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.