Checkpoints in Iraq...the bigger issue....

I've been following the story of the italian journalist as I'm sure many of you are. However there is a bigger issue behind this story, the numerous Iraqi's who have been killed under the same or similar scenario.

Today's Washington Post touched on this and several blogs have focused on the journalist part of the story. I'd like to go a bit deeper and back a little farther. There's not alot of media coverage about this. But if you look a pattern can be found.

Back in August of 2003, the Olympian covered a story concerning this very issue.

Olympian

At 9 p.m., an electrical transformer blew up, plunging the neighborhood into darkness.
U.S. soldiers, apparently fearing a bomb attack, went on alert. Within 45 minutes, six Iraqis trying to get home before the 11 p.m. curfew were shot and killed by U.S. troops.
Anwaar Kawaz, 36, lost her husband and three of four children. "We kept shouting, 'We're a family! Don't shoot!' But no one listened. They kept shooting," she said. She's expecting another child this month.

When asked about Friday's shootings, Lt. Col. Guy Shields, coalition military spokesman, said, "Our checkpoints are usually marked and our soldiers are trained and disciplined. I will check on that. That is serious."

A few blocks from where the car was shot up, 19-year-old Sayf Ali was shot and killed as he drove home with a cousin and a friend. He, too, didn't see the American checkpoint, survivors in the car said. Soldiers opened fire on the blue Opel station wagon, which kept moving after Ali was shot. The cousin and the friend jumped out. Soldiers kept firing until the car caught fire incinerating Ali's body, according to one of the witnesses, Arslan.

About the same time nearby, Ali Salman, 31, was driving home, also unaware of the unannounced checkpoints. He apparently didn't see the soldiers either and was killed.
Ghaleb Laftah, 24, who was sitting in the back of Salman's Honda, and Wisam Sabri, sitting in the front passenger seat, were wounded.

Last week the English version of Aljazeera had this article:

Aljazeera/


In the province's city of Ramadi, two Iraqis including a woman along with her children were killed in US fire.

While three civilians were injured when US troops opened fire on their car, the woman and children were killed when the air force bombed a house in Bu-Farraj district, north of the city.

Several checkpoints have been set up by the US forces in the city, with students studying at al-Anbar University unable to reach their classrooms, Aljazeera has learned.

The US action has enraged the citizens, particularly since troops killed at least five civilians and injured 16 in firing.

By now there should be some better procedure set up for these roadblocks. We should take the opportunity with the current media coverage about what happened to Nicola Calipari and focus on why this is still happening and what can be done to prevent it. The military needs to provide full information including how many Iraqis have been killed in similar situations. While the idea may be to create a secure Iraq we also need to stop creating hatred towards America when it can be avoided. No one would say US Soldiers do not have the right to protect themselves, however it's obvious something more needs to be done.

The link to the Washington Post article as well:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12507-2005Mar6.html