Re: View from China's side
by
slippedvoussoir
09/15/2009, 10:32 AM
Here you go TexasPete:
Friday, 5 July, 2002, 10:00 GMT 11:00 UK
US soldiers charged for Korean deaths
There are 37,000 US troops in South Korea
Two US soldiers have
been charged over the deaths of two South Korean schoolgirls who were
struck by an armoured vehicle during a training exercise.
The US army accepts full responsibility for this tragic accident
General Leon LaPorte, US commander
The accident happened last month in a village near Uijongbu, 30
kilometres (18 miles) south of South Korea's heavily fortified border
with North Korea.
It has prompted several anti-US demonstrations by South Korean protesters and an apology from the US military.
The US has 37,000 troops in South Korea to deter any invasion by the North.
The protesters, some of
whom attacked and injured South Korean police guarding the US army base
at Uijongbu, said the drivers of the vehicle had deliberately killed
the girls and demanded the soldiers be handed over to local police.
Village road
The United States Forces
Korea (USFK) said in a statement that Sergeant Mark Walker and Sergeant
Fernando Nino of the 8th US Army 2nd Infantry division were charged
with "negligent homicide" in the deaths of teenagers Shim Mi-son and
Shin Hyo-sun.
"Both are charged with the deaths of the two girls by negligently
failing to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle," the statement
said.
Sergeant Walker was the
driver and Sergeant Nino the track commander of the tank-like
minesweeping vehicle which ran over the girls on a village road
It was not clear where in the US the two men come from.
On Wednesday, USFK commander General Leon LaPorte, issued the latest of several formal US apologies for the incident.
"The US army accepts full responsibility for this tragic accident," his statement said.
"I apologise for the grief and sorrow we've inflicted on these two families, which is indescribable."
South Korea has no
jurisdiction over US military personnel involved in accidents while on
duty. Occasional accidents and crimes have prompted demands from civic
groups to give South Korea more legal power in cases involving US
troops.