Detroit Free Press April 07, 2003
Pentagon hopes to learn from fatal mistakes
But experts say lessons from 1991 gulf war went unheeded
By Free Press News Services
The Pentagon pledged Sunday to examine whether changes are needed after a spate of so-called friendly-fire deaths in the Iraq war, including a U.S. air strike Sunday on U.S. Special Forces and Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.
Analysts said the incidents suggest the military failed to institute needed fixes after many similar tragedies in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Of the 148 U.S. troops killed in battle in that war, 35 died from friendly fire.
Sunday's attack happened near an area allied troops recently captured near the town of Kalak. Kurdish officials said at least 18 people were killed and more than 45 wounded, including senior Kurdish commanders.
U.S. Central Command said early reports on what appeared to be the same incident gave lower figures: one civilian killed and six people injured, including a U.S. soldier. But the command said the investigation is continuing. U.S. officers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Bashur airfield in northern Iraq said U.S. Special Forces soldiers were killed, but would not give details.
Kurdish and U.S. forces had called for close air support after a column of Iraqi tanks tried to turn back advancing coalition soldiers.
John Simpson, an editor for the British Broadcasting Corp. who was in the convoy, said he saw two U.S. F14 jets come in low over the convoy. What followed, he said, was "every type of horror."
"I saw the bomb coming out of one of the planes," he said. "It was painted white and red, and it crashed into the ground about 10 yards from where I was."
Among other deadly incidents so far: a U.S. Patriot missile shot down a British Tornado jet, killing two crew members; another Patriot missile may have downed a U.S. FA18 Hornet fighter-bomber, and a U.S. F15E Strike Eagle bombed a U.S. artillery position, killing three troops.
"I'm sure the Pentagon is concerned. I just don't think they've done a whole lot. They haven't really taken the steps necessary" to prevent friendly fire, said analyst Patrick Garrett of the GlobalSecurity.org defense think tank in Virginia.
U.S. officials defended their record on friendly fire.
"We are concerned about any incidents in which there's been a loss of life. And we look at . . . whether there's something that we need to change or improve upon," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, without citing examples.
Copyright © 2003, Detroit Free Press
