[Grovenet] A Matter of Perspective

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

How is it there's so much hoopla over a pedophile who doesn't kill anyone
and almost nothing at all over US Marines shooting a British journalist in
the stomach while he's riding in a plainly marked PRESS vehicle, then the US
troops load him into a makeshift Iraqi ambulance and then shoot him dead
with a bullet in the head? 

The result is for the British to call for the US soldiers and officers to be
tried for 'war crimes'.

If you haven't followed it in both the American and British press, here's
some excerpts below with links to the full story. 

Ron D'Eau Claire 

----------------------------------------------------

One of Britain's most experienced journalists was unlawfully killed by U.S.
soldiers in Iraq, a British inquest into his death ruled on Friday,
prompting calls for the perpetrators to be tried for war crimes.

Veteran war correspondent Terry Lloyd...was initially wounded in the
stomach. He was then shot in the head by U.S. troops after he had been
picked up and put in an Iraqi minibus, the court heard.

Coroner Andrew Walker said at the conclusion of the inquest..."I have no
doubt it was an unlawful act of fire on the minibus." 

The ITN News crew, which unlike most journalists covering the war was
unattached to any U.S. or British unit, had first come under fire at Iman
Anas, near Basra, while driving toward the port city in two vehicles marked
"Press."

His translator Hussein Othman, was also killed while French cameraman Fred
Nerac, is still missing believed dead. The other cameraman Daniel Demoustier
was the only one to survive.

Louis Charalambous, the Lloyd family's lawyer, said those responsible for
his death should be brought to trial for what he termed "a very serious war
crime."

"It was a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act," he added.

He said the unlawful killing verdict had been "inescapable" and had come
about because "U.S. forces appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave
like trigger-happy cowboys."

Reuters:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061013/ts_nm/iraq_britain_lloyd_dc_1

Also in the BBC news:

A fourth man in the crew, Belgian Daniel Demoustier, survived the incident
but told the inquest: "I was absolutely sure I was going to die. I was 100%
sure." 

The inquest heard that their vehicles, which were clearly marked as Press,
were hit by US tanks. 

"Most of the bullets were definitely coming from the American tanks," said
Mr Demoustier. 

Mr Lloyd suffered a serious but non-fatal wound and was transferred to a
makeshift ambulance. But that vehicle was then fired upon and he was killed.


Major Kay Roberts, of the Royal Military Police, told the inquest 15 minutes
of footage appeared to be missing from a film of the incident which was
supplied by the US military. 

Mr McLaughlin said the US authorities had not only failed to co-operate with
the inquest but had actually obstructed it. 

"They have not sent anyone to appear at the inquest and have shown complete
contempt for the British legal system and it makes a mockery of the
so-called special relationship," he said. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6040372.stm


Ron D'Eau Claire