Evening Standard
'Appalling cover-up' that kept truth from friendly-fire widow
06.02.07
The Ministry of Defence has been accused of conspiring with the Americans in an 'appalling' cover-up to prevent the widow of a British soldier killed by a U.S. warplane learning the truth about his death......
....As the video sparked an international diplomatic incident, the coroner fighting to get it played at L/Cpl Hull's inquest demanded that the two American pilots testify when the hearing resumes on March 12....
...Susan Hull says the Ministry of Defence 'categorically' denied the existence of the footage, even though it had been used as part of a British Army board of inquiry...
...The tape came to light only last Wednesday, when the coroner was shown it in private by an MoD official. Mrs Hull's solicitor confirmed that the MoD had previously insisted the cockpit recording had been damaged beyond use.
Geraldine McCool said: 'Mrs Hull has had several conversations with the MoD. In one of these, within months of her husband's death, she was told it was unlikely the cockpit recorder had been switched on at the time of the incident.
'Later, in the same conversation, she was told that the tape existed but had been damaged. Several of her husband's colleagues were also told by the MoD that it had been damaged.'
Tory defence spokesman Gerald Howarth said: 'The MoD have completely screwed up. They appear to have been engaged in some kind of subterfuge with the U.S. This is an abysmal failure of the duty of care. The MoD have handled it appallingly.'.....
.....Following the leak, the Pentagon authorised the release of the video. But farcically, even though the footage was shown on every major TV channel in Britain and the U.S., American officials continued to insist that it not be played in open court.
Geoff Webb, the coroner's clerk, revealed that Andrew Walker - the Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner in charge of the inquiry - does want the two pilots to give evidence.
'Anybody who can help who was a witness to these deaths would be of use as a witness at the inquest. It would be ideal if the American pilots could come along.'
The Ministry of Defence admitted it had not told Mrs Hull about the existence of the tape but claimed there had never been 'any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead the family.'
Maj-Gen Sir Patrick Cordingley, commander of the Desert Rats in the first Gulf War, said: 'I think the Ministry of Defence is very secretive.
Three years ago it could have said to the family of Matty Hull, "We've got this evidence but because of the rules of war we're not able to show it to you but I can tell you it does support the view that he was killed as a result of friendly fire". I think it would have defused the situation.'
The affair has led to a straining of Anglo-American relations.