mynameis
16-10-2008, 04:15 PM
The Army's version of the deaths of Nelson and Suarez
Despite a video that seems to show friendly fire, and the discovery of a tank shell near the impact site, the official investigation attributes their deaths to enemy action.
Editor's note: Mark Benjamin's friendly fire investigation contains 1) the main article, 2) video documentation and 3) the Army's own report on the killing of Nelson and Suarez.
Oct. 14, 2008 | An Army investigation into a possible friendly fire incident involving U.S. Army units in Ramadi, Iraq, was carried out under the auspices of the commander of one of the tank brigades involved, Col. Sean MacFarland. On Dec. 4, 2006, MacFarland was the commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which was in Ramadi supporting the infantry. Just before 4:30 in the afternoon, one of MacFarland's tanks allegedly fired a shell into a position occupied by troops of 2nd Platoon, D Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry of the U.S. Army. Two American soldiers, Pfc. Albert Nelson and Pfc. Roger Suarez-Gonzalez, died.
On Dec. 5, MacFarland initiated what is called a 15-6 investigation, a relatively informal procedure typically carried out by a single officer investigating soldiers in his own unit who reports his results to the unit commander. Salon obtained a copy of the 15-6 investigation through the Freedom of Information Act. The name of the Army major who conducted the investigation was redacted. He reported his findings to MacFarland.
The unnamed major discovered shrapnel from a 120-millimeter U.S. tank round in “building #2” where Nelson and Suarez were hurt, but determined these fragments likely bounced into the building during shooting nearby the next day, Dec. 5. He also found bullets of the same caliber used in the tank's coaxial machine gun, but said these came from a Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle fired by insurgents.
The documents note that the infantry soldiers in "building #2" reported friendly fire from a U.S. tank. The documents also allude to the existence of a detailed video that a) shows the soldiers in the building under fire and b) records the real-time statements of numerous eyewitnesses that the fire came from an American tank. According to the Army investigation, however, an analysis of shrapnel, uniform scraps, ammunition impact points and audio from the video showed that the soldiers were mistaken. "Soldiers inside building #2 believed that the tank located to the west was firing on their position," MacFarland wrote in a Dec. 20 memo in which he concurred with the report's findings, "when in actuality, it was enemy fire from a mortar position northwest of the Euphrates River."
Below is the Army's 10-page 15-6 investigation, followed by MacFarland's two-page memo in support of the findings. The documents refer to Suarez as a specialist and Nelson as a sergeant, but to Salon's knowledge they both had the rank of private first class at the time of this incident.
Download this 10-page document as a PDF (1.9 MB)
http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2008/10/14/friendly_fire/
Friendly fire in Iraq -- and a coverup
The Army says no, but a graphic video and eyewitness testimony indicate that a U.S. tank killed two American soldiers. The mother of one soldier demands answers.
Editor's note: Mark Benjamin's friendly fire investigation contains 1) the main article, 2) video documentation and 3) the Army's own report on the killing of Nelson and Suarez.
By Mark Benjamin
Quote:
Sergeant Rob and the other soldiers in the latrine building were thrown to the ground. The troops began shouting. " Everyone all right?" "Jesus fucking Christ!" "What the fuck was that?" Rob, who had also seen the muzzle flash, answered, "Dude, that was the tank." "Is he shooting at us?" asked a soldier. "I think so," said Rob.
Everyone in the latrine building was safe and sound. The roof of building #2, however, had taken a direct hit on the northwest corner, right where Suarez, Nelson and Hobson had been stationed, the shell spraying debris through the crowd.
After the shell hit, those men on the roof who could still walk bounded toward the staircase at the northeast corner, shoving each other forward and down the stairs, at least one fleeing so quickly that he committed the cardinal sin of leaving his gun behind. The men regrouped on the second floor. Meanwhile the tank's M240 coaxial machine gun, mounted next to the turret, began firing into building #2. Instinctively, one of the soldiers who had fled to the second floor started firing back at the tank.
Rob began directing the effort to get the shooting to stop. " Make sure that tank knows where we're at!" he yelled into the radio, trying to reach the lieutenant in charge of the platoon, one of the refugees from the roof who was now on the second floor. "I think the tank fired at us." "Yeah, it just took out the fucking roof," marveled a soldier. "Who did?" demanded another. "That tank," replied the soldier. "I saw him fucking hit it."
"Somebody call that tank," Rob yelled. "Make sure it knows where we're at."
The troops began to shout "Cease fire! Cease fire!" at the soldier on the second floor who was shooting at the tank. Sergeant Rob ordered a soldier in the latrine building to attract the attention of the tank by firing a white star cluster, a flare that is used to notify U.S. troops that they are firing on their own men. The soldier crept along the floor as the bullets kept coming, and handed the flare to another man, who shot it out the door. Within seconds, the firing had stopped.
"Dude," said Rob, "I'm almost positive that was that tank, because I saw him flash." The soldier pointed out the door. "Did you see the roof?
"I know, I see it."
Then Rob and the others heard the shouting from above. "We got men hurt, upstairs!"
more....
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/14/friendly_fire/index1.html
Despite a video that seems to show friendly fire, and the discovery of a tank shell near the impact site, the official investigation attributes their deaths to enemy action.
Editor's note: Mark Benjamin's friendly fire investigation contains 1) the main article, 2) video documentation and 3) the Army's own report on the killing of Nelson and Suarez.
Oct. 14, 2008 | An Army investigation into a possible friendly fire incident involving U.S. Army units in Ramadi, Iraq, was carried out under the auspices of the commander of one of the tank brigades involved, Col. Sean MacFarland. On Dec. 4, 2006, MacFarland was the commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which was in Ramadi supporting the infantry. Just before 4:30 in the afternoon, one of MacFarland's tanks allegedly fired a shell into a position occupied by troops of 2nd Platoon, D Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry of the U.S. Army. Two American soldiers, Pfc. Albert Nelson and Pfc. Roger Suarez-Gonzalez, died.
On Dec. 5, MacFarland initiated what is called a 15-6 investigation, a relatively informal procedure typically carried out by a single officer investigating soldiers in his own unit who reports his results to the unit commander. Salon obtained a copy of the 15-6 investigation through the Freedom of Information Act. The name of the Army major who conducted the investigation was redacted. He reported his findings to MacFarland.
The unnamed major discovered shrapnel from a 120-millimeter U.S. tank round in “building #2” where Nelson and Suarez were hurt, but determined these fragments likely bounced into the building during shooting nearby the next day, Dec. 5. He also found bullets of the same caliber used in the tank's coaxial machine gun, but said these came from a Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle fired by insurgents.
The documents note that the infantry soldiers in "building #2" reported friendly fire from a U.S. tank. The documents also allude to the existence of a detailed video that a) shows the soldiers in the building under fire and b) records the real-time statements of numerous eyewitnesses that the fire came from an American tank. According to the Army investigation, however, an analysis of shrapnel, uniform scraps, ammunition impact points and audio from the video showed that the soldiers were mistaken. "Soldiers inside building #2 believed that the tank located to the west was firing on their position," MacFarland wrote in a Dec. 20 memo in which he concurred with the report's findings, "when in actuality, it was enemy fire from a mortar position northwest of the Euphrates River."
Below is the Army's 10-page 15-6 investigation, followed by MacFarland's two-page memo in support of the findings. The documents refer to Suarez as a specialist and Nelson as a sergeant, but to Salon's knowledge they both had the rank of private first class at the time of this incident.
Download this 10-page document as a PDF (1.9 MB)
http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2008/10/14/friendly_fire/
Friendly fire in Iraq -- and a coverup
The Army says no, but a graphic video and eyewitness testimony indicate that a U.S. tank killed two American soldiers. The mother of one soldier demands answers.
Editor's note: Mark Benjamin's friendly fire investigation contains 1) the main article, 2) video documentation and 3) the Army's own report on the killing of Nelson and Suarez.
By Mark Benjamin
Quote:
Sergeant Rob and the other soldiers in the latrine building were thrown to the ground. The troops began shouting. " Everyone all right?" "Jesus fucking Christ!" "What the fuck was that?" Rob, who had also seen the muzzle flash, answered, "Dude, that was the tank." "Is he shooting at us?" asked a soldier. "I think so," said Rob.
Everyone in the latrine building was safe and sound. The roof of building #2, however, had taken a direct hit on the northwest corner, right where Suarez, Nelson and Hobson had been stationed, the shell spraying debris through the crowd.
After the shell hit, those men on the roof who could still walk bounded toward the staircase at the northeast corner, shoving each other forward and down the stairs, at least one fleeing so quickly that he committed the cardinal sin of leaving his gun behind. The men regrouped on the second floor. Meanwhile the tank's M240 coaxial machine gun, mounted next to the turret, began firing into building #2. Instinctively, one of the soldiers who had fled to the second floor started firing back at the tank.
Rob began directing the effort to get the shooting to stop. " Make sure that tank knows where we're at!" he yelled into the radio, trying to reach the lieutenant in charge of the platoon, one of the refugees from the roof who was now on the second floor. "I think the tank fired at us." "Yeah, it just took out the fucking roof," marveled a soldier. "Who did?" demanded another. "That tank," replied the soldier. "I saw him fucking hit it."
"Somebody call that tank," Rob yelled. "Make sure it knows where we're at."
The troops began to shout "Cease fire! Cease fire!" at the soldier on the second floor who was shooting at the tank. Sergeant Rob ordered a soldier in the latrine building to attract the attention of the tank by firing a white star cluster, a flare that is used to notify U.S. troops that they are firing on their own men. The soldier crept along the floor as the bullets kept coming, and handed the flare to another man, who shot it out the door. Within seconds, the firing had stopped.
"Dude," said Rob, "I'm almost positive that was that tank, because I saw him flash." The soldier pointed out the door. "Did you see the roof?
"I know, I see it."
Then Rob and the others heard the shouting from above. "We got men hurt, upstairs!"
more....
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/14/friendly_fire/index1.html