U.S. fire on Canadian diplomats

[Thanato]

U.S. fired on Canadian diplomats without warning, envoy says

Canadian officials dispute the U.S. version of an event in Iraq and insist that American soldiers fired without warning on a consular vehicle carrying four Canadian diplomats, CBC News has learned.

The shooting took place Tuesday in Baghdad's Green Zone, a heavily fortified area where the Iraqi government office and the U.S. military headquarters are located.

The U.S. military issued a statement saying that American troops in a convoy shot a vehicle carrying the Canadian chargé d'affaires to Iraq and three other diplomats in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The U.S. military said that, as the Canadian vehicle approached the convoy on the road, American troops used hand and arm signals ordering it to stop. The statement said the vehicle did not slow down so U.S. troops fired what they called warning shots, fearing a suicide bombing attack.

"The rear guard on a U.S. convoy signalled the vehicle to stay back," the statement said. "After it failed to do so and continued moving toward the convoy from behind, warning shots were aimed at the front of the vehicle, away from the passenger area."

But a Canadian diplomat who was in the vehicle told a very different version of the incident to CBC News reporter Eric Sorensen.

'Kaboom! They don't know what's happened'

The diplomat, who was not named, said no one in the Canadian vehicles remembered seeing anyone signalling to them. The first sign they had of a problem was when they heard a booming sound.

"They just remember kaboom! It happened," said Sorenson, who spoke to the diplomat by telephone from Ottawa.

The incident took place after the Canadians pulled out of the British compound in the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area in the centre of Baghdad where the Iraqi government office and the U.S. military's headquarters are located.

The diplomat said the Canadian vehicle – which had a Canadian flag symbol on its dash – waited for a U.S. convoy of five Humvees to pass. Then it followed at a safe distance at about 20 to 25 km/h for about five minutes. She said Canadian officials often share the road with U.S. military vehicles and saw nothing unusual about the situation.

Unlike the version offered by the U.S. military, the Canadian diplomat told CBC News that the American convoy had pulled entirely off the road and into a staging area behind a barrier.

"Again this kind of thing has happened all the time, according to this official, so the Canadian vehicle now carried on down the road after the convoy had pulled all the way over and off to the side," Sorensen said.

That's when they heard a loud noise as coarse dust flew up around their vehicle.

"Kaboom! They don't know what's happened. They feel they've been hit by a bomb," said Sorensen.

"The car comes to a stop. The driver puts his arm outside the car to signal that 'we're not part of whatever blast just happened, we're just stopped here for the moment.' They all ducked down."

One bullet entered passenger compartment, diplomat says

The diplomat said a U.S. soldier came running over to see whether they were all right, and they all got out of the vehicle. It was only at that point that they realized what had happened:

"They realized that two bullets had been fired that hit across the front into the hood of the car, hitting on the passenger side, and one other bullet actually passed across the front of the windscreen and just over the windshield wiper into the front of the passenger compartment," said Sorensen.

"So very close call that way"

U.S., Canadian military launch investigations

The chargé d'affaires, Stewart Henderson, was whisked away while the others were debriefed, and then they all thought that was an end to the incident.

They only decided to speak up after the U.S. military came out with a different version of events, the Canadian diplomat told CBC News.

Both the Canadian and U.S. military have launched investigations into the incident.

"Right now, we've talking to the Canadian government about the incident," Todd Vician, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

"It's a regrettable incident and we're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened."

Canada's incoming prime minister, Stephen Harper, also said the two countries were working together to resolve the incident.

"We're obviously very glad that no one was hurt," Harper said during a news conference in Ottawa.

Source

~Thanato

[PLO]

aaawww, and after all the help you give your american friends to pursue nice things, like "peace", "democracy" and "freedom".

CANADA. KNOW YOUR PLACE!.

[The Silver Thong]

aaawww, and after all the help you give your american friends to pursue nice things, like "peace", "democracy" and "freedom".

CANADA. KNOW YOUR PLACE!.

damn the "ugly american" yet again shows his face.

Edited February 1, 2006 by The Silver Thong

[PLO]

it certainly does silver thong, reared its ugly head once again.

[BurnSide]

Guys if this becomes a country flaming war again it'll be shut down quickly. Let's avoid that and have a civil conversation please.

[et's daddy]

the canadian vehicle failed to stop when asked to

sounds like end of discussion to me

next time shoot to kill

[PLO]

but the diplomat told a different story......hmmmmm. though really whats 4 dead spys, err i mean diplomats eh?, they can also send more.

[et's daddy]

"We're obviously very glad that no one was hurt," Harper said during a news conference in Ottawa.

4 dead ?

they are in Iraq, not Candyland

if you tell a vehicle to stop and it doesnt, shoot

period

no indication was given asking them to stop because 1 diplomat didnt see it ?

was he driving ?

was he in the passengers front seat ?

[PLO]

im pretty sure the check points they were traveling through would have been aware that they were in the area. Unless they were travelin incognito?

[Mekorig]

Is interesting. When the incident whit the Italian car happened, the US army give the same version. Maybe its an standard procedure to hide that the troops made a posible fatal mistake.

[Thanato]

im going to go with the Diplomats story over the Soldiers story, because if they were given warnings they would of slowed down.

~Thanato

[et's daddy]

im pretty sure the check points they were traveling through would have been aware that they were in the area. Unless they were travelin incognito?

how close are these checkpoints ?

if they arent within site of each other i wouldnt trust intel from 1 to the next

anything could have happened

a bomb could have been attached to the vehicle without them knowing

not possible ? yeah it is

[Unlimited]

I didnt think the canadians were in iraq? iraqs a dangerous place they are lucky they didnt hit the car with an rpg

[PLO]

a bomb?

[et's daddy]

a bomb?

your question aimed at me ?

[Nadal]

a bomb?

The Canadians spying on us, the ideal is more sillier than a goldfish with a M-60 Light Machine gun. Though, I believe that the soldiers wouldn't of shot without the Canadian vechicle doing some hostile looking. Perhaps a sign that you should be more cauticious in such the environment?

[PLO]

no not spying on yous, my poinmt was diplomats are basicaly the cheif spys representing their own country when they go anywhere else. Thats what Embassys are for, youll notice during "occu[pations" or invasions Embassies get takin out fairly early on in the game.

Edited February 2, 2006 by PLO

[AnuKabal]

Just like american soldiers

[et's daddy]

Just like american soldiers

how so ?

defending themselves in a war zone ?

sure hope they would

[Thanato]

It was the green zone, a place were Diplomats roam free. Also the Yanks fired with out warning.

~Thanato

[et's daddy]

It was the green zone, a place were Diplomats roam free. Also the Yanks fired with out warning.

~Thanato

without warning ?

thats the word of 1 diplomat

against the word of the soldiers

diplomats roam free ? it was a checkpoint

[__Kratos__]

Is interesting. When the incident whit the Italian car happened, the US army give the same version. Maybe its an standard procedure to hide that the troops made a posible fatal mistake.

Close to same verison. There is differences in this story timeline and the Italian one.

Green Zone is heavy hit by suicide bombers, car didn't want to stop, they need to make it stop. It's them or that unknown car flying at them.

It was the green zone, a place were Diplomats roam free. Also the Yanks fired with out warning.

~Thanato

Perhaps the driver and people within the car weren't paying attention to the entire scene. Kind of funny how they just hear a "kaboom" first... perhaps the need a better driver and not be so comfortable within the area. It's still a war-zone.

[The Silver Thong]

I find it ironic that they were there to help with the peace process and not only were shot at by allies, but that some seem to feel this is totally ok to do. The humv's they were following, I believe they did the shooting. It seems this was almost similar to when the Americans bombed and killed Canadians in afganistan,shoot first ask questions later.

I am sure that they were not out on a pleasure trip with aunt May at the wheel, and they were very aware of were they were and how dangerous it could be. And taking the word of one diplomat over say 12 soldiers whats the difference REALLY.

I will add yes if they blatantly ignored the warnings fine shoot, but I doubt there really was much of a warning.

Edited February 2, 2006 by The Silver Thong

[Unlimited]

were just lucky noone was hurt

[PLO]

Diplomats do nothing to help "peace" proceses, they co-ordinate intelligence operations and run interferance against the enemy.