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| Iraq |
| U.S. tank captain unaware of Baghdad media hotel |
| 2003-04-21 |
| The commander of a U.S. tank unit that hit a Baghdad hotel, killing two cameramen during the battle for the Iraqi capital, says he was unaware the building was packed with journalists, according to a French magazine. Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk and Jose Couso, a cameraman for Spanish channel Tele 5, were killed when a tank shell hit the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel. Three other members of the Reuters team were wounded. Captain Philip Wolford, who led the Abrams tanks defending a bridge near the Palestine Hotel on April 8, was quoted as saying he authorised the attack after his men spotted what appeared to be someone using binoculars on the roof of the same building. "We had been engaged in fighting for several hours," Wolford said in an interview with French weekly Nouvel Observateur. "Firing was coming in the whole time, from that area as well as others. I returned fire. Without hesitation -- that's the rule," he said, according to a Reuters translation of his remarks, which were reported in French. "I learnt 20 minutes later that we had hit...a hotel with journalists. I feel bad, my men feel bad." Asked whether he knew the building was being used as a base for most of the foreign media in Baghdad, Wolford said: "No, I hadn't received any information of that kind. "I can't imagine for an instant that any information sent by divisional headquarters would not have reached me." A U.S. official, who asked not to be identified, said on Monday the incident was under investigation but declined specific comment on the magazine report. Criticised by international media groups for the attack on the Palestine Hotel, the Pentagon initially said its troops were responding to sniper fire. Journalists at the scene said they had heard no fire coming from the hotel. Wolford said his unit had been under fierce attack as it defended the Jumhuriya bridge and that it had been difficult to tell where incoming rockets or shells were being fired from. The sighting of someone at the Palestine Hotel holding what appeared to be binoculars had suggested the fire was being directed from there. "On the bank I counted 20 or 30 teams of four men equipped with RPGs. Some of them were trying to board boats to get under the bridge where our position was. It was the biggest resistance we met entering Baghdad. Four of my men were hurt." |
| Posted by:rg117 |
| #15 Pointing things at people in the middle of a firefight ain't to bright. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-04-22 09:30:38 |
| #14 "Americans are murderous". Reminds me of a line I read in a book about the Vietnam War years ago. Army officer type in SF airport. Woman war protester comes striding up and calls him a murderer. His reply was precious! "Madam, I am NOT a murderer. I am a killer. I am a trained killer in the service to my country. That's what the military does - it kills people. It kills enemies of the United States of America. The more I listen to you, the more I believe you are one of those enemies." How can you top that? |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-21 16:45:54 |
| #13 stevey- go play with yourself. If we were really murderous the death toll would be in the hundreds of thousands. Kinda' like Saddam's own record. |
| Posted by: Craig 2003-04-21 16:39:58 |
| #12 "Americans are murderous" Man, I miss Murat. These other trolls are pathetic. I give this rant a 3. No originality, nothing really relevant to the subject matter (it could apply to any story regarding people getting in the way in a war zone), and he can't find the shift key to capitalize his name. Better luck next time, stevey. |
| Posted by: Baba Yaga 2003-04-21 15:47:08 |
| #11 American are murderous. You shouldn't make us angry, stevie. You wouldn't like us when we're angry. *sound of shotgun pump action* |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-04-21 14:15:39 |
| #10 Stevey: Ph34r the dawn; you'll petrify if you're outside at sunrise. |
| Posted by: KP 2003-04-21 14:07:32 |
| #9 Little Stevey's a bigot. The status-seeker conformist class has been forced by PC to give up racism, at least overtly, but their natural arrogance and prejudice still need an outlet. They would have to face the reality of their own misery and futility otherwise. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2003-04-21 13:29:12 |
| #8 "Americans are muderous" Yep, and we have tanks. Lots and lots of tanks. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-04-21 13:22:15 |
| #7 Hey stevey--boyee (oops, fergot to capitolize your first name) if you want to know true cold-blooded murderous treachery, just follow us as we escort a convoy of humanitarian relief trucks and the Fedayeen Saddam Death squads hit us. Convoy leaves the A/O, relief not delivered, (civilians don't like to operate in a combat zone) another innocent civilian passes away from lack of food/water/medicine etc. Sucks to be the people on the non-recieving end, but as soon as the Iraqi people eradicate the FSD guys (which is happening as we speak) the flood gates will open for a new life for this once and future great nation. Don't talk unless you have been downtown. Fucking pig. |
| Posted by: Bodyguard 2003-04-21 13:18:25 |
| #6 Then next time string a big banner in neon letters that say PRESS HOTEL. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-22 01:03:08 |
| #5 Forget the troll -- didn't it turn out the deaths weren't from the tank shell? |
| Posted by: someone 2003-04-21 22:15:50 |
| #4 "Americans are murderous Posted by: stevey robinson " I can live with that - remember to signal before you change lanes next time. |
| Posted by: flash91 2003-04-21 12:24:45 |
| #3 You cover an active firefight in a declared war zone, you take your own chances. Ask Ernie Pyle. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-21 12:21:11 |
| #2 Mess with us and we will seem to be to the messers (and I am not making a French pun). |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-04-21 12:16:31 |
| #1 Americans are murderous |
| Posted by: stevey robinson 2003-04-21 12:02:35 |