Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 A bit much when our American friends won't release the bloody video of that air strike and we have to depend on the Sun Good job we have "Special Relationship" eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14013 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 what air strike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 'Friendly fire' video unearthed L/CoH Matty Hull L/CoH Matty Hull was in a convoy of light armoured vehicles near Basra 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 paper 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. We're in jail, dude American pilot on tape 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. 'Weeping' 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, L/CoH Hull's widow, Susan, described it as an "absolute disgrace" that she had been assured by the military no such tape existed. L/CoH 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. Furious attack On Friday, Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker was forced to adjourn L/CoH 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. There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead L/CoH Hull's family MoD 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. L/CoH 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 L/CoH 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46093 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Saw it on the telly this morning. You have to feel a bit sorry for the lads in the plane, assured that they were firing on enemy targets then a few minutes later told that was wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 the American Way I'm afraid - shoot first, ask questions later Its not the first time in Iraq the USAF have shot our guys - and of course Al Quaida and co all travel about in armoured vehicles in daylight........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 the American Way I'm afraid - shoot first, ask questions later Its not the first time in Iraq the USAF have shot our guys - and of course Al Quaida and co all travel about in armoured vehicles in daylight........... March 2003 would have been just after we entered Iraq so the Iraqi army would still have been active and fighting rather than Al Qaeda or other insurgent groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 there was hardly any fighting near basra after the first few days the brits suffered more casualties from the USAF than the Iraqi Army Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 there was hardly any fighting near basra after the first few days the brits suffered more casualties from the USAF than the Iraqi Army That's as may be, my point re: Al Qaeda / the insurgents still stands though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 3984 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 there was hardly any fighting near basra after the first few days the brits suffered more casualties from the USAF than the Iraqi Army That's as may be, my point re: Al Qaeda / the insurgents still stands though. Aye Alex is right on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 i think its disgusting stuff like this is perpetually covered up. but for the sake of "national or global security" or some other tagline its really stuff we should be hearing about. i also know we had in 2003 lost more troops to friendly fire than to enemy fire. that is scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 there was hardly any fighting near basra after the first few days the brits suffered more casualties from the USAF than the Iraqi Army That's as may be, my point re: Al Qaeda / the insurgents still stands though. Aye Alex is right on this one. what? It's Ok to kill people on your own side??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 there was hardly any fighting near basra after the first few days the brits suffered more casualties from the USAF than the Iraqi Army That's as may be, my point re: Al Qaeda / the insurgents still stands though. Aye Alex is right on this one. what? It's Ok to kill people on your own side??? No Rob, (as would be fairly obvious I would have thought) I was making the point your referring to Al Qaeda was irrelevent given the date and location. Would it kill you to admit that? [/rhetorical] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 I thought we invaded Eye rak because it was a haunt of AL Quaida and WOMD..... that's what Mr Bush said after all......................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 How humble of you (as ever) to admit you got it wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrokles Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 It's the same in any war, from time immemorial, so there's no reason to start another round of little Englandering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20803 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 the American Way I'm afraid - shoot first, ask questions later Its not the first time in Iraq the USAF have shot our guys - and of course Al Quaida and co all travel about in armoured vehicles in daylight........... Twats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@yourservice 67 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Orange was on their screen but they thought there was no activity where they were,so they went for it,orange missiles?judging by their voices on the recording...typical yankee gung-ho!and the"i feel sick"afterwards,bet he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Orange was on their screen but they thought there was no activity where they were,so they went for it,orange missiles?judging by their voices on the recording...typical yankee gung-ho!and the"i feel sick"afterwards,bet he was. I would imagine he did feel sick tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStar 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 (edited) From the transcript it sounds like it was bound to happen seeing as they apparently sent Bill and Ted to pilot their aircraft. "Duuuude, we just shot some brits!" "That totally sucks" "Bogus!" "Never mind, our defence department is bodacious and will totally cover it up!" "Excellent!" (air guitar) Edited February 6, 2007 by BlueStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Saw it on the telly this morning. You have to feel a bit sorry for the lads in the plane, assured that they were firing on enemy targets then a few minutes later told that was wrong. Was there such an assurance? 5 live this morning reported that the bombing occured prior to any command being issued or any verification on the target either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 From the transcript it sounds like it was bound to happen seeing as they apparently sent Bill and Ted to pilot their aircraft. "Duuuude, we just shot some brits!" "That totally sucks" "Bogus!" "Never mind, our defence department is bodacious and will totally cover it up!" "Excellent!" (air guitar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46093 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Saw it on the telly this morning. You have to feel a bit sorry for the lads in the plane, assured that they were firing on enemy targets then a few minutes later told that was wrong. Was there such an assurance? 5 live this morning reported that the bombing occured prior to any command being issued or any verification on the target either way. At the start of the attack in the video obtained by the paper, 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. From the BBC Article on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus 0 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 heres the vid http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e06da463d7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS 4411 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I was talking to a lass who served in Iraq in 2003 who reckons after the first friendly fire incidents they had an investigation and found: 1. A lot of US soldiers didn't know there were "allies" ie any other countries involved (an endightment of their briefing as much as their world view). 2. A lot of US soldiers had no idea what the Union Jack was and what it represented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo 175 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 A good friend of mine has done a tour in Iraq with the Territorials and he said the yanks were as much as a threat as the insurgents, on one occasion he was in a landrover (unarmoured he tells me) when they took friendly fire and had to make a very hastily drawn union jack on a piece of A4 and wave it out of a window to make them stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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