Canadian and American armies examine whether Sagin deaths were friendly fi

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006
Canadian and American armies examine whether Sagin deaths were friendly fire

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Coalition military investigators are looking into the possibility that the deaths of a Canadian and U.S. soldier in a firefight last week were the result of friendly fire.

Pte. Robert Costall, 22, a machine gunner and U.S. National Guard First-Class Sergeant John Stone, 52, a medic, died last Wednesday in a battle in the Sangin district of Helmand province. Both countries have launched separate investigations into the violent firefight, which occurred west of Kandahar when Taliban fighters tried to overrun a remote outpost.

A statement released by National Defence headquarters says officials have not ruled out the possibility that the casualties came as a result of enemy fire.

"The initial findings justify the requirement for further investigation to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the firefight, including whether any of the casualties may have resulted from 'friendly fire'," said a statement released at Kandahar airfield, the coalition's main base in southern Afghanistan.
(snip/...)

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=world_home&articleID=2217879

[sabra]

1. Afghan battle probed for possible "friendly fire"

http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_national.asp?id=141535

Afghan battle probed for possible "friendly fire"



KABUL (Reuters) - An investigation has been launched into an Afghan battle last week in which an American and Canadian soldier were killed and five men wounded to determine if any were hit by their own side, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

A joint U.S., Canadian and Afghan team will investigate the March 29 battle in the southern province of Helmand which began when a large group of Taliban insurgents attacked a base manned by foreign and Afghan troops at night.

U.S-led forces used small arms and air strikes to beat back the attackers. As well as the two deaths, a U.S. soldier, three Canadians and an Afghan soldier were wounded.

"The investigation will determine all the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether any of the casualties may have resulted from friendly fire," the U.S. military said in a statement.

[ChristianLibrul]

2. "Friendly Fire"--isn't

But it's a fact in any war. People shoot where they shouldn't, people go where they shouldn't, people jump up or run out in front of somebody shooting. Sometimes people panic. People are poorly trained. People are poorly led. Millions of ways for it to happen.

The issue is, why are they there?

[icymist]

3. Why are who there? The US and Canadians?

I think the bigger question is why are the Taliban even able to attack NATO bases two years after the dimson claimed them to be no more!?

[daleo]

4. I suspected this might be the case from the start

The reports of the Canadian soldier's death in the Canadian media seemed to be carefully worded e.g. "he died while defending his comrades", that sort of thing. The descriptions were somewhat oblique, like they were written to cover a variety of circumstances.

Either way, they are just as dead.