US Troops Shoot Six Libyan Civilians During ‘Rescue’ Mission

JBeee

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Jun 1, 2007
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Jason Ditz
March 22, 2011

There was ample coverage of the loss of a US F-15 fighter jet over Libya Tuesday, and it always came with reassurances that the crew was safe. Less safe, however, were a group of Libyan civilians who came to the aid of one of the crew.

That’s because the civilians who met the plane’s weapons officer and offered him fruit juice while he waited to be rescued were attacked by US Marines during the brief ground incursion meant to rescue the crew. Some of the reports suggest the Marines arrived in a V-22 Osprey attack helicopter and opened fire on the crowd with it.

Six Libyan civilians were shot in the attack, including a young boy who local hospital officials say may lose his leg because of the attack. The weapons officer had been found in a sheep field and was met by the civilians, who were backers of the anti-Gadhafi rebellion.

The incident is news not just for the tragic outcome, but because despite the explicit UN prohibition on “occupation troops” being spun as a broad prohibition on ground troops, US Marines were indeed on the ground, in Libya, in a field full of sheep.

*lmao*

The pilot was initially picked up by rebel soldiers, who the Marines reported treated him “with dignity and respect” before handing him over to the troops. It does not appear there was any incident with regards to him. The Marines have yet to comment on the shootings in the recovery of the weapons officer.

The F-15 was flying out of Italy at the time of the crash, and officials are blaming a system malfunction. It is the first aircraft reported lost since the US and France started the Libyan War on Saturday. An F-15E Strike Eagle costs approximately $31 million.


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Goober

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Jan 23, 2009
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Jason Ditz
March 22, 2011

There was ample coverage of the loss of a US F-15 fighter jet over Libya Tuesday, and it always came with reassurances that the crew was safe. Less safe, however, were a group of Libyan civilians who came to the aid of one of the crew.

That’s because the civilians who met the plane’s weapons officer and offered him fruit juice while he waited to be rescued were attacked by US Marines during the brief ground incursion meant to rescue the crew. Some of the reports suggest the Marines arrived in a V-22 Osprey attack helicopter and opened fire on the crowd with it.

Six Libyan civilians were shot in the attack, including a young boy who local hospital officials say may lose his leg because of the attack. The weapons officer had been found in a sheep field and was met by the civilians, who were backers of the anti-Gadhafi rebellion.

The incident is news not just for the tragic outcome, but because despite the explicit UN prohibition on “occupation troops” being spun as a broad prohibition on ground troops, US Marines were indeed on the ground, in Libya, in a field full of sheep.

*lmao*

The pilot was initially picked up by rebel soldiers, who the Marines reported treated him “with dignity and respect” before handing him over to the troops. It does not appear there was any incident with regards to him. The Marines have yet to comment on the shootings in the recovery of the weapons officer.

The F-15 was flying out of Italy at the time of the crash, and officials are blaming a system malfunction. It is the first aircraft reported lost since the US and France started the Libyan War on Saturday. An F-15E Strike Eagle costs approximately $31 million.


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I thought that snakes hibernated in the winter.
 

Johnny Utah

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Mar 11, 2006
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Obvious case of friendly fire because it's hard to tell friend from foe in the heat of the moment and lessons will be learned so this hopefully doesn't happen again..
 

JBeee

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Yes....apparently the troops have found themselves in a `woolly` situation, once again.


Obvious case of friendly fire because it's hard to tell friend from foe in the heat of the moment and lessons will be learned so this hopefully doesn't happen again..
 

JBeee

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Point is, like the OP points out, our state-run media is all there to glorify a downed plane and hail the pilot another `hero` without the facts, all the while ignoring to report those insignificant details such as troops hiding amongst the sheep while gun-ships above take aim and shoot at innocent women and children in the process of aiding one of thier liberators in need of assistance.


Well if BJay learnt to be more persuasive he might be able convince more people of his point
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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You know.. For the world's best military...you guys kinda..

AND THEN I WOKE UP

*phew that was a close one*
 

JBeee

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Wikipedia: Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire. Neither is murder, whether premeditated or in the heat of the moment, and nor is deliberate firing on one's own troops for disciplinary reasons, as in these cases there is no intent to harm the enemy.[1] Similarly, inadvertent harm to non-combatants or structures, usually referred to as "collateral damage" is also not considered to be friendly fire.


''Friendly fire'' - terrible misnomer.