10 civilians shot dead at checkpoint. The real story.

Tuesday April 01, 2003 10:37

by DC

What really happened with the 10 dead women and children shot at the American checkpoint ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,927120,00.html

American soldiers shot dead seven women and children yesterday when their car failed to stop at a checkpoint in southern Iraq, US military officials said last night.

The incident on Route 9, near the southern city of Najaf, was the worst single case of civilian deaths in the war that US forces have so far admitted.

Yesterday's shooting came after soldiers were ordered to be more cautious at checkpoints following a suicide car bomb attack on a checkpost on Saturday, which killed four US troops.

In the incident yesterday the car, carrying 13 Iraqi women and children, approached a checkpoint manned by soldiers from the US 3rd Infantry Division.

An US military spokesman at central command in Qatar said. "The soldiers motioned for the vehicle to stop but the motions were ignored."

"Then the soldiers fired warning shots which were also ignored. The soldiers then fired shots into the engine of the vehicle but it continued to drive towards the checkpoint.

"As a last resort the soldiers fired into the passenger compartment of the vehicle."

After the shooting the soldiers inspected the car and found the only passengers were women and children. Seven were dead, two were injured and four were unharmed.

However a dramatically different account of the same incident was provided by the Washington Post reporter who was with the troops at the time.

The reporter, William Branigin, said the troops opened fire fatally on the advancing car because they did not fire a warning shot soon enough.

According to Branigin's testimony, Captain Ronny Johnson, in charge of the troops manning the checkpoint, ordered them to fire a warning shot.

"Fire a warning shot," he told them as the vehicle kept coming. Then, with increasing urgency, he told the platoon to shoot a 7.62mm machine-gun round into its radiator. "Stop [messing] around!" Capt Johnson yelled into the company radio network when he still saw no action being taken. Finally, he shouted at the top of his voice: "Stop him, Red 1, stop him!"

That order was immediately followed by the loud reports of 25mm cannon fire from one or more of the platoon's Bradleys. About half a dozen shots were heard.

"Cease fire!" Capt Johnson yelled over the radio. Then, as he peered into his binoculars from the intersection on Highway 9, he roared at the platoon leader, "You just [expletive] killed a family because you didn't fire a warning shot soon enough!"

The Washington Post said that 15 Iraqis were packed inside a Toyota car, along with as many possessions as the vehicle could hold.

Ten of them, including five children who appeared to be under five years old, were killed on the spot when the high-explosive rounds slammed into their target, Capt Johnson's company reported. Of the five others, one man was so severely injured that medics said he was not expected to live.

"It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen, and I hope I never see it again," Sgt Mario Manzano, 26, an Army medic with Bravo Company of the division's 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, said later in an interview. He said one of the wounded women sat in the vehicle holding the mangled bodies of two of her children. "She didn't want to get out of the car," he said.

The checkpoint shooting will increase tensions between American and British commanders who are already alarmed about what they regard as trigger-happy tactics by US soldiers.

British rules of engagement, established after decades of experience in Northern Ireland - and latterly in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo - are much stricter than the Americans'.

British commanders will be horrified that the American soldiers continued to fire at the vehicle.

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See Also......

by black frank

Wed Apr 02, 2003 00:59

US Marines turn fire on civilians at the bridge of death.

Truly chilling account behind bland media reports of "stiff resistance" etc at Nasiriya.

US soldiers infantile and immature

by Sgt Ian Webster

Tue Apr 01, 2003 23:02

As a Brit soldier stationed in the Gulf, I am disgusted and dismayed at the conduct of infantile, immature US soldiers, these soldiers are totally unprofessional and they are a hindrance rather than an asset to our brave British soldiers and this precision military campaign. Unfortunately we have to fight alongside them, and they are a dead loss. The US soldiers I've witnessed have no discipline, no brains and most of them think they're on the set of Apocalypse now, or black hawk down, they are a real let down, and I would lay the blame for any British personal loss of life firmly at their door, they're that useless, untrained, undisciplined, incompetent and infantile. You know these US soldiers would be more at home, in an LA gang, or los angeles high school. At least we Brits have discipline, are professional and look after our men, unlike the gung ho yanks, they seem just to be hell bent and content on just firing off their guns and rockets indiscriminately, that is why we have had so many 'friendly fire incidents'. If I had my way, I know who I would like to turn my guns on, and it certainly isn't the raggle taggle fleeing Iraqi peasants.

From Amerika

by wasichu

Tue Apr 01, 2003 16:54

The BLAME is FULLY with the US aggressors.

And what's been left out?

by Mike

Tue Apr 01, 2003 14:34

stepbystepfarm at shaysnet dot com

Perhaps one little detail which might explain (not necessarily excuse) triggerhappiness at this checkpoint. You DO remember only a few days ago a taxi which refused to stop, drove up to the soldiers, and exploded killing several.

There is a point to consider besides the effectiveness of suicide attacks in civilian guise, mack surrenders, etc. That is the effect of putting other civilians at risk, other troops trying to surrender, etc. NO, I am NOT saying this transfers blame for the end result. But it DOES "share" it out.

pity

by paul c

Tue Apr 01, 2003 14:29

if these soldiers are going be there for yrs after "peacekeeping" how many times is that going happen

i pity the soldiers who sometimes have to fire :(

The Rewriting of History

by Grace Mulreidy - ISFA gaillimh

Tue Apr 01, 2003 13:37

orahreid at hotmail dot com

check the rewriting of history re: war in Kosovo, when Jamie Shea was official spokesman. A cortege of 70 civilians was killed. A single pilot made the executive decision after 3 passes. This story was edited out of history within 2 days. Re: George Orwell was here before.

More Murder by US

by James McKenna

Tue Apr 01, 2003 13:12

Kids became 'human torches'

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,6119,2-10-1460_1341016,00.html

A neighbour told an AFP journalist that two missiles fired by coalition warplanes on Saturday night caught five sleeping families living on the farm.

The raid left 20 people dead - eleven of them children, seven women and two men. Ten others injured in the attack were taken to hospital.

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10 civilians shot dead at checkpoint. The real story.

Comments (7 of 7)