From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Rich Gauszka wrote:
> "Adam" <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the
field.near the bridge"> wrote in
> message news:45faf208{at}w3.nls.net...
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6449227.stm
>>
>> "The death of a UK soldier when a US pilot fired on his convoy in Iraq
>> was unlawful, a coroner has ruled.
>>
>> The "friendly fire" incident which killed Lance Corporal
Matty Hull, 25,
>> amounted to a criminal act, he said.
>>
>> Andrew Walker said the 2003 death was "entirely
avoidable" and L/Cpl
>> Hull's widow said the verdict was "right". "
>>
>> "In delivering his narrative verdict, Mr Walker said:
"The attack on the
>> convoy amounted to an assault.
>>
>> "It was unlawful because there was no lawful reason for it and in that
>> respect it was criminal." "
>>
>>
>> Adam
>
> I agree that some of the testimony is problematic for the pilots ( looks
> like a royal screw up ) but Coroner Andrew Walker seems to have his own
> agenda regarding 'friendly fire'
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6326193.stm
>
>
> Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker's criticism of the
> Ministry of Defence (MoD) over a "friendly fire" inquest is
not the first
> time he has criticised the department.
> Mr Walker was appointed by Oxfordshire Coroner Nicholas Gardiner on 6 June
> last year to conduct military inquests. A barrister, he was already
> qualified to sit as a coroner at a number of courts in London.
>
> In the majority of military deaths, the bodies are flown back to RAF Brize
> Norton at Carterton, Oxfordshire - and the current conflicts have imposed a
> serious burden on the courts in that county.
>
> The jurisdiction for the inquest arises where the body lies and once an
> inquest has been opened it is not possible for it to be transferred.
>
> Mr Walker has previously spoken out at inquests about a number of friendly
> fire incidents.
>
> 'Unforgivable delays'
>
> They included, in November, the inquest of Marine Christopher Maddison, 24,
> from Scarborough, who was killed by his own side during a river patrol on
> the Khawr Az Zubayr river in southern Iraq in 2003.
>
> Recording a narrative verdict - which allows the circumstances of a death to
> be more fully set out - Mr Walker said there were serious failures in the
> chain of command at a crossing point.
>
> And in December, Mr Walker criticised the MoD over the death of Sgt Steven
> Roberts, 33, from Shipley, West Yorkshire, also in a friendly fire incident.
>
> .........
>
>

Yeah I remember the Scarborough lad. It's all part of the bringing civie
rules to the battlefield. Duty of care & all that.

Adam

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