United States troops have opened fire on a civilian vehicle at a military
checkpoint in southern Iraq, killing seven people and wounding
two.
Navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Owens says the shooting occurred at a
checkpoint at Najaf, 150 kilometres south of Baghdad.
He says the victims, women and children, were in a vehicle which failed
to stop despite repeated warning shots fired by US troops.
Four other people in the vehicle escaped unharmed.
"As a last resort, they fired into the passenger compartment of the
vehicle," Lt Cdr Owens said at US Central Command's forward planning
base.
"When soldiers opened the vehicle they found 13 women and children
inside. Seven of the occupants were dead, two were wounded and four were
unharmed."
Lt Cdr Owens says the military has opened an investigation into the
incident and is trying to find out if any of the car's occupants were
hurt before the troops opened fire.
SPOKEN INTRO:
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who wanted to grow up to be a
soldier and serve his country in whatever way he could.
He would parade around the house with a saucepan on his head for a
helmet, a wooden sword in one hand, and the American flag in the
other.
As he grew up, he'd put away the things of a child, but he never
let go of the flag...
My name is William Calley,
I'm a soldier of this land,
I've tried to do my duty
And to gain the upper hand;
But they've made me out a villain,
They have stamped me with a brand,
As we go marching on...
I'm just another soldier
From the shores of USA,
Forgotten on a battlefield
Ten thousand miles away
While life goes on as usual
From New York to Santa Fe,
As we go marching on...
I've seen my buddies ambushed
On the left and on the right,
And their youthful bodies riddled
By the bullets of the night;
Where all the rules are broken
And the only law is might,
As we go marching on...
While we're fighting in the jungles
They were marching in the
street,
While we're dying in the rice fields
They were helping our defeat.
While we're facing VC bullets
They were sounding a retreat,
As we go marching on...
With our sweat we took the bunkers,
With our tears we took the plain,
With our blood we took the mountain
And they gave it back again.
Still, all of us are soldiers,
We're too busy to complain,
As we go marching on...
SPOKEN:
When I reach my final campground
In that land beyond the sun,
And the Great Commander asks me,
"Did you fight or did you run?"
I'll stand both straight and tall,
Stripped of medals, rank, and gun,
And this is what I'll say,
"Sir, I followed all my orders,
And I did the best I could.
It's hard to judge the enemy
And hard to tell the good.
Yet, there's not a man among us
Who would not have understood.
We took the jungle village
Exactly like they said,
We responded to their rifle fire
With everything we had.
And when the smoke had cleared away
A hundred souls lay dead.
Sir, the soldier that's alive
Is the only one can fight.
There's no other way to wage a war
When the only one in sight
That you're sure is not a VC
Is you buddy on your right.
When all the wars are over
And the battle's finally won
Count me only as a soldier
Who never left his gun,
With a light to serve my country
As the only prize I've won..."
Glory, glory, hallelujah... [FADE-OUT]
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