Report clears U.S. in friendly fire incident

[Ghoulish Delight]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7491280/

This is the whole Italian journalist fiasco. A report from a joint U.S.-Italian investigation has been released. It was decided that the soldiers followed proper procedures (flashed their lights, then fired a warning shot, then shot to kill). Whether those will still be the proper procedures remains to be seen.

Here's what I find weird.

The investigation found the car was about 130 yards from the checkpoint when the soldiers flashed their lights as a warning to stop. But the car kept coming and, at 90 yards, warning shots were fired. At 65 yards, when the car failed to stop, the soldiers used lethal force — a machine gun burst that killed Calipari and wounded Sgrena and the driver.

Senior U.S. military officials say it took only about four seconds from the first warning to the fatal shots, but insist the soldiers acted properly under the current rules of engagement.

The investigation failed, however, to resolve one critical dispute: The Americans claim the car was racing toward the checkpoint at about 50 miles per hour, the Italians say it was traveling at a much slower speed.

Well, um, gee. Warning shot fired at 90 yards, lethal force used at 65 yards. 4 seconds in between. 3 seconds of math...18 mph. Even being generous and assuming "about 4 seconds" means 3.5 seconds, that's 20mph. So much for the US claim that it was speeding at 50mph. Am I missing something?