The Spanish government is demanding the appearance of a three-man US Abrams army tank crew in a trial on the death of cameraman Jose Couso in Baghdad in 2003. The call follows a reversal of a lower court’s decision finding that the death was found not to be premeditated when a tank shell hit a hotel in the city.High Court judge Santiago Pedraz has issued three international arrest warrants for the soldiers.
The “find and capture” warrant for the tank crew is based on the allegation that “they can be deemed to have committed a crime against the international community.”
The U.S. is unlikely to accommodate the demand — leading to a possible showdown internationally.
Interpol has been given the warrants.
Source: Morning Star
I’m going to hide in the buzzingbush … come get me when the ship is ready to sail.
Byron
1, August 10, 2010 at 6:54 pm
BLouise:
If it is any consolation, I got it. I even chuckled, under my breath of course.
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Thank you …
I know, I know … it’s a heavy burden I bear … but he didn’t want to kick me out of the country!!! You all will probably take off for some cool island somewhere and I’ll be left (and the only one sitting on that side)
Blouise,
I liked it. But seriously, your cuts are razor sharp. In all fairness I can see where your sarcasm could be missed . . . especially by those not well versed in the applied art thereof.
Come on guys … don’t leave me alone surrounded by Tooties and Bobs and that blue-guy Brit … they’ll make me eat lunch with Sarah Palin and go to Chamber of Commerce meetings and take up (gulp) golf …. pleeeeease ……..
Blouise,
Swoooooooossssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……………….
BLouise:
If it is any consolation, I got it. I even chuckled, under my breath of course.
Sam D.
1, August 10, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Comments like the ones above (excluding Blouise) are why the rest of the world laughs at us at best or hates our guts at worst. Stupid, ignorant, arrogant Americans. I’m ashamed to share my country with you. I’d tell you to leave, but I don’t know who else would take you.
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Damn it … nobody ever gets my sarcasm!
I’m a liberal … I read the NY Times … even Dowd was ragging on her for the trip to Spain …. aaaagh
Sam D., I’m sorry the world isn’t peaches and cream and kids not old enough to drink (I enlisted at 17 and had just turned 20 when I got in my first firefight) are placed in combat where they make life and death decisions about killing and being killed (excuse me for not wanting to die or not wanting any of my friends to die- what an asshole I know). Moreover, since the military takes their orders from civilian leaders and thus the American people don’t think you’re completely blameless in America’s war mongering. Lastly, yeah after figuring out that America is just another terror state I HAVE left it because I don’t want any part of devastation is causes (no more American income tax to support the war machine). Apparently, you don’t have the courage of your own conviction and continue to finance the havoc you supposedly despise. So I’m glad you’re staying, your hypocritical self-righteousness is quintessentially American.
AY, you’re quite correct. I don’t know if they received any uber- secret orders. I suppose I’m just guessing on that one too.
The previous comment was sponsored by the “Keep the Galaxy Clean Foundation” in conjunction with the Galactic Health Organization.
Sam,
“Stupid, ignorant, arrogant Americans. I’m ashamed to share my country with you. I’d tell you to leave, but I don’t know who else would take you.”
We’ve been trying to outsource Tootie for some time now.
Any assistance you can render in that area would be greatly appreciated.
However, I should point out in all fairness that she’d be stupid, ignorant, and arrogant in such a fashion as to be an embarrassment to humanity let alone a single country regardless of physical situs.
It is indeed my understanding that her verbiage is used on the “Avoid Earth/Practice Safe Sex” pamphlets the extraterrestrials pass out to their young.
Sam D.,
Isn’t arrogant good? I thought I heard someone say that Cheney was one of the most Arrogant Bastards that they had ever met. In that sense it is good right?
USMC 1812,
How can you be sure that they did not have explicit orders to Silence the press?
Comments like the ones above (excluding Blouise) are why the rest of the world laughs at us at best or hates our guts at worst. Stupid, ignorant, arrogant Americans. I’m ashamed to share my country with you. I’d tell you to leave, but I don’t know who else would take you.
So I was a M1A1 tank gunner during the invasion and just want to add my 2 cents. Specifically this point, camera flashes (or even a pattern of light reflection) from a tall building can easily be interpreted as sniper muzzle flashes and I can understand why the crew took this shoot (and I would assume that the tank commander probably checked with the Lt. or CO first -but that’s just me guessing). It is completely conceivable to me that the gunner saw what he interpreted as muzzle flashes, the TC confirmed what the gunner saw, they got a bum report (if any) about possible friendlies, so they took the shot (note- just because “everyone” knew there was press in the building doesn’t mean the tank crew knew – I knew very little about what was going on and I got my best intel from the BBC World Service because I had a small radio with me).
As to being able to see “press” on his shirt, I highly doubt that (anyone know the estimated range of the shot?). From what I read it was a pretty good distance between the two and while our sights are powerful they’re not that powerful to see what’s written on your chest if you’re close to over a km or two away- the sights are 3x and 10x. Any links to a detailed report on what both sides say what happened?
Lastly, tanks are an excellent anti-sniper weapon. Just ask any grunt- he’ll tell you. Yeah, it’s a shitty world and a bullshit war but the shot (as horrible as this may sound) sounds like fairly reasonable one- at least to me.
Isn’t it explicit US policy not to hand over military or government people who are charged in other countries under international law? It seeems to me that I read somewhere that there are actual plans to use military force to get them back if they are arrested and held.
Tootie,
Try these in the same sentence….International Court, Bush, Cheney….Crimes against humanity…. is that enough?
Is President Obama’s wife still vacationing in Spain … if so, how embarrassing for her …
“…a crime against the International Community”?
I deny such a community exists or that it has any legal claim over Americans such that “it” can pluck Americans out of this country (whether here or abroad) and do what “it” wills.
Please go to hell (a true international community).
Whoooooaaaaa….slow down here….the soldiers were following orders, I presume. Who gave the orders? Like any Felony Murder all folks in agreement of the “Crime” are complicit. So if this shit goes up, does it mean that Bush and Cheney will also be indicted? One can dream….