Cockpit tape exposes US friendly fire blunders

A cockpit recording of a US pilot opening fire on UK forces in Iraq was leaked today, exposing the errors that led to the death of a British soldier.

In the recording, the pilot of one of two US A-10 Thunderbolt jets involved in the attack says, after they realise their mistake: "We're in jail dude".

The other pilot, who opened fire, weeps, saying: "God dammit."

The Sun newspaper today published the transcript after obtaining a tape of the recording of the moment that one of the jets launched two devastating attacks on a British armoured convoy, killing Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull.

The Ministry of Defence initially told L/Cpl Hull's family the recording did not exist, but it found its way into the hands of Oxford coroner Andrew Walker, who is hearing the inquest into the soldier's death.

Today the MoD refused to comment on the contents of the videotape.

Last week Mr Walker adjourned the inquest in frustration at the MoD's failure to get the permission of the US authorities to use the recording in evidence.

The transcript reveals as many as six errors immediately before the attack near Basra in southern Iraq on March 28, 2003.

On several occasions the pilots, a Major and a Lieutenant Colonel, both believed to be reservists who had never been in action before, say they can see orange panels on top of the armoured vehicles, which were used to identify them as coalition, rather than Iraqi, forces.

However, they convince themselves that the orange panels are enemy rocket launchers.

The pilots were in contact with US Marine Corps Forward Air Controllers who were embedded with British ground units.

The pilots were on a mission to destroy Iraqi artillery and rocket launchers dug in 25 miles north of Basra.

L/Cpl Hull, 25, from Windsor, Berkshire, died in the incident and four other members of the Household Cavalry Regiment were injured.

On Friday, Mr Walker said he "had no choice" but to delay his verdict until the recording of the incident was produced by the Government, adding that the failure of the MoD to get authorisation to show the recording was a "matter of profound regret".

A MoD spokeswoman refused to comment last night on the contents of the video, adding: "A copy of the video was used as evidence by the Board of Inquiry's (BOI) 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.

"When the BOI findings were released to the family we did inform them that some classified material had been withheld, but we did not specify its exact nature.

"There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead L/Cpl of Horse Hull's family."

Speaking after last week's adjournment, widow Susan Hull said she was " not surprised, but very disappointed".

HCR Captain Alexander MacEwen, who was leading L/Cpl Hull's troop when it was hit, said the Americans had to be brought to account.

He said: "I believe that if they are brought to the inquest or made to give evidence, it will make them think twice about their actions in the future."

The American Embassy said US authorities were looking at whether the tape could be declassified.

Official David Johnson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the US had been working with the British Government to provide them with "materials which help them understand what went on".

"Under our law and our procedures we are very open with your Government in providing them with information which is classified," he insisted.

Asked why the US had withheld the tape, Mr Johnson said US soldiers were sent into combat under certain laws which should not be changed "after the fact".

"We expect our forces to operate under a set of predictable laws which are established before the fact," he said.

Mr Johnson went on: "One thing I want to make very clear is our heart goes out to this family.

"This is an extraordinary tragedy that they have endured and we are very sorry for what has happened.

"But I think that does not take away from the need to have a body of law which is followed and a set of expectations we can have our combat forces - yours and ours - go by when they go into battle."

He said he had no way to confirm whether the video was accurate, but if it was true it demonstrated that the soldiers involved were "sickened" by what had happened.

Mr Johnson added that the US would declassify the tape unless it would put soldiers at future risk.

"I can't tell you what is revealed by this - I'm not a technical expert -which may put forces at risk in the future, so that's something we have to be very careful about," he said.

"If indeed it can be declassified, of course it will."

Mr Johnson said it would not be accurate to say the British Government had been applying "pressure" on the US over the incident.

But he said: "We have had discussions with (Constitutional Affairs Minister) Ms Harman. We have had discussions with other officials in your Government as well about how we could be of assistance in this case."

The transcript includes repeated questions from the pilots to the air controller about the location of friendly forces.

It also reveals that doubt about the orange panels on the British convoy continued up to the point that the pilots were given final clearance to attack.

General Patrick Cordingley, who commanded British troops during the first Gulf War, said it was a "pity" that the tape had been released.

"It's obviously going to stir up the British press and the danger is they will be calling for blood," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Gen Cordingley said he could "fully understand" why the family and others wanted the tape to be released.

But he added: "There will always be these mistakes in war."

Stewart Purvis, who was editor-in-chief of ITN when reporter Terry Lloyd was killed by so-called friendly fire, said there were clear "parallels" between the two incidents.

In both, the US authorities had refused to co-operate, the Ministry of Defence had been unable to force them to co-operate and the victim's families had been "lied to", he told Today.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is scheduled to meet the new US commander of forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General David Petraeus, this afternoon.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said there would be no briefing until after the meeting, but added that it had been planned for some time.

Geoff Webb, the coroner's officer, said that if the Sun fulfilled a promise to give Mr Walker a copy of the tape, the coroner could use it in court.

He said: "This material is now in the public domain and that means that it can be used in the Matty Hull inquest."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the US ambassador to Britain, Robert Tuttle, was visiting the department this morning as part of a "long-standing" arrangement.

"When you look at the wider context there is a lot of stuff going on and this has been in the diary for a long time," an MoD spokeswoman said.