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(Agence France-Presse) THE Pentagon today declined to address an arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge against three US soldiers suspected of involvement in the 2003 shelling of a Baghdad hotel which killed a Spanish cameraman.

Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz earlier today cited US Lieutenant Colonel Philip de Camp, Captain Philip Wolford and Sergeant Thomas Gibson for their alleged involvement in the incident, according to a legal source.

Spanish cameraman Jose Couso died in April 2003 when a US tank shelled Baghdad's Palestine Hotel, which was being used by the international media covering the Iraq war.

Another cameraman died in the shelling while three other staff of the Reuters news agency were wounded.

"It is a complex legal matter. I don't have any information with regard how the department will respond to the warrants," Lieutenant Colonel Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said.

"The legal framework is such that I am unable to comment on it at this point. Having said that, with regard to the incident itself, the journalist's death at the Palestine Hotel was a tragedy," Lt-Col Venable said.

The US military found no fault or negligence on the part of its troops following a US inquiry into the shelling of the hotel.

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"The legal framework is such that I am unable to comment on it at this point. Having said that, with regard to the incident itself, the journalist's death at the Palestine Hotel was a tragedy ," Lt-Col Venable said.

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For crying out loud! They toss that line around at every turn. It's like the magic word that cures all military mistakes. "Sorry. Can't talk about it because it might incriminate us. But we'll use this really nifty word (see bold print) and you should all then back the fxxK off and let us carry on the killing."

I know... some would argue that the journalist knew what he was getting into when he headed there. But come on ... then there is this:

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The US military found no fault or negligence on the part of its troops following a US inquiry into the shelling of the hotel.

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Originally posted by West Coast Tiger:
Do they ever find fault??

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