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Top Secret video nails culpability of U.S. in friendly fire incident from March 2003. Cockpit video suppressed for 4 years by America is unearthed by The Sun.
The attack from the US A-10 “tankbuster” aircraft reportedly killed L/CoH Matty Hull, from the Household Cavalry Regiment, and injured four others near the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
BBC News security correspondent Frank Gardner said the release of the video was “deeply embarrassing” to the MoD and the Pentagon. “This was an error, friendly forces got killed because of mistakes both high and lower down the chain of command.”
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.
Good Grief!! When does this insanity end?
More like we’re in hell.
I saw this on the news this morning in my groggy trying-to-wake-up state. I didn’t realize, from the coverage I was able to process, that this was an event from a few years ago.
But what a tragedy. War is always horrible. But friendly fire is that much more tragic, although I feel in a sense all fire is friendly fire since we’re all people, we all share the same planet, we all share the same goals (freedom, happiness, liberty) and we’re all screwed up in one way or another.
Thanks for the clarification re this story, Oui!
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WASHINGTON D.C. (The Scotsman) Feb. 8, 2007 – The US air squadron involved in the friendly-fire incident in Iraq that killed of Lance Corporal Matty Hull last night apologised to his family.
“We’re obviously very, very sorry to the family and extend our sympathies to them,” Lieutenant Tony Vincelli, a spokesman for the Idaho National Guard said.
The pilots who launched the attack that killed L-Cpl Hull near Basra in March 2003 were reservists from the Idaho National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron, who had never been in action before.
Major General Larry Lafrenz, the commanding general of the Idaho National Guard, said in a statement: “The entire Idaho National Guard family extends our deepest sympathies to the family of L-Cpl Hull.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."