thedrifter
02-12-07, 06:03 AM
US marines who killed ITN reporter 'uncovered'
Lawyers for the family of ITN journalist Terry Lloyd, who was shot dead by American forces in Iraq, have uncovered the names of US marines believed to be involved, it was reported yesterday.
Mr Lloyd was killed in a hail of American tank fire as he and three colleagues approached Iraq's second city, Basra, during the US-led invasion in March 2003.
His family said US forces had been allowed to behave like "trigger-happy cowboys" after a coroner recorded a verdict of "unlawful killing" at the inquest in Oxford last October.
But the US troops involved were never publicly identified and did not give evidence during the eight-day hearing.
Oxfordshire deputy assistant coroner Andrew Walker said afterwards that he would write to the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions "to see whether any steps can be taken to bring the perpetrators responsible for this to justice".
Yesterday two news-papers reported lawyers for Mr Lloyd's family had acquired the names of the US marines believed to be involved in the incident.
The Sunday Times reported that a dozen names had been identified and were to be passed to Attorney General Lord Goldsmith in the hope that criminal proceedings would follow.
The family's lawyer, Louis Charalambous, said: "I have got no comment to make at this stage."
No one at the Attorney General's office was available to comment.
Mr Lloyd, 50, was killed, with Lebanese interpreter Hussein Osman and French cameraman Fred Nerac, near the Shatt al Basra bridge outside the Iraqi city on March 22, 2003. The ITN reporter and his team had crossed from Kuwait City into Iraq with a brief to travel towards Basra.
Mr Lloyd was shot in the back after getting caught up in US and Iraqi cross-fire, then shot in the head by American forces as he was taken away in a minibus for treatment.
Mr Osman was later found dead while Mr Nerac is still officially missing. Belgian cameraman Daniel Demoustier survived and attended Mr Lloyd's inquest.
The latest development followed a week of controversy over US participation with British courts after delays to the inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Matty Hull. L/Cpl Hull was killed in a "friendly fire" attack by US warplanes.
Last week Mr Walker adjourned the inquest in frustration after being refused permission to show a US cockpit video and voice recording of the American pilots involved.
The recording was then leaked to a newspaper and the US relented, giving permission for the tape to be shown at the inquest – but only to the victim's family and not to the public or the media.
12 February 2007
Ellie
Lawyers for the family of ITN journalist Terry Lloyd, who was shot dead by American forces in Iraq, have uncovered the names of US marines believed to be involved, it was reported yesterday.
Mr Lloyd was killed in a hail of American tank fire as he and three colleagues approached Iraq's second city, Basra, during the US-led invasion in March 2003.
His family said US forces had been allowed to behave like "trigger-happy cowboys" after a coroner recorded a verdict of "unlawful killing" at the inquest in Oxford last October.
But the US troops involved were never publicly identified and did not give evidence during the eight-day hearing.
Oxfordshire deputy assistant coroner Andrew Walker said afterwards that he would write to the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions "to see whether any steps can be taken to bring the perpetrators responsible for this to justice".
Yesterday two news-papers reported lawyers for Mr Lloyd's family had acquired the names of the US marines believed to be involved in the incident.
The Sunday Times reported that a dozen names had been identified and were to be passed to Attorney General Lord Goldsmith in the hope that criminal proceedings would follow.
The family's lawyer, Louis Charalambous, said: "I have got no comment to make at this stage."
No one at the Attorney General's office was available to comment.
Mr Lloyd, 50, was killed, with Lebanese interpreter Hussein Osman and French cameraman Fred Nerac, near the Shatt al Basra bridge outside the Iraqi city on March 22, 2003. The ITN reporter and his team had crossed from Kuwait City into Iraq with a brief to travel towards Basra.
Mr Lloyd was shot in the back after getting caught up in US and Iraqi cross-fire, then shot in the head by American forces as he was taken away in a minibus for treatment.
Mr Osman was later found dead while Mr Nerac is still officially missing. Belgian cameraman Daniel Demoustier survived and attended Mr Lloyd's inquest.
The latest development followed a week of controversy over US participation with British courts after delays to the inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Matty Hull. L/Cpl Hull was killed in a "friendly fire" attack by US warplanes.
Last week Mr Walker adjourned the inquest in frustration after being refused permission to show a US cockpit video and voice recording of the American pilots involved.
The recording was then leaked to a newspaper and the US relented, giving permission for the tape to be shown at the inquest – but only to the victim's family and not to the public or the media.
12 February 2007
Ellie