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Solicitor angered at US shooting stance
02 September 2003 --
A NORTHERN Ireland legal firm planning to sue the US for $15m on behalf of an
Iraqi family who lost four members at a checkpoint shooting, has accused US
military leaders of being "dismissive and misleading".
Ritchie McRitchie, a solicitor with Madden and Finucane, said the US army was
officially investigating the shootings but had not interviewed any witnesses or
examined the scene.
Mr McRitchie travelled to Iraq last month to investigate the shootings along
with two other solicitors from the firm.
He said that Madden and Finucane were in consultation with a number of US
lawyers and examining how to begin legal action in the US.
Two organisations working in Iraq, Voices in the Wilderness and Occupation
Watch, are helping to co-ordinate visits with families and discussions with
eyewitnesses.
"The reaction of the US was dismissive. One captain said that the incident was
under investigation but the army hasn't even examined the scene or spoken to any
witnesses. To say there has been an investigation is misleading to say the
least," Mr McRitchie said.
He added that the US military have yet to offer any explanation for their
actions.
Haded abd al-Kerim, a 13-year-old girl, was shot dead by US troops along with
her father and two older siblings on August 7 last.
They had been travelling towards a US military checkpoint that Mr McRitchie
claimed was not identifiable.
Another person in a car in front of them was shot dead and two people were
arrested.
Mr McRitchie said that Madden and Finucane had not been allowed to order a
forensic examination of the first car but said photographs indicated that the
handbrake had been applied as the car reached the checkpoint.
"Witnesses describe an initial car being shot at. One (person in the car) is
dead and two are in custody, so we haven't been able to speak to them. It
appears they didn't see it until too late," he said.
Pentagon spokesman Major Michael Shavers said yesterday that it was too early to
comment on the case and the US Defence Department had yet to receive any legal
papers from Madden and Finucane.
"Generally we don't have comments on ongoing cases like this, and it's way too
premature to comment on a case we haven't seen yet," he said.
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