Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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An interesting development to say the least. Unfortunately there is no court willing to step up and do justice for the innocent Iraqis killed as well…

A Spanish judge has issued an international arrest order for three US soldiers over the shelling of a Baghdad hotel that killed a cameraman.

Judge Santiago Pedraz issued the warrant for Sgt Shawn Gibson, Capt Philip Wolford and Lt Col Philip de Camp, of the US 3rd Infantry Division.

Jose Couso, of Spanish TV network Telecinco, died in April 2003 when a US tank fired on the Palestine Hotel.

Reuters news agency cameraman Taras Protsyuk, a Ukrainian, was also killed.

The National Court agreed to consider filing criminal charges against three members of the tank crew two years ago, acting on a request from Mr Couso’s family.

Speaking on Wednesday, the judge said he had issued the arrest order because of a lack of judicial co-operation from the US in the case.

The family of Mr Couso said they were delighted at the news, and that they now hoped justice would be done.

US officials say the tank crew believed they were being shot at when they opened fire, although TV footage of the incident did not record any incoming fire.

The incident was witnessed on TV around the world on the day before the fall of the regime of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, as the Palestine was the base for almost all the foreign media crews in Baghdad.

Earlier on the same day, a correspondent for the Arabic TV broadcaster al-Jazeera was killed when US missiles hit the network’s office in Baghdad.

Following the incident, then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell said a US review of the incident had found the use of force was justified.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

lol

Oh no! Not Spain!

But they’re so brave, we couldn’t go against Spain. They’re just too important. :rolleyes:

It was an accident. War is messy.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

I hope the bush regime turns in these war criminals to spain.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

The reality of this is that big commercial cameras pointed at soldiers often look like weapons. Additionally a bright reflection off of the lens often looks like the weapon was fired, as the flash of a weapon is often seen long before the noise.

If you are a reporter willfully going into a war zone to better your career, you need to accept the fact that your safety cannot be guaranteed, and you are a damn fool if you think that soldiers are some how perfect human beings.

The Spanish judge is making a political statement, not a common sense one.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

aye. I guess Mr. Pearl had it coming then. I bet the jihadis took his pen for a knife.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

ever heard of daniel pearl? ring a bell? ding gong? :rolleyes:

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

thats why they say
**

The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword
[ **

and everyone knows how dangerous a sword is. mr-pearl didn’t realize that prolly.](“http://members.tripod.com/~johanna_mead/rpgwrite.html”)

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

The yanks delibertly shoot reporters that is well known, the yanks want to cover there tracks over all the murders and chaos they have caused in places like iraq!

2007 kiya khoya, kiya paaya
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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

You may find it funny, but that comment is absolutely tasteless. the man was brutally beheaded just because he was a jew.

2007 kiya khoya, kiya paaya
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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

So Pakistan is a war zone?

Perhaps you are too frikkin’ stupid to understand, so I will explain it to you.

When you put yourself in a war zone, accidents happen. Bullets are flying everywhere, explosions, and there is confusion called the “Fog of War”. That differs considerably from intentionally kidnapping a reporter and filming his beheading. Seldom do I find myself saying, “Ooops, that beheading sword just accidentally went off and killed another Jew.”

There seems to be a huge educational gap in the instruction of Pakistaini’s. They seem pathologically or genetically unable to comprehend the difference between “intentional” and “accidental”.

Frikkin’ stupid comment Ma…

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

His murder is no sadder then that of the 50,000 Iraqi civilians killed by this illegal and immoral occupation.

Frankly, given what happened in Iraq, Mr Peal ceases to be significant.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

But it was OK when Saddam was killing them. Right?

Happy Birthday Lifeless!
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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

^^ US was still involved in those killings of Saddam by providing him with all the weapons.

Friends of Gupshup
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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

I got it pretty well the first time OG. I just dont buy it. Not least because the main facts on the ground are inconsistant with your 'accident' theory.

My comment is sarcastic. Pearl was a journalist, hence, your justification below should apply equally to him and his killers.

[quote]
If you are a reporter willfully going into a war zone to better your career, you need to accept the fact that your safety cannot be guaranteed, and you are a damn fool if you think that soldiers are some how perfect human beings.
[/quote]

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

Good try Ma, but you do not address a journalist in a war zone vs. not in a war zone. That is a huge difference that you are whitewashing.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

I can link to a site where where a ,issile is dropped by a US warplane on about 20 or 30 people walking on the streets...The movie was made from the airplane itself, and it is very clear that none of them are armed...

In the video, you can even hear the commands being issued, the pilot says he sees 'a crowd of people, what do you want me to do...', the prder comes in, 'take em down'...

Then we see a rocket of some kind hit smack center in the crowd of about 30 people, blowing them to bits...

What kind of a person would or could justify this callousness...It has to be someone very cold hearted and merciless...Do American soldiers actually go through desensitizing courses?

From the looks of the Americanist posters on this board, one would assume the entire nation of America is desensitized to the afflictions, pain and misery of others...Every atrocity can be explained scientifically and logically...As long as it's someone else doing the dying and America perpetrating it...

Yes yes...I am saying this all because I hate America and am blind to what's happening in Iraq and elsewhere...It's my hate which is making me say all this...

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

What kind of blindess, bigotry and denial causes Islamists to look over the daily mass killings of Iraqis by their fellow Muslims? This is of course after decades of the sunni oppression and murder of the majority population. No crocodile tears for these poor victims either, only when it is non-Muslims that can be blamed. Is it because so many of the victims are shia or just becuase it is Muslim killing Muslims and they get a free pass?

From the looks of the Islamist posters on this board it seems they are desnsitized to the afflictions, pain and misery Muslims are inflicting upon other Muslims. Another couple dozen killed this morning including the intentional killing of those who came to the aid of the victims. The dead and injured included reporters, policemen and civilians. When will these poor victims receive any sympathy from their bretheren?

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

Open up a thread and discuss Americas “arming” of Saddam. The US did not provide him with squat. Did you see a single US weapon when the US invaded? Not one. Russian and French. Think before you speak boy.

Ma,

It was a disgusting comment. Period.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

well thats war all around for yer. noone said it'll be a bed of roses og.

seminole: Pearl went out of his way to interview al-qaeda members, whilst alqaeda were under attack from america. As a journalist, most likely he knew what risks he was taking whilst trying to a get out a story. Being an american/westerner and jew even, he may aswell have been in afghanistan on the frontline, considering the enmity againsts americans within pakistan at the time.

However, what he was not doing, was sitting in a marked 'foreign journalist' hotel, whilst watching the tanks below unexpected firing directly into his office. unlike the reuters journalists, he could atleast distinguish his friends from foe.

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Re: Spain orders arrest of American war criminals

Ma what a pile of crap. How wonderful “emnity” sounds compared to “beheading”. The fact is that one instance represents the ideal of OBL, “let us kill the Jews and Americans wherever they maybe, soldiers and civilians”, and is a premeditated calculated cold blooded murder.

While the second is undoubtedly an accident. If you are a kid sitting in a tank in combat and you look at a hotel far away, and you see a dark tube sticking out from one of the windows, and the flash of sunlight off of it, you have every reson to believe you are being fired upon by an RPG. ( and, the most vulnerable, least armored part of a tank is the roof, so firing downward would be an excellent enemy tactic.)

As is the evidence today, our enemies have no compulsion resorting to every tactic, no matter how heinous:

"Blasts shake Baghdad hotel area

Three powerful explosions have killed at least 17 people outside Baghdad hotels used by foreign media and contractors, police have said.
Suicide bombers are believed to have driven vehicles into barriers outside the Palestine and Sheraton hotels where the attacks were caught on camera.

A BBC correspondent says the bombers appear to have chosen the hotels to ensure maximum publicity.

Let’s see who the Spanish indict NOW…