[Grovenet] A Matter of Perspective

[David Morelli]

On Oct 13, 2006, at 11:20 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> The report you cited is a relatively old one from last Tuesday, Oct  
> 10th.  The ones provided links for were released three days later  
> on the 13th.
>
> I've enough experience with news reports no to take them too much  
> at 'face value'. What bothers me is the fact that the USA seems to  
> be ignoring the British courts. After all, they are supposed to be  
> our allies.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire


Ron,

"The USA seems to be ignoring the British courts"

Oh My!  How inconsistent!  The Administration has bent over backward  
to ensure that American courts are involved in all military actions  
in Iraq and Afghanistan...  Sorry I couldn't resist.

The USA has ignored American law and principles, why would they show  
any sensitivity to British law or courts?

They are consistently insensitive to the function of law in this nation.

David


I had not checked the publishing date, so my understanding may be in  
error.  There certainly is a different emphasis between the different  
reports.

The Reuters report says that:
>> 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.

>> 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.

The BBC report says that:
>> 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.
>>

The report I referenced the testimony at the inquest and it says that:

Mr Lloyd, 50, died on 22 March near the Shatt Al Basra Bridge after  
his four-man team got caught up in the crossfire between American and  
Iraqi forces.
Mr Nerac and Mr Osman were driving behind Mr Lloyd and cameraman  
Daniel Demoustier when they came across an Iraqi convoy at the  
bridge. They turned around, but the Iraqi soldiers caught them up and  
forced Mr Osman to pull over.

Maj Roberts told the inquest witnesses said Mr Nerac and Mr Osman  
were taken out of their marked TV car and put into the back of a pick- 
up truck.

Mr Lloyd and Mr Demoustier waited in the car in front.

Witnesses said the pick-up truck was shot at and exploded, said the  
major.

"Both were blown out and away from the vehicle and sustained serious  
lower limb injuries," she said.

Maj Roberts said Mr Nerac was "unlikely to have survived" if  
witnesses were to be believed.

Derby-born Mr Lloyd was hit by an Iraqi bullet then an American  
bullet hit him in the head and killed him outright as he was being  
evacuated by minibus to hospital, the inquest has been told.



A different report indicates that a British soldier saw the event and  
described it as:

Soldier B told Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker  
that he saw three vehicles - one thought to be carrying Mr Lloyd and  
cameraman Daniel Demoustier, the second an Iraqi pick-up truck with a  
machine gun on the back, and a third with Mr Nerac and Mr Osman inside.

He witnessed an exchange of fire between the US tank and the Iraqi  
vehicle for about 30 seconds before the truck burst into flames.

He told the coroner: "I can't say for sure who engaged first.

"My recollection is that the tank engaged the vehicles."

Mr Lloyd's vehicle "also ignited and went off to the side of the road  
to its right and came to rest on the side of a field, burning".

Soldier B did not see anyone leave Mr Lloyd's vehicle, but saw the  
driver and passenger in the third vehicle run for cover.

"The tank continued to fire at the position where the people had  
taken cover.

...

Mr Walshe said the Iraqi then told him: "Terry was then shot in the  
head by US troops while the vehicle was leaving the scene.

"He showed the hole in the vehicle where he said the bullet passed  
through."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5414136.stm



A third report gives Barbara Jones description of Mr Demoustier's  
version, which is different again:

"He relayed to me they had passed the tanks going towards Bridge Four  
when they saw an Iraqi pick-up truck with a gun barrel on."

She said she was told that the ITN vehicle then came under fire.

The team was carrying cans of petrol as part of their supplies.

"The machine gun fire from the tanks quickly set fire to these petrol  
tanks," she said.

Mr Demoustier told her that he put his head down and carried on  
blindly driving the burning vehicle.

"When he looked over, Terry was gone," Miss Jones said.



A fourth report with a different description of Mr Demoustier's  
version says:

Mr Demoustier told Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker  
the team had been driving towards the bridge in "civilian traffic  
when they saw Iraqi troops coming towards them and turned round".

He said the second convoy vehicle, which Mr Lloyd and Mr Osman were  
in, was stopped by an Iraqi military vehicle, he then saw an Iraqi  
military vehicle halt beside him and the soldiers inside then give  
him a "thumbs-up sign".

"At that same time gunfire started. It came from a distance,"  
explained Mr Demoustier.

"Immediately I ducked down under the steering wheel. Then hell broke  
loose completely.

"The machine gun's fire was directly targeting my car.

"I was absolutely sure I was going to die, I was 100% sure.

"I stuck my head to the right and I saw my passenger door was open  
and Terry was not in the car."

Mr Demoustier told the court he looked up and saw the car roof was on  
fire - petrol cans the team had been carrying with them had ignited.

The 44-year-old hurled himself out just before the car exploded.

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

He described how he lay in the sand and mud for up to 30 minutes  
before attempting to stand.

Mr Demoustier told the court how he looked behind him to search for  
his colleagues and saw the second ITN vehicle parked up with the  
doors open.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6033421.stm