Hotel Palestine - Killing The Witness (Democracy Now)(2005)(DVD ISO)

Hotel Palestine - Killing The Witness (Democracy Now)(2005)(DVD ISO)

AMY GOODMAN: That was President Bush, an excerpt from the documentary, Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness. It was produced by Telecinco Spanish Television, the network of Jose Couso, who died on April 8, 2003, when the U.S. military attacked the Palestine Hotel.

Wounded Spanish Journalist Olga Rodriguez Describes the U.S. Attack on the Palestine Hotel That Killed Two of Her Colleagues
On April 8th, 2003, the U.S. military opened fire on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, killing two journalists: Taras Protsyuk, a Reuters cameraman from Ukraine, and Jose Couso from the Spanish TV network, Telecinco. We speak with Spanish journalist Olga Rodriguez, who was wounded in the attack. She says, "I never imagined that American troops were going to attack journalists living in a place protected by international law."

Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness - Documentary Exposes the Truth Behind the Attack
We air an excerpt of the documentary, "Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness," produced by Jose Couso's network, Telecinco, and broadcast on Spanish TV. It includes interviews with numerous journalists who were inside the Palestine Hotel, the AP reporter embedded with US forces at the time of the attack as well as the US tank commander who pulled the trigger.

Brother of Slain Journalist Jose Couso Calls for Prosecution of Those Responsible for U.S. Attack on Palestine Hotel
We speak with Jose Couso's brother, Javier, who is in the United States to call for an independent investigation into the death of his brother and the prosecution of those responsible.

The judge said the action was needed because the U.S. had provided "no judicial cooperation" in trying to resolve the death. We hear response from the Couso family and air excerpts from the documentary "Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness," featuring eyewitnesses to the shooting including reporters and two of the U.S. soldiers facing arrest.

A Spanish court has issued international arrest warrants for three U.S. soldiers connected to the killing of Spanish tv cameraman Jose Couso in Iraq.

On April 8 2003, the U.S. military opened fire on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, killing two journalists: Taras Protsyuk, a Reuters cameraman from Ukraine, and Couso who worked for the Spanish TV network, Telecinco.

On Wednesday, the Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz issued arrest warrants for Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, Captain Philip Wolford and Sgt. Shawn Gibson all of the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. The judge also requested the soldiers be extradited to Spain.

The soldiers have not been formally indicted but if they were brought to trial they could face jail sentences of up to 20 years for murder and "crimes against the international community".

Under Spanish law, a crime committed against a Spaniard abroad can be prosecuted in Spain if it is not investigated in the country where it is committed.

In a statement issued to Democracy Now, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Barry Venable defended the actions of the American troops in Iraq.

He said "U.S. Central Command fully investigated the incident and determined that the U.S. service members acted appropriately during that combat action."

Venable also said the Pentagon has "cooperated previously with the Spanish Government, including by providing information concerning the incident and resulting investigation."

But Spanish officials disagree. The arrest warrant said the U.S. had provided "no judicial cooperation" in trying to resolve the death.

After the judge issued the arrest warrants, Jose Couso’s brother, Javier held a press conference in Madrid.

•Javier Couso, brother of slain journalist Jose Couo, speaking to reporters in Madrid Wednesday.
•Maribel Permuy Lopez, mother of Jose Couso. She was interviewed in Washington D.C. on Sept. 24 at the antiwar march.
We turn now to the documentary, "Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness," produced by Jose Couso’s network, Telecinco, and broadcast on Spanish TV. It includes interviews with numerous journalists who were inside the Palestine Hotel, the AP reporter embedded with US forces at the time of the attack as well as two of the soldiers named in the warrants as well as two of the soldiers wanted in Spain, Shawn Gibson and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp.

http://www.democracynow.org/2005/3/23/hotel_palestine_killing_the_witnes...
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/10/20/killing_the_witness_spanish_judge...
http://www.democracynow.org/2003/4/8/u_s_forces_shell_palestine_hotel
http://archive.org/details/dn2005-0323
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/14145
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Hotel
http://www.peaceandjustice.it/a12-film.php
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/09/201196173036305201.html

From Occupied Palestine - "Don't kill the truth"
http://www.fromoccupiedpalestine.org/node/668