IT MAY HAVE BEEN SATELLITE FOOTAGE that exonerated American soldiers in the Guiliana Srgena incident, according to Powerline. This description is from the AFP:
...the soldiers manning the checkpoint first spotted the Italian car when it was 137 yards (meters) away. By the time they opened fire and brought the car to a halt, it was 46 yards (meters) away. CBS said that happened in less than three seconds, which meant the car had to be going over 60 miles an hour.
The telling line here is the time the car took to travel a specific distance, which suggests a rate of speed in excess of 60mph. A far cry from the cautious, flower-admiring, puddle-giddy, 30mph that Srgena described.
Italian officials continue to be critical of the troops for not waiting longer, but at this speed another second would have risked allowing the car to breach the checkpoint.
UPDATE: With evidence as damning as satellite footage, can it be any wonder that the LA Times left it out of thier version of the story?
UPDATE: According to Malkin, an Italian newspaper gave detailed instructions on how to access information buried in the PDF of the report exonerating checkpoint troops. She has some disturbing examples.
It is unlikely that the U.S. intentionally leaked this information, at least, not without a reason. It is likely a massive screw-up on somebody's part. Kevin "Fuck Off And Die" Drum, whose minions have already provided multiple links to the report, thinks the compromise of sensitive intelligence that may put our troops at increased risk is delicious.
I just wanted to let enterprising journalists know that the full report is available to anyone with a copy of Acrobat Reader. Go to it, guys!
Austin Bay, with 30 years of military experience, has must-read analysis. It might not be as bad as originally thought. Here's a tidbit of his conclusions.
Commanders will now change the routine– amend convoy times, vary routes, vary convoy vehicle mix, vary vary the lay-down of traffic control points. (The Sunni holdouts and Zarqawi’s klan change tactics and procedures– it’s a vicious dynamic of war.)
I agree with Michelle on this point: “Yes, someone on our side screwed up bigtime in leaving the redacted portions in the PDF file.” Anti-Americans, Islamo-fiascists, and Islamo-fascist sympathizers have and will continue to use this incident –and any other incident– to attack coalition morale and attempt to undermine American credibility. The irony is, this “alledged” report is filled with details. On the other hand, Ms. Sgrena’s “details” tend to shift (recall her story, “My Truth"?).
UPDATE: Via The Asylum, could this whole fiasco be the result of a forgerie?
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