Posted on 03/13/2005 5:49:36 AM PST by lizol
US admits responsibility for “unintentional” Bulgarian death in Iraq (AFP)
12 March 2005
SOFIA - US forces have admitted responsibility for a Bulgarian soldier’s “friendly fire” death last week in Iraq, saying it was “unintentional” and provoked by two nearby terrorist attacks, the Bulgarian defence ministry said Saturday.
“The gunfire against our patrol was preceded by a terrorist attack on an American logistics convoy nine kilometers south of communication post number 5 (which later produced the “friendly fire’) and a second attack against a rapid deployment unit of post number 6, three to five kilometers south of the same post,” a statement said quoting results from a Multinational Forces Command investigation.
“As a result the American post was brought under alert with a view to answering a possible attack in its sector of responsibility,” the ministry added.
Private Gardi Gardev, a machinegunner on an armored vehicle, lost his life on March 4 after a hailstorm of gunfire from US communication post number 5, while his unit patrolled on a road some 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the capital.
The attack was sparked by two warning shots fired by the patrol as a stop signal to an approaching Iraqi vehicle.
The same day an Italian intelligence agent, Nicola Calipari, was shot to death by US troops at a roadblock in Baghdad as he was escorting an Italian journalist to the airport after helping to free her from insurgents who held her hostage for a month.
The journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, and another Italian agent were wounded in the shooting.
The Multinational Forces Command said the US attack on the Bulgarian unit was “unintentional” but also admitted that US forces ”did not put enough effort into identifying the objects on Tampa road and directly opened fire without the required warning shots.”
According to the investigation results “the Bulgarian patrol had acted in complete compliance with the standard operational procedures and the rules for application of force and did not in any way threaten the security of the US communication unit.”
Last week, Bulgarian Army Chief of Staff, General Nikola Kolev, put the incident to a lack of communication between the Bulgarian patrol and US military forces in Iraq.
The Multinational Forces Commandment assured the Bulgarian side that “measures have been undertaken for improving the coordination and not allowing similar incidents to happen in the future,” the statement also added.
Interesting. "Unintentional" and "friendly fire" are in scare quotes.
Yep, interesting.
APf
" what is with the ""?" "unintentional" "friendly fire". Is someone hinting at something?
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