Cockpit Tape Shows U.S. Firing On Brits

A British newspaper has released a 15 minute cockpit video which shows the moments before during and after a U.S. aircraft mistakenly fired on British forces in Iraq in the early days of the war, killing one soldier and wounding another.

The tape, on which two American pilots flying A-10 tankbusters first express confusion over their targets, and then frustration and remorse when they realize their error, is at the center of a British inquest into the friendly fire incident near Basra in March, 2003.

The Sun, one of Britain's most widely distributed tabloids, obtained the video in spite of the militaries of both countries seeking to prevent it being made public.

On the tape, the two pilots discuss seeing a convoy of vehicles on the ground, and they note an orange color on top of some of the vehicles. Coalition vehicles in Iraq had orange canvas placed on their tops to identify them as "friendlies", but the pilots come to the conclusion that the orange on these vehicles is rocket launchers.

Twice the A-10's fire on the British convoy, killing Lance Corporal Matty Hull.

In the minutes leading up to the strike there was confusion between the pilots and their ground team, meant to guide them to enemy targets, over the location of coalition troops in the area.

Soon after the strike the pilots are told by the ground team that there were coalition vehicles in the area, contrary to what they were initially told, and that one person had been killed and another injured.

The pilots immediately realize they have committed a terrible error and grow very upset. Among much foul language, one pilot says to the other, "God dammit... We're in jail, dude".

One pilot says, almost in disbelief, "they did tell us there were no friendlies in the area," referring to the ground targeting team. The other pilot agrees, but says they are likely to be found at fault because of the orange panels on top of the vehicles.

Apparent crying can be heard from one of the pilots as they fly back to their base.

The pilots are identified on the tape only by their call-names POPOV35 and POPOV36, and their identities have not been made public by the U.S. military.

Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has not allowed — at the request of the Pentagon, which labeled the video classified — the tape to be played in court at the inquest into the soldier's death.

An MoD spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that U.S. Ambassador Robert Tuttle went to the ministry Tuesday morning to discuss the tape. He was seen quickly leaving the building in central London, but he did not stop to talk to reporters.

The soldier's widow, Susan Hull, told The Sun: "I'm very relieved this is being made public at long last. I can't believe these pilots can discuss what they're doing so casually when these are the last moments of my husband's life."

The MoD released a statement saying: "This recording is the property of the United States government and the MoD does not have the right to release it without their permission."

An MoD spokesman said: "There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead Lance Corporal Hull's family. We did inform them some classified material had been withheld," The Sun reported.

The British coroner investigating Hull's death put the case on hold last week, saying he could not continue until the government allowed him to view the tape. CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports that the coroner's office says the tape may now be used in court, as it had come into the public domain.

Interviewed by Britain's Sky News, Deputy U.S. Ambassador David Johnson said Tuesday that the tape showed the pilots, "were pretty chagrined, and they were acting on the best information they had available."

Johnson wouldn't say whether he believed the pilots or U.S. ground crew should be held responsible for Hull's death. "These determinations are appropriately made in an accident investigation," he said, "that's the way we make those determinations."

U.S. service members have immunity from criminal charges in Britain under a bilateral agreement, but Lance Corporal Hull's family could attempt to file a civil lawsuit against the pilots in an American court. Hull's widow did not immediately make public any intentions of going this route.