Storm over friendly fire video

correspondents in London

February 07, 2007 06:32am
Article from: Reuters



US and British officials denied trying to bury details of a friendly fire incident today when a cockpit video in which US pilots are heard weeping after mistakenly killing a British soldier in Iraq was leaked to the media.

A British coroner's inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Matty Hull has reignited questions over whether the allies did enough to shield troops from friendly fire - and whether both countries wanted to keep the details hidden.

"I'm going to be sick," one pilot in an A-10 attack jet can be heard saying on the video when he realises he has opened fire on a friendly convoy. "We're in jail, dude."

Another pilot is later heard weeping: "I'm dead."

Hull was killed when his convoy of light British tanks was strafed by American A-10 attack jets during the second week of the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Coroner Andrew Walker suspended his inquiry last week after he learned that there was a cockpit video which he had not been allowed to use or to show the family.

Washington had given the video to British authorities but refused to allow it to be shown to the coroner, saying it might contain security secrets.

The British government denied hiding it but said it could not release it without US permission.

After the video was shown all day on UK television, British officials said they had been told by Americans it had been cleared for use by the coroner.

US officials would not confirm this, but said they were working on a declassified version.

Washington said its own investigation exonerated the pilots.

"The investigators determined that the pilots followed the procedures and processes for engaging targets," US Defence Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

But US officials have refused British requests to send the pilots to travel to Britain to testify in the inquest.

Hull's widow said she was glad the video was now public.

"I would have preferred to hear the evidence from the US pilots themselves. However, they cannot be compelled to come and they have not come voluntarily. The video is therefore vital evidence and must be shown," Susan Hull said.

"After years of being told that it did not exist or was secret I feel that it was right not to give up hope."

Friendly fire has been a burning issue for both countries since the first Gulf War in 1991, when nine British servicemen were killed in a mistaken attack by US aircraft.

Precautions have since been taken - orange panels were fitted to allied vehicles to alert pilots during the 2003 invasion.

The pilots on the tape can be heard concluding the panels were "orange rocket launchers" before opening fire.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said reports of the transcripts of the incident showed a "clear expression of remorse" from those involved.

"These people immediately understood that this just was a terrible, terrible mistake and that they felt an immediate remorse for what happened," Mr McCormack said.


Видео снимак,ради у Mозили и потребан је ActivX plug in


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21185559-663,00.html

Cuo sam malopre koji indijanci i pored sve savremene tehnologije oni nemogu da se snadju. 

Да,још су ови имали наранџасте панеле преко возила,што је знак Нато снага... "Precautions have since been taken - orange panels were fitted to allied vehicles to alert pilots during the 2003 invasion."
Успут,што се тиче овог ActivX plug inа,ако нисте сигурни о чему се ради немојте инсталирати ако га немате,већ питајте некога шта је по среди...

update:http://www.nowpublic.com/american_friendly_fire_on_british_troops_in_iraq_pt_1

ово је линк до кога сам данас дошао и који је садржао поменути снимак,али пошто је био слабог квалитета покушао сам да нађем други,али,сем оног постављеног,нисам успео.Сада је са ове адресе скинут овај снимак и више се не може погледати.Можда сутра буде више прилике...

Da, gledao sam snimak kad psuju piloti iz kabine 

ovo im nije ni poslednji ni najveci takav "incident" . jedino shto su ovde u pitanju britanske ,a ne americhke trupe, pa in nije bilo lako da to zatashkaju.

Prikazali su snimak juče na udarnim vijestima na CNN-u i posvetili mu mnogo vremena. Pitanje je koliko se stvari još desilo a da javnost nema pojma i da će ikad teško saznati. I pored tolike tehnološke superiornosti(kako već oni kažu i kako ostatak svijeta misli), sve im se ovo dešava.

И још су их тукли из два налета...успут,не могу опет нигде да нађем снимак....

Сетих се да је било на Експлореру(ко има кабловску зна...)када је Б52 поклопио америчке и афганистанске борце који су наводили ватру на талибанско упориште....мислим да је то овај догађај... http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2001/n12052001_200112053.html

Cuo sam za slucaj kada su Ameri patriot raketom oborili Britanski Tornado pocetkom rata 2003 

 Ево га... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2877349.stm

pa sta ce nisu imali koga da isprase, moraju i piloti malo da opale koji metak