This is war

Geneva Conventions need not apply.

The US military is conducting an investigation into the incident [killing an Italian agent and wounding a journalist] and insists Sgrena’s convoy was speeding and failed to respond to warning shots and signals from soldiers.

Washington has called “absurd” Sgrena’s allegations that the shooting was deliberate and an internal Pentagon memo said the Italians failed to coordinate with US troops the passage of the convoy.

“This is war,” said the memo as transcribed by the US daily Washington Times. “About 500 American service members have been killed by hostile fire while operating on Iraqi streets and highways.
  Khaleej Times article

The comment that the soldiers fired warning shots reminds me of the movie "Chicago" when the girl is telling about her boyfriend's annoying behavior: "I fired two warning shots - into his head."

Further controversy haunted the US troop presence in Iraq with the release of a video of soldiers abusing at least one wounded prisoner in Iraq and showing disrespect to dead Iraqis as well as Iraqi civilians.

Results of the investigation of events contained in the 27-minute video dubbed “Ramadi madness” were unveiled by the Pentagon on Friday, with documents showing the military had decided not to bring any charges against the soldiers because they had displayed “inappropriate rather than criminal behavior.”

The video itself was not released at the time. But it was obtained by The Palm Beach Post and displayed on its Web site on Monday.

One of the scenes displays a wounded Iraqi detainees held at gunpoint by a US soldier. The Iraqi man is moaning from obvious pain while the soldier looks at the camera and says: “This (expletive) shot at me.” He then proceeds to kick the wounded man.

He shot at you, did he? Well, this is war.

Ramadi is apparently the new Falluja in Operation River Blitz, or whatever the hell they're calling it.

In Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar province, new Iraqi commandos conducted a raid on a hospital Tuesday “to investigate possible insurgent activity taking place on the premises,” said a US military statement.