US ‘friendly fire’ video unearthed

THE Sun newspaper says it has obtained the cockpit video at the centre of a row over the “friendly-fire” death of a British soldier in Iraq.

An inquest into the death of Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, 25, from Berks, was adjourned after the coroner said the tape was central to the case. The MoD said it was classified “secret” by the US, so could not be released.The Sun says the video shows US aircraft attacking a British convoy in Basra, southern Iraq, in March 2003.The deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London, David Johnson, said the video would be de-classified if the military considered it would not put forces at risk in future.The Sun has published a transcript of what it says was said by US military personnel on the video.At the start of the attack, one pilot notices orange panels on the vehicles and asks whether there could be any friendly units in the area.His command gives assurances there are no coalition forces in the area.Pilots open fire but soon the error is realised and they are informed that friendly units were in the area.They are told: “Abort your mission.You got a, looks we might have a blue-on-blue situation [a friendly fire incident].”An air controller on the ground says: “We are getting an initial brief that there was one killed and one wounded, over.”One pilot replies: “Copy.RTB [return to base].”A colleague says: “I’m going to be sick.”They then talk about the possibility of being jailed for carrying out the attack.The first pilot says: “Did you hear?” His colleague replies: “Yeah, this sucks.””We’re in jail, dude,” says the first.The other pilot then weeps, saying: “God dammit”.The BBC’s defence correspondent Paul Wood said it was obvious from the recording that the pilots were appalled by their mistake.”They are not just remorseful, they are weeping.They are beside themselves.”He said the question was who is responsible for the error, adding that the Pentagon has a longstanding position not to let US servicemen appear before foreign tribunals.The Sun has released footage to television and radio stations, but is not giving other websites permission to use clips.Last week, when the existence of the tape came to light, Lance Corporal Hull’s widow, Susan, described it as an “absolute disgrace” that she had been assured by the military no such tape existed.Lance Corporal Hull, from the Household Cavalry Regiment, died from multiple injuries inside his blazing Scimitar tank, despite efforts by colleagues to save him.He was travelling in a column of light armoured vehicles near the southern Iraqi city of Basra when it was reportedly attacked by a US A-10 “tankbuster” aircraft.On Friday, Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker was forced to adjourn Lance Corporal Hull’s hearing because the MoD had failed to provide the inquest with a recording.He had earlier launched a furious attack on the MoD for refusing to release the tape.The MoD said it was given a copy of the video by the US government for its own investigation into the incident.”This recording is the property of the United States government and the MoD does not have the right to release it without their permission,” it said in a statement.However, Johnson, from London’s US Embassy, said the US government had been in discussions with Harriet Harman and other officials over the tape.”It is probably incorrect to say anyone had put pressure on anyone,” he said.”We have been working together on this.”Lance Corporal Hull’s family had been told that some classified material has been withheld, “but we did not specify its exact nature”, the statement added.”There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead Lance Corporal Hull’s family.”A Pentagon spokeswoman said the US government never released documents that were part of an investigation.The US government would view whoever leaked the video as “criminally responsible”, the spokeswoman added.BBCThe MoD said it was classified “secret” by the US, so could not be released.The Sun says the video shows US aircraft attacking a British convoy in Basra, southern Iraq, in March 2003.The deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London, David Johnson, said the video would be de-classified if the military considered it would not put forces at risk in future.The Sun has published a transcript of what it says was said by US military personnel on the video.At the start of the attack, one pilot notices orange panels on the vehicles and asks whether there could be any friendly units in the area.His command gives assurances there are no coalition forces in the area.Pilots open fire but soon the error is realised and they are informed that friendly units were in the area.They are told: “Abort your mission.You got a, looks we might have a blue-on-blue situation [a friendly fire incident].”An air controller on the ground says: “We are getting an initial brief that there was one killed and one wounded, over.”One pilot replies: “Copy.RTB [return to base].”A colleague says: “I’m going to be sick.”They then talk about the possibility of being jailed for carrying out the attack.The first pilot says: “Did you hear?” His colleague replies: “Yeah, this sucks.””We’re in jail, dude,” says the first.The other pilot then weeps, saying: “God dammit”.The BBC’s defence correspondent Paul Wood said it was obvious from the recording that the pilots were appalled by their mistake.”They are not just remorseful, they are weeping.They are beside themselves.”He said the question was who is responsible for the error, adding that the Pentagon has a longstanding position not to let US servicemen appear before foreign tribunals.The Sun has released footage to television and radio stations, but is not giving other websites permission to use clips.Last week, when the existence of the tape came to light, Lance Corporal Hull’s widow, Susan, described it as an “absolute disgrace” that she had been assured by the military no such tape existed.Lance Corporal Hull, from the Household Cavalry Regiment, died from multiple injuries inside his blazing Scimitar tank, despite efforts by colleagues to save him.He was travelling in a column of light armoured vehicles near the southern Iraqi city of Basra when it was reportedly attacked by a US A-10 “tankbuster” aircraft.On Friday, Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker was forced to adjourn Lance Corporal Hull’s hearing because the MoD had failed to provide the inquest with a recording.He had earlier launched a furious attack on the MoD for refusing to release the tape.The MoD said it was given a copy of the video by the US government for its own investigation into the incident.”This recording is the property of the United States government and the MoD does not have the right to release it without their permission,” it said in a statement.However, Johnson, from London’s US Embassy, said the US government had been in discussions with Harriet Harman and other officials over the tape.”It is probably incorrect to say anyone had put pressure on anyone,” he said.”We have been working together on this.”Lance Corporal Hull’s family had been told that some classified material has been withheld, “but we did not specify its exact nature”, the statement added.”There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead Lance Corporal Hull’s family.”A Pentagon spokeswoman said the US government never released documents that were part of an investigation.The US government would view whoever leaked the video as “criminally responsible”, the spokeswoman added.BBC

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