Judge wants to question U.S. troops on Iraq deaths (Palestine Hotel 2003)

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8719159

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge wants to question three U.S. soldiers as suspects in the death of a Spanish cameraman who was killed when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel housing foreign journalists during the 2003 assault on Baghdad.

The Pentagon has found no fault with the soldiers, but High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz wants to question the three men who were in the tank, a court official said on Tuesday.

Telecinco cameraman Jose Couso and Reuters cameraman Taras Protsiuk died and several other people were injured by a shell fired on the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital on April 8, 2003, in the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein.

The Spanish court would only have jurisdiction in the death of the Spanish citizen.

The soldiers would be questioned as suspects for murder and for crimes against the international community, which carry sentences of 15 to years in jail and 10 to 15 years respectively.

...more...

[Benhurst]

1. How dare he make such a request? Doesn't he know the

Bush Crime Family's Storm Troopers are not subject to international law?

[hang a left]

2. ...

[Barrett808]

3. (Spanish) Judge Wants to Question US Troops on Media Deaths in Iraq

MADRID - A Spanish judge wants to question three U.S. soldiers as suspects in the death of a Spanish cameraman who was killed when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel housing foreign journalists during the 2003 assault on Baghdad.

The Pentagon has found no fault with the soldiers, but High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz wants to question the three men who were in the tank, a court official said on Tuesday.

Telecinco cameraman Jose Couso and Reuters cameraman Taras Protsiuk died and several other people were injured by a shell fired on the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital on April 8, 2003, in the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein.

The Spanish court would only have jurisdiction in the death of the Spanish citizen.

(more)

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0607-05.htm

[forgethell]

4. Rots of ruck to him.

A suspects, naturally they can and will claim their 5th amendment rights.

But I have a question about the Spanish legal system. Why is it that judges are doing the work of prosecutors? do they get to deliver the verdict too? Something about this stinks.

[pinkpops]

5. Interesting quote:

From the yahoo version

"I just cannot imagine how any U.S. soldier can be subject to some kind of foreign proceeding for criminal liability when he is in a tank in a war zone as part of an international coalition," the State Department official added.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050607/ts_nm/crime_spain_iraq_dc
-----
So I wonder if he could imagine Italian soldiers being questioned by Americans had an American been killed. Are all members of the "coalition" equal? If I was an Italian, I would be in the streets.

[wicket]

6. kick

:kick: