US Says Shots at Journalists' Baghdad Hotel 'Justified'

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 25, 2003

US Says Shots at Journalists' Baghdad Hotel 'Justified'

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The United States told Spain on Thursday that the shots American forces fired more than two weeks ago at Baghdad's Palestine Hotel which killed two journalists, including a Spaniard, was a "justified" defense act.

In a letter to the Spanish Foreign Ministry, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said US forces were ordered to defend themselves against any threat.

"The use of force was justified in view of hostile fire that seemingly came from the spot identified as Palestine Hotel," Powell said.

On April 8, US tanks fired at the Palestine Hotel, an international media center in Baghdad, killing two cameramen, Spaniard Jose Couso, of Telecinco Channel, and Ukrainian Taras Protsyuk, of the British news agency, Reuters. Three other Reuters members were injured.

Some journalists staying in the hotel said the attack was deliberately launched in revenge for the news footage of Iraqi civilians killed during US bombings, which was broadcast worldwide.

The journalists said they never heard any shots fired from the hotel.

The governments of Spain and Ukraine had asked Washington to explain the attack on the hotel.

Spain and Ukraine supported the military operation of US-British forces in Iraq and the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

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