[Malsua]

see shell casings flying from the gun on the roof

Any chance you have a screenshot of this? I'll say it wouldn't suprise me in the slightest that snipers were among the journalists. I would like to see some hard evidence. Either way, the whiny journalists should get the hell out of dodge if they don't like being shot at.

[Benjamin Dover]

This story will never get the desired media-outrage effect for a couple of reasons. There are too many different accounts of what happened; some caught on video. If this was a blatant oops, we would be inundated with the "smoking gun" proof of a US screw-up. The press knows there was gunfire or RPG's coming from the hotel or close by. They're not going to push it. They'll end up looking stupid. Also, most American's first reaction was, "you're in a freaking warzone in downtown Baghdad! What did you expect?"

[Skibane]

I'll say it wouldn't suprise me in the slightest that snipers were among the journalists.

Not all the hotel's guests are even journalists. Acording to a PBS interview with one of the reporters in Baghdad, Iraqi citizens are also staying at that hotel, due to their belief that Coalition forces won't strike it.

What better location to snipe from?