US Abrams crew charged by Spanish court in 2003 death of Spanish journalist

[CougarKing]

Thoughts anyone?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8061747.stm

A Spanish judge has reinstated charges against US army personnel in the death of a Spanish journalist killed when a US tank mistakenly fired on the Paletine Hotel during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

New evidence, from US sources, suggested to the court that the hotel, a base for foreign journalists, may have appeared on a list of US Military targets and perhaps was deliberately targetted.

Initial US army response to the incident included a claim of firing from the hotel, and a warning to 'non-embedded' journalists.

An Army investigation cleared the tank crew of wrongdoing and a Spanish court had previously declared there wasn't enough evidence to proceed. That has changed.

A conviction in the Spanish court could be enforcible in any European nation, or country adhering to the World Court declaration, such as Canada...

 

 

[agenteagle]

Nothing will become of it. US Army will protect these guys (or gals) A mistake may have been made in putting the hotel on the target list but how would that be the Abrams crew fault if it was?

Friendly fire sucks and even more so when you hear of ours dying that way but going into a war zone is a dangerous place and mistakes happen. If I get in the Army the thing I will be afraid of most will be myself making a friendly fire mistake.

Canada will stick with the US over Spain any day I think they would be safe in Canada.

 

[time expired]

Tank crew fighting their way into Bagdad, crossing a bridge and
some bonehead journo.sticks his big telephoto lens out of a
upper window of a high rise building.Would any soldier be at all
surprised at the result.
                              Regards

 

[tabernac]

Gotta love kangaroo courts!

 

[The Bread Guy]

It'll be interesting to see/hear the nature this "new evidence":

But Judge Pedraz, who brought the original charges against the soldiers in 2007, said on Thursday that there was new evidence, including reports by experts and from a former US soldier.

Although Spain has to do what Spain has to do, I can't see the US giving these guys up, esp. if their investigation showed they did it right.

(If anyone has a link to the 2004 report exonerating these guys - I'm still  hunting, and will share if found - it would be much appreciated.)

 

[time expired]

I remember watching this incident on TV,as I said in my previous
post the tank was crossing a bridge and they were underfire, the
highrise was of to their right and if they had gotten a flash
reflection from the camera lens they could not help but believe
the were receiving fire from  that building even the lens itself
could have looked like a shoulder fired anti tank weapon.
This was the same day the US troops fired up the Al Jazeera journos,
you could not really call that"friendly fire".
                                        Regards