[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da Sgurbat
riporto le paroli testuali utilizzate nel libro (ovviamente la traduzione italiana):

Si, ma se cancelli la parte più importante...

"Nel Luglio 1988, la nave americana Vincennes abbattè un aereo civile iraniano che volava in un corridoio aereo poco al largo dalle coste iraniane, provocando la morte di 290 persone, solo perchè era giudicato necessario sperimentare l'affidabilità del sistema missilistico ad alta tecnologia di cui era stata dotata la nave, secondo quanto affermato dal comandante della flotta USA dislocata in quella zona, David Carlson. Il quale diede l'ordine da un'unità vicina e disse di essere "rimasto a bocca aperta: quasi non ci credevo".

E richiama alla nota n. 66:

http://www.understandingpower.com/chap1.htm

66. For U.S. media coverage of the Vincennes's attack, see for example, Richard Halloran, "The Downing of Flight 655: U.S. Downs Iran Airliner Mistaken For F-14; 290 Reported Dead; A Tragedy, Reagan Says; Action Is Defended," New York Times, July 4, 1988, p. A1 (the original press report); Editorial, "A Verdict on the Vincennes," New York Times, August 4, 1988, p. A24 ("the shootdown still seems the type of mishap almost impossible to avoid in the context. . . . From what is now known . . . the incident still must be seen not as a crime but as a blunder, and a tragedy").

For the eyewitness Navy Commander's revelations, see David R. Carlson [Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Sides], "The Vincennes Incident," Proceedings: U.S. Naval Institute, Vol. 115, No. 9, Issue 1039, September 1989, pp. 87-92. The Commander of a U.S. escort frigate in the vicinity of the Vincennes at the time of the attack denounced the official apologias as founded on lies, remarking:

When the decision was made to shoot down the Airbus, the airliner was climbing, not diving; it was showing the proper identification friend or foe -- I.F.F. (Mode III); and it was in the correct flight corridor from Bandar Abbas to Dubai. . . . My experience was that the conduct of Iranian military forces in the month preceding the incident was pointedly nonthreatening. . . .

Having watched the performance of the Vincennes for a month before the incident, my impression was clearly that an atmosphere of restraint was not her long suit. Her actions appeared to be consistently aggressive, and had become a topic of wardroom conversation. "Who's driving the problem in Vincennes?" was a question asked on numerous occasions prior to 3 July. "Robo Cruiser" was the unamusing nickname that someone jokingly came up with for her, and it stuck. My guess was that the crew of the Vincennes felt a need to prove the viability of Aegis [its missile system] in the Persian Gulf, and that they hankered for an opportunity to show their stuff. . . . During the incident, the Sides was less than 20 nautical miles from the Vincennes and under the Vincennes's tactical command. . . . The Vincennes announced her intentions to take TN 4131 [the Iran Air plane] with missiles at 20 miles. I wondered aloud in disbelief.

David R. Carlson, "'Fog of War' Was a Cop-Out for Vincennes," Op-Ed, Los Angeles Times, September 3, 1989, part V, p. 5 (Carlson notes that the Commander of the Vincennes and the officer in charge of anti-air warfare were given the Legion of Merit award for the "calm and professional atmosphere" under their command during the period of the destruction of the Iranian airliner, and the air-warfare coordinator was given the Navy's Commendation Medal for "heroic achievement" and "ability to maintain his poise and confidence under fire," which enabled him to "quickly and precisely complete the firing procedure").

See also, Jane Fritsch and Ralph Frammolino, "Vincennes Crew Gets Upbeat Welcome Home," Los Angeles Times, October 25, 1988, p. 1. An excerpt:

The officers and crew of the Vincennes, the U.S. warship that mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner in the Persian Gulf last July, got a boisterous, flag-waving welcome Monday. . . .

As the Vincennes pulled into a pier at the 32nd Street Naval Station on Monday morning, its loudspeakers blared the theme from the movie "Chariots of Fire" and nearby Navy ships saluted with gunfire. The reception, complete with balloons and a Navy band playing upbeat songs, was organized by Navy officials who did not want the Vincennes "to sneak into port," a public affairs officer said.

"U.S. disputes court's authority in Iran case," Chicago Tribune, March 6, 1991, zone C, p. 10 (noting that Washington rejected the World Court's jurisdiction when Iran called on the Court to order reparations); John Barry and Roger Charles, "Sea of Lies," Newsweek, July 13, 1992, p. 29 (four years after the incident, Newsweek, which had previously parroted the government line, broke ranks and reported the long-known facts).