Americans kill 3 British soldiers in Afghanistan

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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Yet more "friendly" fire by the Americans....

US jet kills three British soldiers in 'friendly fire' blunder in Afghanistan

24th August 2007
Daily Mail


Three British soldiers have died in what appears to have been a friendly fire explosion in Helmand




Three British soldiers were killed by a bomb dropped on their position by a US war plane during fierce fighting in Afghanistan, it was confirmed today.

At least two other men from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment were injured in the friendly fire incident. One of these was described as critically ill.

The 60-strong foot patrol had called in air support after they came under intense attack from Taliban insurgents in Helmand province yesterday evening.

The MoD said the men were killed by a "single bomb" dropped from one of two US F15 aircraft called to help repel the enemy.

A statement said: "Their patrol was attacked and during the intense engagement that ensued, close air support was called in from two US F15 aircraft.


A USF15 similar to the one involved in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan that left three British soldiers dead




"A single bomb was dropped and it is believed the explosion killed all three soldiers who were declared dead at the scene."

The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the medical facility at Camp Bastion, the UK headquarters, for treatment.

The next of kin have been informed, the MoD said, adding the incident was one of "profound sadness." Officials said an investigation is now under way.

A spokesman for British troops in Helmand Province, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Mayo, told the BBC that of the two wounded soldiers, one was very seriously injured and the other was seriously injured.

He told Radio 4's The World at One: "During this patrol they came into contact with some Taliban from a number of firing positions.

"As they came under fire they then called in some close air support to assist them and an aircraft came in, it dropped a bomb and tragically this bomb killed three of the soldiers and injured two more."

The two injured soldiers were evacuated to Camp Bastion. He added: "One of them is seriously injured and the other one is very seriously injured.

"The circumstances of what actually happened, we are now investigating. There are a handful of different reasons why this tragic incident has happened and we are not in a position at the moment and I don't think we will be for some time to find out exactly what has happened."

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan, said it had procedures in place to minimise the risk of friendly fire incidents.

ISAF spokeswoman Lt Col Claudia Foss said: "ISAF feels deep sadness over the death of three soldiers killed in what is probably a friendly fire incident in southern Afghanistan.

"ISAF is committed to finding out exactly how this tragedy occurred and how similar incidents can be avoided."

The US Embassy in London said in a statement: "The United States expresses its deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the soldiers who died, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery.

"The UK soldiers were serving under the Nato-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), which is helping the Afghan people to build a peaceful, prosperous, and stable country."


The deaths take the toll of all British dead in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001 to 73. There have been 11 deaths in the last two months during increasingly heavy fighting.

The Royal Anglians, which have been based at Pirbright in Surrey for about five years, have been one of the regiments hardest hit by the fighting in Afghanistan.

There has now been a total of nine soldiers killed from the regiment. It is one of the worst casualty rates since Operation Herrick, the campaign in Afghanistan, began in 2001.

In March 2003 Lance Corporal Matty Hull was killed and three other British soldiers injured when a US plane fired on them by mistake despite their vehicles being clearly marked.


Tragic: Lance Corporal Matty Hull was killed in a friendly fire incident in Iraq in 2003




Yesterday's "fighting patrol" was intended to disrupt Taliban activity and reassure local residents north west of Kajaki in Helmund, they called for air support. A bomb was dropped and unfortunately three of our guys were killed," said a source.

The MoD said: "It was an airstrike which British soldiers called in and what went wrong will be subject to an investigation."

A spokesman said that there well- rehearsed systems between the allies to try to prevent friendly fire incidents.

"There's a raft of mechanism in place to try to prevent these things. But these are daily occurances and these air strikes have saved the lives of countless British soldiers. In combat nothing is 100 per cent fool proof," he said.

The troops were part of an operation to secure the Kajaki damn - described by the military as one of the most strategically important sights in Southern Afghanistan.

British forces and engineers are trying to repair the hydroelectric damn so it can provide power for the Helmand province.

"Our troops have been working for some time to secure the area around the damn," said the MoD.

The 500-strong Ist Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the "Vikings", have been deployed on their current stint of duty in Helmand since April. They are due to return to the UK in October.

The regiment last year set up a memorial fund to provide a permanent tribute to those who had already died. They are part of 12 Mechanised Brigade's deployment and have responsibility for the northern sector of the Helmand, which over the last year has seen some of the fiercest fighting with the Taliban.

The Vikings defend key locations from attack such as the important town of Sangin, the merchant town of Nowzad and the strategically important hydroelectric dam at Kajaki.

dailymail.co.uk
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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No one wants to listen!

Simply drop Canadian and British uniforms to the Taliban and Americans will kill them all!

"War over"....pictures at eleven....
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
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No one wants to listen!

Simply drop Canadian and British uniforms to the Taliban and Americans will kill them all!

"War over"....pictures at eleven....

Better yet... try deploying more of your own aircraft instead of relying on US aircover.
 

mabudon

Metal King
Mar 15, 2006
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EVEN better- leave the stupid waste of time, money and lives to the folks who are dumb enough to think it'll somehow turn out to be anything other than an endless protracted loss and get the heck out of there

If THIS story is indicative of the kind of "progress" we've made so far over there, the "mission" should get an "F" or even get held back a grade
 

Curiosity

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Jul 30, 2005
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ews.html?in_article_id=477478&in_page_id=1811

Three British soldiers killed in 'friendly fire' blunder named

Last updated at 20:46pm on 25th August 2007

The three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan by a bomb dropped by a U.S. aircraft coming to support them have been named.


The MoD named the three as privates Aaron James McClure, Robert Graham Foster and John Thrumble, from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Two other soldiers were injured in Thursday's incident which takes to 73 the number of British deaths in Afghanistan since the Taliban were toppled in 2001. Scroll down for more...
Privates (from left) Aaron McClure, Robert Foster and John Thumble who were killed on Thursday



The three British soldiers were killed by 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan by an American airman.

A U.S. Air Force jet dropped a 500lb bomb on the soldiers' position as they battled Taliban insurgents.

A pair of F-15 warplanes had been called in to help when 60 British soldiers were ambushed by Taliban fighters and found themselves fighting for their lives.

An inquiry was under way last night into what went so disastrously wrong, and led to the latest in a string of socalled 'blue-on-blue' incidents involving American forces.

British defence sources stressed that Close Air Support operations were always extremely risky - and that similar missions by both American and UK pilots had saved 'hundreds' of British lives in recent months. Scroll down for more...

A USF15 similar to the one involved in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan that left three British soldiers dead



Read more...


Two other men were badly injured and were flown to the main British field hospital at Camp Bastion. One remained in a critical condition last night.

The Royal Anglians have suffered some of the heaviest casualties of any unit since their tour of duty in Helmand Province began five months ago, with nine soldiers killed and scores injured.
The latest incident happened at 6.30pm local time on Thursday, as a company of Royal Anglians were conducting a fighting patrol on foot, aimed at driving the Taliban out of a valley to the north-west of Kajaki in northern Helmand Province.
Scroll down for more




The Royal Anglians were ambushed and pinned down from multiple Taliban positions. They radioed for air support and the F-15 fighter bombers were first to arrive.
A Ministry of Defence statement said: "A single bomb was dropped and it is believed the explosion killed all three soldiers who were declared dead at the scene."
It is not known whether the patrol had a forward-air controller - to guide airstrikes by radio from the ground.
Friendly fire attacks involving U.S aircraft have caused bitter controversy, both in the first Gulf War in 1991 and again in Iraq in 2003.
But one Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm officer who has been closely involved in similar missions in Afghanistan said: "This certainly doesn't sound like a case of blundering pilots attacking for no good reason.


"Close Air Support in Afghanistan has been immensely difficult at times.
"It's dreadful that this has happened but don't forget a lot of Coalition lives have been saved through similar missions.
"The Taliban have learned that if they can get close enough to our troops it makes it very hard for pilots overhead to target them.
"I've known of cases where our forward air controllers on the ground have told pilots to drop almost on top of their own position, and then had to hunker down and pray that the blast kills the enemy and not them.
"I'd urge people to pause before leaping in to condemn the Americans."
Defence Secretary Des Browne said he was 'very saddened', adding: "We go to extraordinary lengths to ensure these things don't happen but at the end of the day combat environments are very complex environments.
"Human error is always a possibility."
The U.S. Embassy in London said in a statement: "The United States expresses its deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the soldiers who died, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery."
British Royal Marine Jonathan Wigley, 21, died last December when an American aircraft strafed a battlefield near Garmsir in southern Helmand. An inquiry is still continuing.
Earlier this year Parliament's Public Accounts Committee condemned the MoD for failing to take more steps to address friendly fire deaths.

MOUNTING TOLL OF 'AIR SUPPORT'


Tragic: Lance Corporal Matty Hull was killed in a friendly fire incident in Iraq in 2003


Seven British servicemen have died in socalled 'blue-on-blue' incidents in Iraq since 2003, but this is only the second such incident in Afghanistan.
Military insiders believe that record is almost miraculous, considering how many times British and U.S. jets have dropped bombs dangerously near to friendly ground troops who are in danger of being over-run by the enemy.
In one of the most notorious friendly fire incidents, Lance Corporal Matty Hull, pictured left, was killed after a U.S. aircraft fired on two armoured vehicles in March 2003 in Iraq.
Lance Corporal Hull, 25, of the Household Cavalry Regiment, died from multiple injuries inside his blazing Scimitar tank. He was travelling near Basra when it was attacked by an A-10 'tankbuster'.
The U.S. initially refused to release a classified cockpit recording of the incident, only relenting when a British newspaper obtained a copy and published it on the internet.
In Afghanistan 'Close Air Support' missions involve coalition jets or helicopter gunships circling overhead and shooting or bombing Taliban positions. They are directed by forward air controllers working alongside the troops under attack.
On countless occasions - hundreds in the last 12 months - this help from the air has made all the difference between defeat and death for British troops.
The relatively small numbers of UK soldiers available to take on the Taliban makes them particularly reliant on air support.
But the risks are enormous. For pilots flying at several thousand feet to avoid ground fire it can be extremely difficult to pick out friendly and enemy positions, especially in confused battles fought in areas of thick vegetation or among networks of mud-walled compounds.
 

MikeyDB

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Jun 9, 2006
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Better yet... try deploying more of your own aircraft instead of relying on US aircover.

I agree. If Canada hadn't been molified by America...the Cold War was after all about the United States making the world safe for later plunder.... Candian politicians and its people have less than half a clue about what it takes to build and maintain a military. Instead of building and maintaining a decent military, we've suckled at the military breast of America forever....

Canada couldn't even send its DART team because we didn't have heavy lift aircraft....more stupidity from Ottawa. Canadian politicians have abbrogated their responsibility to the Canadian people for decades. The first measure of a nation is its ability to defend itself. Canada couldn't defend itself against a half dozen FLQ hooligans. Canada couldn't ever lay claim to territory in and around the Arctic Circle...

Countries with lower populations than Canada, and far poorer than Canada have maintained militaries that put Canada to shame.

Canadian "air-support" would be lending the Taliban a few of our Sea King helicopters and inviting them to use them as weapons platforms.

There is no argument that stands to reason regarding the failure of Canada and Canadians in not preparing for national defense and addressing the needs of a conflicted world.

If however we grant that the lauded American Airforce is the pinnacle of expertise and weaponry, why is there a lengthy history of "friendly-fire" incidents?

Could it be that "smart bombs" are too smart for American servicemen to use? Could it be that pilots jacked up on amphetamines while suffering over-extended service contracts lose that edge that pilots need when flying multi-million dollar weapons?

These accidents and incidents are terrible and everyone feels the pain.

Canada should get out of Afghanistan and of course the U.S. shouldn't have walked-into another mess in Iraq that's rapidly becoming another Viet Nam.

The greatest military in the world...(American) by numbers and technology led by an administration that couldn't find its own ass with both hands....
 

Curiosity

Senate Member
Jul 30, 2005
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Airpower is meant to destroy and kill - and if units are on the ground anywhere near the intended targets - airpower should never be the 'weapon of choice'. There will always be death on both sides.

They are fighting what appears to be a basic ground war with equipment designed for large areas of
military base with enemy equipment, camps and facilities - and when there are friendly ground troops advancing - you don't send it the big stuff....
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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I agree. If Canada hadn't been molified by America...the Cold War was after all about the United States making the world safe for later plunder.... Candian politicians and its people have less than half a clue about what it takes to build and maintain a military. Instead of building and maintaining a decent military, we've suckled at the military breast of America forever....

Canada couldn't even send its DART team because we didn't have heavy lift aircraft....more stupidity from Ottawa. Canadian politicians have abbrogated their responsibility to the Canadian people for decades. The first measure of a nation is its ability to defend itself. Canada couldn't defend itself against a half dozen FLQ hooligans. Canada couldn't ever lay claim to territory in and around the Arctic Circle...

Countries with lower populations than Canada, and far poorer than Canada have maintained militaries that put Canada to shame.

Canadian "air-support" would be lending the Taliban a few of our Sea King helicopters and inviting them to use them as weapons platforms.

There is no argument that stands to reason regarding the failure of Canada and Canadians in not preparing for national defense and addressing the needs of a conflicted world.

If however we grant that the lauded American Airforce is the pinnacle of expertise and weaponry, why is there a lengthy history of "friendly-fire" incidents?

Could it be that "smart bombs" are too smart for American servicemen to use? Could it be that pilots jacked up on amphetamines while suffering over-extended service contracts lose that edge that pilots need when flying multi-million dollar weapons?

These accidents and incidents are terrible and everyone feels the pain.

Canada should get out of Afghanistan and of course the U.S. shouldn't have walked-into another mess in Iraq that's rapidly becoming another Viet Nam.

The greatest military in the world...(American) by numbers and technology led by an administration that couldn't find its own ass with both hands....

In Afghanistan Canada sent what she was asked to send and from all reports they are doing a good job. In a way, I wish we were providing our own air support as well. We would sure as hell know who to blame in the event of an accident.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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Do we have the equipment to do that?

I would say the CF-18s would do at least as good a job as the F-15s are doing and I could be wrong but I tend to think we would have better communications within our own forces.
 

talloola

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Nov 14, 2006
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I agree. If Canada hadn't been molified by America...the Cold War was after all about the United States making the world safe for later plunder.... Candian politicians and its people have less than half a clue about what it takes to build and maintain a military. Instead of building and maintaining a decent military, we've suckled at the military breast of America forever....
Countries with lower populations than Canada, and far poorer than Canada have maintained militaries that put Canada to shame.

The greatest military in the world...(American) by numbers and technology led by an administration that couldn't find its own ass with both hands....

Yes, that's right, all that training, all that equipment, westpoint, etc etc., and then they give the
controls to the most stupid leader to walk the face of this earth, george bush, you might as well
give the controls to a 6 yr old.
 

YoungJoonKim

Electoral Member
Aug 19, 2007
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Yes, that's right, all that training, all that equipment, westpoint, etc etc., and then they give the
controls to the most stupid leader to walk the face of this earth, george bush, you might as well
give the controls to a 6 yr old.

Hehe.
I loved when George W. Bush was landing in on an aircraft with his fight (F-15?), knowing that he got average less than 70% on his air flight test..and his average score of C and D during his high school. Yet, going into Yale University. BETTER yet, him and his cheer leading team. LoL

Stupid, yet, ingenious. As long as he has his daddy's relationship with Saudis and some corporate elites, Bush is well covered.

I want our Canadian troops to be well protected.
I want them home, therefore.
 

joltek

New Member
Jul 12, 2007
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So what is your point ?

Everybody who is smart know that with friends/allies like the americans, you don't need enemies!
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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Gee I don't know Walter...

You've convinced me that the far greater majority of the world's climatologists are wrong about global warming...that Mars is heating up...so it must be the sun of course....

Perhaps you (Walter) can put in a good word for Canada next time you're at the Martian Conference on Planetary Warming....or whatever they call it....:)
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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Yes yes more killed by friendly fire. Like no one has heard this before.
A question that comes to mind is at what point do we go to war with another country? Or do we ever? Perhaps we just suffer under the imposed government regulations negotiated by terrorists with our government?

Even if we don't go to, deal with, sanction or acknowledge some places like Afghanistan, it's a matter of time before they begin to export their religion and laws upon our own country. As it has always been. So I wonder at what point do we decide no god damned way and start all the killing, people are so against at this point?
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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Hehe.
I loved when George W. Bush was landing in on an aircraft with his fight (F-15?), knowing that he got average less than 70% on his air flight test..and his average score of C and D during his high school. Yet, going into Yale University. BETTER yet, him and his cheer leading team. LoL

'''''I'll never forget that sight on that battleship, I've always said that, "They should have
shoved him into one of those big guns and shot him into the middle of iraq.'''''

Stupid, yet, ingenious. As long as he has his daddy's relationship with Saudis and some corporate elites, Bush is well covered.
'''''And, don't forget Carl Rove, as without him, bush's incompetence would have had him
thrown out of the white house long ago.'''''


I want our Canadian troops to be well protected.
I want them home, therefore.

''';;I wish them well, always.'''''
 

joltek

New Member
Jul 12, 2007
27
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Which country would you prefer as an ally?
I seriously can't tell you because I don't know, but I do know that our brave Canadian soldiers have enough worrying fighting the Talibans in Afghanistan without worrying about some american cowboy yahoos pilots high on speed dropping bombs on them!

The pilots are on speeds because they are flying 15-18hrs. a day, the pill keep them awake, we all know what happens when a person operates a machine while under the influence...

American military need to change their operation/mission standards regarding their soldiers health.