting.

Rights groups have criticised US forces for being too hasty to open fire in Iraq. Iraqi civilians say US soldiers sometimes fire randomly if they come under attack or think they are under attack, killing or wounding innocent civilians in the process.

- *******

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/28/1080331001795.html

Most News about Iraq speak for themself...
Actually it does not accurately reflect the situation - what news from Iraq speaks for is a media that is now and has been for 25 years reporting on the most selling negative stories.

[ibstolidude]

Was the checkpoint clearly marked or even visible? Did they warn the car? Were there obstacles to slow down approaching cars?

??? soldiers tend not to just arbitrarily call out "check point here now! - woohoo!"

and then not actually put a "check point" of some kind.

[Guttorm]

I don't think it's right of anyone to sit safely in their chair back home and pass judgement over some soldier in a war zone. Most of us have NO idea what it's like down there, and most of us don't know how we would react in a situation like that.

[Vance]

Another failed attempt by Helex to condemn US forces in Iraq.

[HELEX]

The issue is not this killing, it can be called an accident. But the whole war against Iraq was based on lies and motivated by greed. There is nobody not involved in Oil industry in the Bush administration.

The Soldiers there do their job, but your commander in chief in the white house(or on vacation in texas, more likely) does not.

[Jack Mehoff]

You should have change your misleading thread title to something like "I'm against OEF but it's still happening against my wish so booohooo"

[Romulus]

but your commander in chief in the white house(or on vacation in texas, more likely) does not.

Get used to him, cause he'll be around another 4 years.

[Jack Mehoff]

The issue is not this killing, it can be called an accident. But the whole war against Iraq was based on lies and motivated by greed. There is nobody not involved in Oil industry in the Bush administration.

The Soldiers there do their job, but your commander in chief in the white house(or on vacation in texas, more likely) does not.

Bitter much? I love to see your reaction when GWB wins this year election, which he will.

[HELEX]

@Jack Mehoff


"I'm against OEF but it's still happening against my wish so booohooo"

You know the difference between OEF which I support and OIF which is a criminal attack war and occupation justified by nothing and condemned by the international community? Or is that to difficult for you?

http://www.smiliemania.de/smilie.php?smile_ID=688

[Jack Mehoff]

As stated
"I'm against OEF but it's still happening against my wish so booohooo"

[HELEX]

As stated
"I'm against OEF but it's still happening against my wish so booohooo"

One time stupid, all times stupid...

rofl

[Jack Mehoff]

I totally understand why you're bitter so much. United States is in Iraq right now and there is not a damn thing you can do about it, therefore YOU lose.

p.s. Can you take a picture of your facial expression and post it up here when GWB wins this year election?

[HELEX]

What about right now? Because it will never happen... :lol:

http://www.almosthuman.net/ProstheticsPages/ProstheticsGalleryImages/Jpegs/Page01/gnarl.jpg

[scm77]

W, will win the next election. Face It. woot woot

[Trident-za]

How did this thread get onto crystal ball gazing and US elections?

Anyway... to bring it back onto topic: it's a tragic accident that will not do the US soldiers involved any good. As mentioned before, it's easy to criticize from here, and we don't know all the details.

Having said that, lessons could perhaps be learnt from this. How hard can it be to make it impossible to SPEED towards a checkpoint? No matter who is to blame, incidents like this do the US army no favours in terms of hearts and minds. Steps should be taken to prevent similar incidents occuring in the future, while maintaining troop security. Damn hard thing to do both.... Glad it's not up to me to sort out a good solution.

Trying to turn this incident into a "war crime" or an argument about the justification for the war is silly.

[Romulus]

Trying to turn this incident into a "war crime" or an argument about the justification for the war is silly.
Back to top

Well said. woot

[NcDeuce]

"At about 7.15 (0315 AEDT Friday) last night, a patrol engaged a civilian vehicle that refused to stop at a checkpoint," he said.

Our U.S. troops would not open fire without sufficient warning which the term 'refused' would come into play.

You are a pretty sad individual...next thing I know, you'll be posting a "American MREs given to Iraqi children cause irregular bowel movements" thread.

[usa320]

after their car ran a checkpoint.

I would have destroyed the vehicle as well.

I would be concerned if the soldier DIDNT fire upon the target and nuetralize it.

With carbombings and drive-by's happening at the rate they are, anyone who runs a checkpoint, regardless of who is in the vehicle, should be fired upon.

And checkpoints are marked EXTREMELY CLEARLY. THere is no way to mistake one.

They are marked with lights, sandbags and barriers, and signs that clearly say "COALITION CHECKPOINT- FAILING TO STOP WILL RESULT IN DEADLY FORCE" written in English, Arabic and in some cases, other languages.

I wont buy the press's sob story- they ran the checkpoint, they got what they had comming.

oh yeah, BUSH FOR 4 MORE YEARS!!!

woot woot woot

[Truthsayer]

How can a car run a checkpoint if it's set up properly?

Don't the americans use spike-chains?

Put it in intersecting patterns (so the vehicle have to drive up and turn sharp to get around) and no car or vehicle can drive through the checkpoint without blowing all wheels.

[Trident-za]

NcDeuce

A question: if the US troops involved had just opened fire, do you honestly expect the military spokesperson to say that? I sincerely doubt that is what happened, but my point is none of us were there and we have no way of knowing how accurate the statement you quoted is.

Read my post above, and you'll see that I don't consider this incident to be anything other than tragic.... but I don't treat everything the US military "spin doctors" (this term has negative connitations, but thats not what I'm trying to do here) say as the gospel truth either. I'm damn sure they would be just as quick to "bend" the truth a little as anyone else, when it suites them.

[NcDeuce]

NcDeuce

A question: if the US troops involved had just opened fire, do you honestly expect the military spokesperson to say that? I sincerely doubt that is what happened, but my point is none of us were there and we have no way of knowing how accurate the statement you quoted is.

Read my post above, and you'll see that I don't consider this incident to be anything other than tragic.... but I don't treat everything the US military "spin doctors" (this term has negative connitations, but thats not what I'm trying to do here) say as the gospel truth either. I'm damn sure they would be just as quick to "bend" the truth a little as anyone else, when it suites them.

I agree, none of us were there to know the full details...

My post was directed towards HELEX, he could f*ck up a wet dream.

[Trident-za]

How can a car run a checkpoint if it's set up properly?

Don't the americans use spike-chains?

Put it in intersecting patterns (so the vehicle have to drive up and turn sharp to get around) and no car or vehicle can drive through the checkpoint without blowing all wheels.

Excellent questions.... something I alluded to above. Properly setup checkpoints remove the need to shoot at anything that hasn't slowed down enough. Hopefully, lessons will be learnt.

@ USA320.... do you have psycopathic tendencies? You seem to be a very troubled individual....

[Truthsayer]

CBS 60 minutes was in Iraq earlier this year and there was another vehicle with kids together with their onkle going to/from an market (the back of the truck was full of live chicken in open containers) that was shoot up.

The military thought the truck might be loaded with explosives with they came driving and shoot before asking or looking carefully.

The argument isn't about the situation, since it's all tragic and I don't think the soldiers would ever shoot out of spite in an roadblock or security-control.

However, one of the kids was never found after the incident. The family wanted to know what hade happened and asked the american militaries in the area on several times without any positive answer.

The reporter LESLEY STAHL asked the information-responsible about the kid that was missing and was responded that they didn't know anything.

Luckely enough one (white) translation-officer that was translating for the family in the segment (as I can recall) remembered that the american field hospital infact had a kid from the area that mostt likely was from that shooting. The went to the hospital, and sure enough, there he was. In a wheelchair and probably never going to walk again after being shoot 3 times, but atleast he was alive and back with his family.

So what can be said?

Well, you figure it out.

[HELEX]

@usa320


and signs that clearly say "COALITION CHECKPOINT- FAILING TO STOP WILL RESULT IN DEADLY FORCE" written in English, Arabic and in some cases, other languages.

How do you genious know that the driver was able to read?

And only the officials say this was at a checkpoint...

[Argyll]

after their car ran a checkpoint.

I would have destroyed the vehicle as well.

I would be concerned if the soldier DIDNT fire upon the target and nuetralize it.

With carbombings and drive-by's happening at the rate they are, anyone who runs a checkpoint, regardless of who is in the vehicle, should be fired upon.

And checkpoints are marked EXTREMELY CLEARLY. THere is no way to mistake one.

They are marked with lights, sandbags and barriers, and signs that clearly say "COALITION CHECKPOINT- FAILING TO STOP WILL RESULT IN DEADLY FORCE" written in English, Arabic and in some cases, other languages.

I wont buy the press's sob story- they ran the checkpoint, they got what they had comming.

oh yeah, BUSH FOR 4 MORE YEARS!!!

woot woot woot


Thank fok you will never be in the frontline.

People panic under different situations,as this seems to be the case here,there are things called Caltrops(spikes) which are pulled across the road should vehicles try to "run".

Try to remember that the people of Iraq were free to go about their business prior to the Invasion and occupation,there are a lot of Iraqi's who are genuinley **** scared of the "Occupiers",and panicing at a VCP is nothing new.

As this is not the first time nor the second time this has happened involving women and children,then I'd be examining the ROE's on this one
an accident is when something happens for the 1st time,repeated incidents means there is a flaw in the system when setting up these VCP's.
Was this a PVCP or a snap?

Having done thousands of Snap VCP's in my career,and staged on in PVCP's I have NEVER seen anyone fire on a car that tried to leg it.

[Salty Dog]

what's the problem? they failed to stop. U.S. soldiers acted accordingly. no problem. check points aren't some new fangled invention in iraq. these people knew what they were doing when they ran the check point...

[Truthsayer]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

[Universal]

why the f*** isn'tthis shown on cnn? :(

[Salty Dog]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

i bet, people stopping at checkpoints instead of running them could prevent this...but what do i know?

[Argyll]

what's the problem? they failed to stop. U.S. soldiers acted accordingly. no problem. check points aren't some new fangled invention in iraq. these people knew what they were doing when they ran the check point...


And you would know this?

Checkpoints by US Soldiers in Iraq are pretty new to the Iraqi people ;)

[Argyll]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

i bet, people stopping at checkpoints instead of running them could prevent this...but what do i know?

Have you ever been on a VCP?
Do you know the layout for VCP's
Do you know the SOP's for VCP's
Do you know the ROE's for the VCP's

[AK-Lover]

^ ?

[Salty Dog]

what's the problem? they failed to stop. U.S. soldiers acted accordingly. no problem. check points aren't some new fangled invention in iraq. these people knew what they were doing when they ran the check point...


And you would know this?

Checkpoints by US Soldiers in Iraq are pretty new to the Iraqi people ;)

i would know this because i was told this by my brothers friend that was in iraq. but honestly, they have had checkpoints there for somehting like 9 months. they aren't very new.

[AK-Lover]

^my brothers friend! ;)

[Argyll]

^ ?



I guess if you don't know these then you know **** about Checkpoints

[Salty Dog]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

i bet, people stopping at checkpoints instead of running them could prevent this...but what do i know?

Have you ever been on a VCP?
Do you know the layout for VCP's
Do you know the SOP's for VCP's
Do you know the ROE's for the VCP's

no i do not know, and i have not been, but i do have a little common sense.

[Salty Dog]

^my brothers friend! ;)

yes a friend of my brother's also known as my brother's friend. man, you're really a moron.....

[Argyll]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

i bet, people stopping at checkpoints instead of running them could prevent this...but what do i know?

Have you ever been on a VCP?
Do you know the layout for VCP's
Do you know the SOP's for VCP's
Do you know the ROE's for the VCP's

no i do not know, and i have not been, but i do have a little common sense.


It's not about Common sense DEP,it's about SOP's.......there are specific SOP's pertaining to the use of VCP's.It's also about ROE's
Like I said 1st time is an accident .......repeated incidents means no lessons have been learned on how to avoid these "accidents" from previous incidents.

[Salty Dog]

If there ever has to be an shoting around a roadblock something has failed.

If it was a shooting involving civilians (woman and kids...) something has really gone bad.


If anything can be changed to prevent this, it should. Period.

i bet, people stopping at checkpoints instead of running them could prevent this...but what do i know?

Have you ever been on a VCP?
Do you know the layout for VCP's
Do you know the SOP's for VCP's
Do you know the ROE's for the VCP's

no i do not know, and i have not been, but i do have a little common sense.


It's not about Common sense DEP,it's about SOP's.......there are specific SOP's pertaining to the use of VCP's.It's also about ROE's
Like I said 1st time is an accident .......repeated incidents means no lessons have been learned on how to avoid these "accidents" from previous incidents.

alright, i see what you mean. i do not know about these things. but like other people said, we weren't there, so we don't know if they were tirgger happy or just doing their jobs.

[Salty Dog]

I once heard from my cousins best friends brothers who new a guy who had a brothers cousin who knew girl who had brother who fought (put war in here) and he told me (put story here)
rofl

good call. but nobody likes you.

[Truthsayer]

alright, i see what you mean. i do not know about these things. but like other people said, we weren't there, so we don't know if they were tirgger happy or just doing their jobs.

Ofcourse they where doing there job - I'm counting on that.

The question is if the tragical event could have been prevented.

[And most often money or restrictions that open up gaps in security and so on, comes from higher up in the hiercy, that has never or seldom done active grunt-service.]

[Argyll]

I once heard from my cousins best friends brothers who new a guy who had a brothers cousin who knew girl who had brother who fought (put war in here) and he told me (put story here)
rofl

good call. but nobody likes you.

Ain't that the truth ;)

[HELEX]

Even me as a "Pacifist hippie communist euro coward" has learned something about checkpoints in my 9 Month at the Bundeswehr.

And nobody can go fast through the ones we builded... exept perhaps a Tank...

What is a VCP? Vehicle Check Point?

[Salty Dog]

shut up. you're a ****, plain and simple. that's my opinion.

[Salty Dog]

just proving everytime I try to make an argument you can't refrain from letting the 3 year old inside you go can you?

why would i refrain? you're an idiot. you're asking not to get flamed, but you know somebody will answer your stupid question and flame you. you're looking for that response. it's not going to go anywhere.

[Yard Ape]

So when an American soldier kills civilians in iraq that's a "mistake or "accident" but when a Russian or soldier from some other country kills a civilian then immedielty your "independant" Human Rights Watch brands at as violation of human rights? care to explain? And don't flame me either please, I just want opinions. :DDo you have any arguments to support this? Right now, it is baseless & not worth the time arguing.

[Salty Dog]

So when an American soldier kills civilians in iraq that's a "mistake or "accident" but when a Russian or soldier from some other country kills a civilian then immedielty your "independant" Human Rights Watch brands at as violation of human rights? care to explain? And don't flame me either please, I just want opinions. :DDo you have any arguments to support this? Right now, it is baseless & not worth the time arguing.

good call.

[Argyll]

AK's rants are being deleted by me,as they have nothing to do with this topic

[Salty Dog]

AK's rants are being deleted by me,as they have nothing to do with this topic

thanks argyll.

[Haiw]

"Argyll: Bringing the war on terror...to the forums"

[HELEX]

Maybe Argll 1984 would be a better name now.... :P

[George W. Bush]

Driver error is a bitch in a post-war post-dictatorship.

[seventy6er]

AK-Lover already got 580 posts pure bs in 1 month... http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/spezial/Fool/appl.gif

[GrimmyRX]

I'm curious. The Caltrops that should have been laid across the streets... shouldn't that have stopped the vehical without the need for gunfire?

[HELEX]

If the checkpoint story is true: YES

If not....

[Tane Angle]

Considering that most people aren't ****e to lighting up vehicles on whims, odds are that the checkpoint story is true. I've seen what truck bombs can do. Taking out the vehicle was the lesser of the two apparent evils. When a vehicle is racing at a guard, all the guard can see is the front, and therefore only two people probably. Truck bombs have been known to have a number of shooters inside the vehicle to assist in the break in. In that situation, I hate to say it, but stopping the vehicle was the only choice. God rest the fallen, and keep watch over the living.

Have a good one, and just some thoughts...

[WARPIG]

Most News about Iraq speak for themself...
But not always the truth. Speaking for themselves is pretty accurate. The purpose of media is to inform, the fact and actuality of the media is to sell papers, airtime, and stories.

Notice how the article says 6 women were in the car and then 3 women? 1 car and then 2? It also mentions that the US military is investigating civilian shootings and admits that some leads are pointing to US troops. Another meager attempt to sully US troops.
Little things affect little minds. If you cannot think for yourself then you relent to the media to define your world. This being the case then for you, Elmo is real, there is a secret organization of men wearing black suits who protect us from aliens, diets really work long term, and we are all living in a virtual world while our bodies are being used as batteries for a race of machines.

The media is quite good at getting their facts skewed. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes because they are filling in frivolous info after they write their view of the situation. I can’t tell you how many times a Unit has been mis-identified. People with cool kit are mistaken for SF. Navy CBs are called Marines. Numbers of wounded, killed, enemy numbers, etc are all tweeked to reflect or support the view of the writer. For instance one of my favorite photos is the haunting image of a serviceman holding a small child after a group of civilians is caught in the crossfire of a firefight. Of course I don’t know for sure because several articles covering the very same event all list different “facts.” One story of the picture says that the serviceman is a Marine medic, while another says he is a Navy CB. One says the child is a wounded girl, another says small boy orphaned as a result of the incident. One calls the incident a result of Marines firing on civilians mistaken for Iraqi fighters, while the other says a family was caught in a crossfire between Iraqi soldiers and the Marines. Funny how personal perspective seems to muddle facts so easily.

I know something about running checkpoints and security. Too many factors make up the decision to fire on a rushing vehicle. No mention in the article about any warnings, signs, or reactions of the troops. Think the soldiers just shrugged their shoulders when they found out that women and children were in the car? No mention of any first aid given to the wounded by US troops. Funny how the more provoking info is fluffed so easily while other factors aren’t considered noteworthy. I is truly a terrible thing. The mother of the child will forever hate the US troops, and the troops behind the bullets will live with the knowledge that they have killed a child. It is easy to think of troops as cold, calculating, killers when your sitting behind your computer in the comfort of your ignorance. Put yourself in harms way, step out from the safety of mediocrity, apathy, and ignorance, and seek the truth.

[Webley]

Actually it does not accurately reflect the situation - what news from Iraq speaks for is a media that is now and has been for 25 years reporting on the most selling negative stories.

If it bleeds, it leads.