Cover-up indeed.
US Herk you dismissed the article too quickly. SASless wondered why the very existence of the video was in question.
Answer, because the MoD said the HUD film had been damaged.
It was Mrs Hull's legal counsel who confirmed this, also confirming that other families had been told the same thing.
You keep saying that the video adds nothing and is of no importance to Mrs Hull. I am sorry, but I strongly disagree. The video could have shown that the orange panels were not visible to the pilots. In fact it showed the opposite. All four vehicles had panels visible to the pilots. This is crucial evidence. The HUD film shows that the pilots failed to identify the vehicles. This failure needs to be addressed. Was it a failure of briefing, training or a simple human failure on the day? Is it safe for British troops to enter killboxes with the current combat ID capability?
The audio suggests that the pilots pressed on with the attack without final FAC clearance. Do you need final clearance in a kill box? Why should this remain classified to the coroner? They are DV cleared. Was it simply a failure of coordination? Should the Brits share some blame? We have had years to improve Combat ID. Should the US introduce data link to CAS capable aircraft? I hope the coroner is looking at all these points and more. If I was Mrs Hull I would want to know that all these things are being addressed. I would want to know that my husband had not died in vain. And I would want some accountability.
And yes, it is important that everyone knows the at the MoD lied when they said the HUD film did not exist or had been damaged. The very fact that Mrs Hull has now seen this film proves that point.
Last edited by nigegilb; 9th Feb 2007 at 17:14.