[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

Apparently the US 3rd Infantry Division (who where responsible for this shooting) have something of a history of ''malloting'' cars at checkpoints.

Yep, I've just read something mentioning that:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story...432656,00.html

However the Third Infantry Division, whose troops include those that fired on the Italians' car last Friday, came under investigation in April last year for opening fire on carloads of Iraqi women and children at checkpoints, according to US army documents obtained by the Guardian.

"The order was given to shoot anything that moves, but it wasn't meant to be taken literally," one soldier told the US army investigator.

One soldier described shooting women and children in cars "if they didn't respond to the signs, the presence of troops or warning shots".

Human rights organisations have lodged repeated complaints against US forces in Iraq, saying that they have failed to protect civilians at checkpoints, and that the rules of engagement are too lax.