[malamute]

prayers for the injured

[Jhoffa_]

Oh my gosh..

We can make bombs fly through windows but we can't positively ID our own troops?

Why is that?

[Steven W.]

oh no! and this is the stuff we'd moved through Turkey behind the scenes while all the political stuff was going on!

[dandelion]

How do they know if it was the U.S. that bombed them?
Just curious...

[2penguins]

What I want to know is why the hell they keep letting pilots go for targets of oportunity. It's to damn dangerous.

Ask combat pilot how easy it is to tell friend from foe at 5000 feet and flying at 350 mph.

[demlosers]

US bombs own convoy in N Iraq


US forces have bombed a convoy of American special forces and Kurdish civilians in northern Iraq, the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson says.

John Simpson, who himself suffered minor injuries in the attack, said he could see a lot of bodies.

He described the attack as a "bad own goal" by the Americans.

The convoy contained between eight and 10 cars, two of which contained US special forces.

Among the injured is thought to be a senior Kurdish political figure, our correspondent says.

[swheats]

Among the injured is thought to be a senior Kurdish political figure, our correspondent says.

Is this normal to have a political figure travelling with the soldiers?

[WaterDragon]

I hate these accidents! Prayers for the families. Maybe the Canadians and Brits will quit complaining that we deliberately target them. Tragic!

[TexKat]

Something I was afraid of from the start.

[kattracks]

10-12 killed in friendly fire attack on US troops


LONDON, April 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. warplane bombed U.S. special forces and Kurdish civilians in a convoy on Sunday, killing at least 10 to 12 of them in a "friendly fire" incident in northern Iraq, said a BBC correspondent who witnessed the event.

The reporter, the BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson, told the television: "I have counted 10 to 12 bodies...Americans dead."

"This is just a scene from hell here. There are vehicles on fire, bodies lying around, and there are bits of bodies around me...

"They hit their own people... they've killed a lot of ordinary characters, I'm just looking at the bodies now and it's not a very pretty sight," Simpson, injured in the incident, told BBC television in the report from northern Iraq monitored in London.

He said a senior Kurdish political figure was believed to be among the wounded. He said the bomb was dropped from a U.S. plane 10 to 12 feet (about four metres) from where he was standing.



04/06/03 05:13 ET

[limaoyuan]

Oh, I hate friendly fire .The soldiers can avert the attack from the enemy, but can't escape from the fire of their fellow, can they? The militarist should do something for this.

[Tamzee]

Say it aint so.... :-(

[LPStar]

How horrible for the victims, and demoralizing. Also, this is terrible for the pilot who made this drop - can you imagine how he might feel?

[not_apathetic_anymore]

It sure seems like we hear about friendly fire a lot. I wonder if it's happening more often than in past wars (if so why) or if it's just getting reported more.

I know we can never be perfect with targeting, but it seems like there would be some way to make its occurrence a rare thing.

Prayers for the casualties and for the one pulling the trigger.

[Prince Charles]

Sky News says 12 dead... but that number will most likely rise.

[kattracks]

US investigates "friendly fire" reports in N.Iraq


AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar, April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Sunday it was investigating reports that U.S.-led forces bombed their own special forces and Kurds southeast of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

"Central Command officials are investigating reports that coalition aircraft may have engaged special operations and friendly Kurdish ground forces," the U.S. military said in a statement issued at war headquarters in Qatar.

It said the incident had occured on Sunday morning, about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of the northern city of Mosul, but said it did not have any information on possible casualties.

"Coalition aircraft were conducting close air support missions at the time, and were in coordination with ground forces. The circumstances contributing to the incident are under investigation," the statement said.

A BBC correspondent who said he had witnessed the incident said at least 10 people, including U.S. special forces and a senior Kurdish figure, had been killed when a U.S. plane dropped a bomb on their convoy.



04/06/03 07:14 ET

[laz17]

Is the pilot a muslim? After what happened with Akbar, the question needs to be asked.

[demosthenes the elder]

oh... crap.