Iraq - Italian hostage freed, then shot

[Yeager]

I will not fault the troops for firing at an unidentified car fast approaching their checkpoint that failed to yield after having warning shots fired at it.  The lady is about the luckiest person on earth today just being alive.

[SunTracker]

I remember when a Bradley fighting vehicle blew apart that van full of women and kids a year or two ago.   Couple things went wrong in that incident.  First, the Bradley didnt fire a warning shot.  Supposedly the van was being ordered to drive through a checkpoint by insurgents.

[SOB]

Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
There's a big surprise. Surely it was the fault of the soldiers at the checkpoint. Afterall, they're all bloodthirsty trigger happy American cowboys.

And interestingly enough, you're the first one in this thread to make such an accusation.  It truly "speaks volumes" about you.  LOL.

[SunTracker]

I have several first and second hand accounts of U.S. tanks blowing apart car loads of civilians in Iraq without firing a warning shot.  I will gladly post them if needed.

[Suave]

I saw some video of a car getting shot at a checkpoint (Fronline). The car was approaching the checkpoint so fast that a second after warning shots were fired the car had allready crossed the trigger line and everybody started shooting it. Then the handsomehunkes never did stop or get out of the car, instead they threw it in reverse and backed away.

If iraqis drive anything like saudis or kuwaitis, it would be very difficult to discern normal driving from suicidal driving.

[Otto]

Article from NewMax


I can hear her now....

Driver:  "It's an American Checkpoint.  I have to stop."

Sgrena: "F--k the American's.  Get me to the Airport so I can file my story.   Go...  Go..."

Bam... Bam... Boom.....!!!

End of that story..

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by SOB
And interestingly enough, you're the first one in this thread to make such an accusation.  It truly "speaks volumes" about you.  LOL.

You can't read. 'nuff said.

[SunTracker]

One of her interview subjects claimed that women and children were being systematically tortured at Abu Ghraib by Americans, who, she said, repeatedly hurled one Iraqi woman against a wall and forced another "to separate faeces from urine, using her own hands."

"And what about children, how were they treated?" Sgrena asked. "We heard them screaming. They were tortured too. Mostly dogs were set on them," her source claimed.

This part *might* be true, but only because armies usually put the most incompetent in control of the prisoners.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by SunTracker
I remember when a Bradley fighting vehicle blew apart that van full of women and kids a year or two ago.   Couple things went wrong in that incident.  First, the Bradley didnt fire a warning shot.  Supposedly the van was being ordered to drive through a checkpoint by insurgents.

And the warning shot would have done what?

And the guys in the Bradley were supposed to know hostages were being forced by "insurgents" how?

I guess the guys in the Bradley were supposed to let the van drive up so the insurgents could make whatever attack they were planning.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by GScholz
Giuliana Sgrena (the hostage) has refuted the claims that they were driving fast and that they were warned by the US forces. She says they were fired upon by a US tank without warning. Se also says the US forces had been informed of their impending arrival.

Somebody F'ed up (staring to become more of a bad habit than just accidents now).

And she knows the soldiers at the check point knew she was coming? How?

Jeezus this gets old.

[Otto]

Originally posted by SunTracker
This part *might* be true, but only because armies usually put the most incompetent in control of the prisoners.

Yes...  and Elvis 'might' be alive....  You 'might' know what you're talking about and I 'might' be Rich and Good Looking.

[rabbidrabbit]

They might have tried notifying those folks instead of zooming off down a red sector like fools.  Stupidity has its price.  Sometimes its pretty high.

[genozaur]

Originally posted by GScholz
If the soldiers at the checkpoint didn't know she was coming ... then somebody F'ed up.

There's someone out there who failed to pass over such a trifling piece of information to the rank and file.  

[SOB]

Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
You can't read. 'nuff said.

Actually, I just choose not to creatively interpret to suit my own agenda.  In that regard, you do quite well.  Hell, you should try writing out your own threads, complete with responses in favor and in opposition to the subject of your thread!

[Rino]

Originally posted by GScholz
So you're saying that a foreign intelligence agent transporting a freed hostage to an American airbase is not something the checkpoint should have been informed of? Stupid.

Why is it only US troops that seem to be involved in incidents like these? Statistically shouldn't the British and even Poles have F'ed up a couple of times by now?

     I realize your brilliant Ameristalking education makes you
naturally superior to an American moron like myself, but I would
think that having many many more troops in effected areas
might skew the odds a bit.

     Please don't let that interfere with your historical bias though.
Would be a shame to let a little thing like logic hamper a nice
political platform.