Coroner seeks trial for US troops who killed TV manAudrey Gillan and Julian Borger in Washington | Saturday October 14, 2006 | The Guardian
The American soldiers who shot dead the ITN journalist Terry Lloyd could face trial in a British court for murder after a coroner ruled that they had unlawfully killed an innocent civilian.
Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, said yesterday he would be writing to the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions "to see whether any steps can be taken to bring the perpetrators responsible for this to justice".
The verdict was welcomed by Lloyd's family, employers and the National Union of Journalists. His widow Lynn accused US forces of allowing soldiers to "behave like trigger-happy cowboys in an area in which there were civilians travelling on a highway". In a statement she said: "The marines who fired on civilians and those who gave those orders should now stand trial. Under the Geneva Conventions Act, that trial should be for the murder of Terry Lloyd and nothing less."
Lloyd's daughter Chelsey, 24, said: "My father was unlawfully killed by a bullet to the head from a heavy-calibre machine gun fired by US marines. The killing of my father would seem to amount to murder."
A spokesman for the attorney general said he would await the letter from the coroner. The Pentagon issued a statement saying it had "never deliberately targeted non-combatants, including journalists".
Lloyd, 50, was killed on the morning of March 22 at a bridge on the road to Basra. He and his team were working independently of the military, and was injured in the crossfire between US and Iraqi forces. It was while he was being taken to hospital in a civilian vehicle that he received a fatal bullet in the head from American guns. The coroner said he had "no doubt" this was "an unlawful act". ...
Saturday, October 14, 2006
US troops unlawfully killed UK journalist:: "... appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys."
U.S. troops unlawfully killed UK journalist: coronerOct 13, 7:46 AM (ET) | By Eleanor Wason
OXFORD (Reuters) - 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, 50, who worked for British television company ITN, was killed in March 2003 in southern Iraq as he reported from the front line during the first few days of the U.S.-led invasion.
"He was fired on by American soldiers as a minibus carried wounded people away," Coroner Andrew Walker said at the conclusion of the inquest, which U.S. soldiers declined to attend.
"I have no doubt it was an unlawful act of fire on the minibus," Walker added.
He said he intended to write to the Attorney General -- the government's top lawyer -- and the Director of Public Prosecutions in an effort to bring those responsible for Lloyd's death before a British court.
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." ...
OXFORD (Reuters) - 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, 50, who worked for British television company ITN, was killed in March 2003 in southern Iraq as he reported from the front line during the first few days of the U.S.-led invasion.
"He was fired on by American soldiers as a minibus carried wounded people away," Coroner Andrew Walker said at the conclusion of the inquest, which U.S. soldiers declined to attend.
"I have no doubt it was an unlawful act of fire on the minibus," Walker added.
He said he intended to write to the Attorney General -- the government's top lawyer -- and the Director of Public Prosecutions in an effort to bring those responsible for Lloyd's death before a British court.
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." ...
Thursday, October 12, 2006
October 12, 2006 | Thursday: 155 Iraqis, 2 Americans Killed; 66 Injured Across Iraq | Updated 7:40 p.m. EDT, Oct. 12, 2006
Today in Iraq, one American army contractor was reported to have died and two others were injured in a roadside bomb attack. U.S. military authorities are also reporting that one soldier was killed and two injured in Kirkuk, another died from wounds sustained ten days ago. British authorities are reporting that a British soldier is recovering from injuries. In other attacks, at least 155 Iraqis died and 61 were injured. Of note was a raid on a television station associated with one of the political parties. ...
Today in Iraq, one American army contractor was reported to have died and two others were injured in a roadside bomb attack. U.S. military authorities are also reporting that one soldier was killed and two injured in Kirkuk, another died from wounds sustained ten days ago. British authorities are reporting that a British soldier is recovering from injuries. In other attacks, at least 155 Iraqis died and 61 were injured. Of note was a raid on a television station associated with one of the political parties. ...
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
U.S. Military Has Killed 127-238,000 Iraqi Civilians | by DAVE LINDORFF
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
A just released study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, published in the current issue of the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, reports that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has led to the deaths of between 426,000 and 794,000 Iraqis. This is a substantial increase over the 100,000 dead that the same research group found through 2004, based upon a smaller survey, and it represents an astonishing 2.5 percent of the country's total population.
The grim news was widely--though not universally--reported in the U.S. media (my local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, blacked it out), but few news organizations reported the most disturbing finding of the study, which was that 31 percent of those killed were actually slain by U.S. and "coalition" forces (actually by U.S. forces, since most of the other foreign forces working with the U.S., with the exception of the British, have not played combat roles, and even the British have largely operated in the south where fighting has been much less severe).
That means U.S. forces have, since the March 19, 2003 invasion, killed between 132,000 and 246,000 Iraqis. It should be recalled that the Pentagon has estimated that the insurgency numbers perhaps 20-40,000 individuals, and they have only succeeded in killing a fraction of them. Assuming generously that the military has succeeded in killing maybe a quarter of the enemy fighters, that would be 10,000 people at most, leaving the U.S. civilian death toll at 122,000-236,000. The Christian Science Monitor, no radical rag, once did a survey and found that U.S. forces were killing civilians in Iraq at a rate of 30 for every enemy fighter slain. At that rate, it would appear, if the peer-reviewed Lancet study is correct, that the U.S. invasion and occupation forces have killed between 127,000 and 238,000 civilians. At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children. ...
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
A just released study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, published in the current issue of the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, reports that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has led to the deaths of between 426,000 and 794,000 Iraqis. This is a substantial increase over the 100,000 dead that the same research group found through 2004, based upon a smaller survey, and it represents an astonishing 2.5 percent of the country's total population.
The grim news was widely--though not universally--reported in the U.S. media (my local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, blacked it out), but few news organizations reported the most disturbing finding of the study, which was that 31 percent of those killed were actually slain by U.S. and "coalition" forces (actually by U.S. forces, since most of the other foreign forces working with the U.S., with the exception of the British, have not played combat roles, and even the British have largely operated in the south where fighting has been much less severe).
That means U.S. forces have, since the March 19, 2003 invasion, killed between 132,000 and 246,000 Iraqis. It should be recalled that the Pentagon has estimated that the insurgency numbers perhaps 20-40,000 individuals, and they have only succeeded in killing a fraction of them. Assuming generously that the military has succeeded in killing maybe a quarter of the enemy fighters, that would be 10,000 people at most, leaving the U.S. civilian death toll at 122,000-236,000. The Christian Science Monitor, no radical rag, once did a survey and found that U.S. forces were killing civilians in Iraq at a rate of 30 for every enemy fighter slain. At that rate, it would appear, if the peer-reviewed Lancet study is correct, that the U.S. invasion and occupation forces have killed between 127,000 and 238,000 civilians. At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children. ...
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
194 Killed, 34 Injured in Tuesday Iraq Violence
194 Killed, 34 Injured in Tuesday Iraq Violence October 10, 2006 | Updated 5:30 p.m. EDT, Oct. 10, 2006
Violence in Iraq continued Monday into Tuesday, leaving at least 194 dead and 34 injured. Included in the totals are the death of an American GI and a British security worker. One U.S. soldier was also injured. Also, a mass kidnapping of 11 worshippers occurred in the capital.
An American soldier succumbed to wounds received from an explosive device in Tikrit. The family of a second soldier announced that their son had been wounded Saturday near Balad when a roadside bomb blasted his vehicle. ...
Violence in Iraq continued Monday into Tuesday, leaving at least 194 dead and 34 injured. Included in the totals are the death of an American GI and a British security worker. One U.S. soldier was also injured. Also, a mass kidnapping of 11 worshippers occurred in the capital.
An American soldier succumbed to wounds received from an explosive device in Tikrit. The family of a second soldier announced that their son had been wounded Saturday near Balad when a roadside bomb blasted his vehicle. ...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
'Tragic day' claims eight US soldiers in Baghdad
'Tragic day' claims eight US soldiers in Baghdad | by Paul Schemm Tue Oct 3, 9:34 AM ET
BAGHDAD (AFP) - At least 17 US soldiers have been killed around Iraq since Saturday, including eight in a single day in Baghdad, the US military announced, saying the toll had brought "a tragic day". ...
BAGHDAD (AFP) - At least 17 US soldiers have been killed around Iraq since Saturday, including eight in a single day in Baghdad, the US military announced, saying the toll had brought "a tragic day". ...
Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 263 Dead
October 3, 2006 | Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 263 Dead | Updated at 11:30 a.m. EDT, Oct. 3, 2006
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 263 were killed or found dead; 30 of those were insurgents killed in Ramadi. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. At least 16 of a total of 40 kidnap victims are still missing. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday. Over the weekend a Marine died in a vehicle accident unrelated to fighting. Another US soldier died on Monday, bringing the total of US dead to 4. One British soldier was also killed. ..
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 263 were killed or found dead; 30 of those were insurgents killed in Ramadi. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. At least 16 of a total of 40 kidnap victims are still missing. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday. Over the weekend a Marine died in a vehicle accident unrelated to fighting. Another US soldier died on Monday, bringing the total of US dead to 4. One British soldier was also killed. ..
Monday, October 02, 2006
Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 150 Dead
October 2, 2006 | Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 150 Dead
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 150 were killed or found dead, and 16 kidnapped with their fates unknown. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday.
At least 118 were killed in Baghdad alone, including one intelligence officer and Faris Khalil, a colonel in the Interior Ministry. At least thirteen more bodies were found throughout Baghdad on Monday, adding to the fifty that were found overnight Sunday. They were shot to death and bore signs of torture. ...
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 150 were killed or found dead, and 16 kidnapped with their fates unknown. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday.
At least 118 were killed in Baghdad alone, including one intelligence officer and Faris Khalil, a colonel in the Interior Ministry. At least thirteen more bodies were found throughout Baghdad on Monday, adding to the fifty that were found overnight Sunday. They were shot to death and bore signs of torture. ...
'Record' Iraq civilian deaths ... 1,089 deaths, 42% increase
'Record' Iraq civilian deaths | 01/10/2006 21:08 - (SA)
Baghdad - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.
Partial statistics compiled by the health ministry and issued by the interior ministry put civilian deaths last month at 1 089, a 42% increase from 769 in August and more than the previous record in this series of data - 1 065 in July.
Though apparently incomplete, the data has previously given early indications of trends later borne out by other estimates - notably a sharp increase in killings after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February and a decline in the number of deaths at the start of a major military operation in Baghdad in August.
The United Nations - which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the health ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies in the Baghdad morgue - has said 6 599 Iraqis were killed in July and August, 700 more than in the previous two months. ...
Baghdad - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.
Partial statistics compiled by the health ministry and issued by the interior ministry put civilian deaths last month at 1 089, a 42% increase from 769 in August and more than the previous record in this series of data - 1 065 in July.
Though apparently incomplete, the data has previously given early indications of trends later borne out by other estimates - notably a sharp increase in killings after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February and a decline in the number of deaths at the start of a major military operation in Baghdad in August.
The United Nations - which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the health ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies in the Baghdad morgue - has said 6 599 Iraqis were killed in July and August, 700 more than in the previous two months. ...
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