Spanish judge reissues arrest warrants for 3 US servicemen in death of journalist in Iraq

Spain reissues US troop warrants over Iraq death

MADRID — A Madrid judge reissued arrest warrants Thursday for three U.S. servicemen over the death of a Spanish journalist killed by American tank fire in Iraq in 2003.

Judge Santiago Pedraz acted in response to a recent order from the Spanish Supreme Court that the case — twice shelved by a lower court — be reopened.

Cameraman Jose Couso was one of two journalists killed when the U.S. soldiers — members of a tank crew — responded to what they said was hostile fire from a Baghdad hotel that housed Western journalists during the invasion of Iraq.

The soldiers — Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip DeCamp — were all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, and have never appeared in Spain in connection with the case.

Following the incident, then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said American troops had opened fire after encountering hostile fire from the hotel, perhaps from a sniper. He said a U.S. review of the incident found the use of force was justified.

In his order Thursday, Pedraz also requested permission from a Spanish judicial oversight board to travel to Iraq and view the site where Couso and Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk were killed.