Inquest told of 'rogue' US attack on British convoy

[cal04]

A group of British soldiers yesterday described their frantic attempts to stop an attack on their convoy by "rogue" US warplanes that left one dead and four injured.

Oxfordshire coroner's court heard that two US A10 planes opened fire on a patrol in southern Iraq in March 2003, killing Lance Corporal of Horse Mattie Hull three days before his 26th birthday.

Yesterday his colleagues told the court that the "friendly fire" incident had happened on a clear day as they patrolled an area about 30 miles north-west of Basra.

Staff Corporal Ashley Bell said there had been a flash as the first attack started. He had immediately radioed forward air control with the "Stop, stop, stop" instruction but had been told the planes were being flown by "rogue US pilots".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2002479,00.html

[illinoisprogressive]

1. rouge pilots? WTF??? And as usual the US is not cooperating.

[Kagemusha]

2. What I heard was simple: air control told the pilots, no friendlies there

so the pilots used their initiative and started blowing them away. Good cavalier spirit.

[pissedofflimey]

3. us "pilots"

you complete and utter cock!