US inquiry concludes that soldiers had good reason to fire on journalists' hotel in B

[thedrifter]

US inquiry concludes that soldiers had good reason to fire on journalists' hotel in Baghdad


By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
8/12/03 2:00 PM


WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. military investigation has concluded that U.S. soldiers who fired on a Baghdad hotel April 8, killing two journalists, had strong reason to believe that hostile forces were using the building to direct fire on the Americans, according to a U.S. defense official.

The official, who had been briefed on the investigation's findings and discussed them on condition of anonymity, said members of the 3rd Infantry Division fired on what they believed to be an enemy spotter on a balcony of the Palestine Hotel, which was the main hotel used by war correspondents.

Their actions were based on intercepted transmissions from an Iraqi military radio that had been recovered during fierce fighting along the Tigris River, not far from the Palestine, according to the Central Command investigation. The transmissions indicated that Alpha Company of the 4-64 Armor was being observed by an Iraqi spotter across the Tigris. Company soldiers saw a person with binoculars on the balcony of a room on the upper floors of a large, tan building, and they also reported seeing flashes of light that appeared to be enemy fire.

One 120mm tank round was fired at the suspected enemy observer position. Only later did Alpha Company become aware that the building they fired upon was the Palestine Hotel, Central Command said.

The events transpired in the midst of a fierce firefight as U.S. forces advanced toward a bridge over the Tigris that was being defended by what Central Command indicated were several hundred Iraqi forces. The U.S. troops encountered fire from rocket propelled grenades, mortars and small arms originating from bunkers as well as within and atop surrounding buildings.

The matter was investigated at length by the U.S. Central Command, which ran the war. Officials said Central Command has completed its probe but not yet publicly released the findings.

The findings are consistent with the initial assertions by U.S. officials that the 3rd Infantry Division soldiers had come under fire from a building in the vicinity of the hotel.

Shortly after the incident, Secretary of State Colin Powell defended the U.S. soldiers' actions, which resulted in the deaths of a Ukrainian cameraman and a Spanish cameraman.

Powell wrote to Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio in response to her inquiry that "our forces responded to hostile fire appearing to come from a location later identified as the Palestine Hotel."

One of the cameramen, Jose Couso, was Spanish. Powell's letter appeared Thursday in the Spanish newspaper ABC and was confirmed Friday by State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

"Our review of the April 8 incident indicates that the use of force was justified and the amount of force was proportionate to the threat against United States forces," Powell said in his letter.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/nation...tel&&news&iraq

Sempers,

Roger

[Gunner Carvo]

Sounds justified to me.