-Caveat Lector- http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-germany-us- soldier-shot0203feb03,0,650867.story
""The U.S. military replaced more distinctive plates in 2000 out of concerns for force protection, said Alison Bettencourt, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg."" >>>Yeah, and when we were "over there", we had nice little American-style plates that made every military person's car stand out like a beacon regardless of the "European-ness" of the vehicle. This incident may be indeed criminal in nature. Yet, there has always been a constant threat for military members who might be targets for disgruntled Europeans ... egradless of their background. A<>E<>R <<< U.S. Soldier Is Shot in Southern Germany By STEPHEN GRAHAM Associated Press Writer February 3, 2003, 2:32 PM EST BERLIN -- A U.S. soldier was seriously wounded by gunfire early Monday after he pulled his car off the road in southern Germany to clean ice from the windshield, police said. The 26-year-old private first class from the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division was wearing civilian clothes when he was shot in the left hand and leg on his way to the barracks in Schweinfurt, 60 miles east of Frankfurt, Schweinfurt police spokesman Karl-Heinz Schmitt said in a statement. Police said they were focusing on a personal motive, after both German investigators and U.S. military officials said there were no indications of a terror attack. "It looks like a criminal act," police spokesman Dieter Klein said. "We're tending to look at (the soldier's) personal relationships." The shooting took place around 5 a.m. about three miles from the Schweinfurt barracks, where the 2nd Brigade of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division is stationed. The soldier was able to drive despite being wounded, and was in stable condition after undergoing surgery, 1st Infantry spokesman Maj. Mark Ballesteros said. Earlier, the soldier's unit had said he was released from the hospital Monday evening. Ballesteros declined to give further details, including the soldier's identity. Police said they would question him Tuesday. The soldier was driving a Ford Mustang with U.S. military license plates that closely resemble German plates, except for small NATO and U.S. symbols. The U.S. military replaced more distinctive plates in 2000 out of concerns for force protection, said Alison Bettencourt, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg. About 15,000 soldiers from the 1st Infantry, the U.S. Army's oldest division, are among 62,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany. The 1st Infantry has recently begun deploying 1,800 soldiers as part of the buildup of forces for a possible war against Iraq. Copyright � 2003, The Associated Press <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
