Reply #9: That is why it must be investigated.

[happyslug]

One of the problems of war, are crimes of passion. You see several of your buddies die in front of you, you want revenge, you then kill the people in front of you, even if their are unarmed civilians, women and children (This was especially true whenever a besieged city was taken, the costs to breach the wall so inflamed the men that a massacre almost always followed, thus a city had to surrender once its wall were breached, for if it did not and the walls were forced massacre always followed).

Such crimes of passion, are still war crimes. An Army has to keep its troops in line. On the other hand it is a mitigating circumstance long recognized (Cited even in the Bible). Now they are DELIBERATE WAR CRIMES, for example when a Soldier kills and rob a civilian (Or kills a Civilian NOT in the heat of Combat but under Orders), these are clearly War Crimes. The questions is when does one begin and end? For example A convey is ambushed, the Troops shoot anything in the area, including known Civilian targets AND THEN THE COMMANDER DECIDES NOT ENOUGH BODY SO HE CALLS ON HIS TROOPS TO KEEP ON FIRING EVEN AFTER IT IS CLEAR THE ENEMY HAS LEFT. In that example the Crime of Passion flows into a Cold blooded War Crime. Again that is NOT uncommon in warfare AND A GOOD ARMY MAKES EFFORTS TO DISCIPLINE ITS SOLDIERS SO BOTH TYPES OF WAR CRIMES DO NOT OCCUR.

Thus the problem with the Road block that lead to the death of the Italian Agents. The Italians HAD inform the US Army of their efforts and that they would be going down that road. Thus the Italians had done everything they could to make sure they were NOT killed by US Troops. US Troops in the area knew the Italians were coming. Then (according to the reports I have read on the net) the US Ambassador to Iraq came to the area and set up additional road blocks and it was one of these war blocks that fired on the Italians. If true, than whoever sent the troops to the area without checking with the local Commander violated Command structure AND THE ITALIANS WHO WERE RESPECTING THAT STRUCTURE DIED DO TO THIS VIOLATION. Again I do NOT know if this is true, but if it is THEN WHOEVER ORDERED THOSE ROAD BLOCKS UP ARE GUILTY OF AT LEAST MANSLAUGHTER IF NOT MURDER FOR FAILING TO FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR ROAD BLOCKS IN AN AREA. This is the problem the Italians was complaining of NO ONE WAS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ROAD BLOCK WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WHERE IT WAS.

Yes, it is HARD decision to make, but someone goof at that road block and I doubt it was the Italians (I doubt it was the soldiers manning the Road Block) but if the above is true, that would make a clear case of Gross neglect.