'Friendly fire' video aired

A video showing the "friendly fire" death of a British soldier in Iraq has been leaked after his inquest was told it could not be shown.Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, 25, was killed and four other soldiers from the Household Cavalry Regiment were injured on March 28, 2003, when a US jet launched two devastating attacks on a British armoured convoy.The cockpit videotape recording shows the moment the convoy was hit. In it, the pilot of the second US plane involved says after their mistake is realised: "We're in jail dude". The other pilot then weeps, saying: "God dammit".Oxford coroner Andrew Walker, who is hearing the inquest into the soldier's death, demanded that the Ministry of Defence hand over the tape after the ministry had earlier told L/Cpl Hull's family that it did not exist.But the MoD said the tape is the property of the US Government and it did not have the right to release it without its permission.Last week, a frustrated Mr Walker said he had "no choice" but to adjourn the inquest over the MoD's failure to get permission from US authorities to show the recording. He said it was a "matter of profound regret" and "greatly" saddened him.The US Embassy has now said authorities are looking at whether the tape can be declassified.And Geoff Webb, the coroner's officer, said that if the Sun fulfils a promise to give Mr Walker a copy of the tape, he can use it in court. He said: "This material is now in the public domain and that means that it can be used in the Matty Hull inquest."According to the Sun, a series of errors allegedly led to the attack near Basra in southern Iraq almost two weeks after the start of the US-led invasion. Four other British soldiers were injured.The US pilots reportedly questioned or appeared to question the orange panels on top of the armoured vehicles which were being used to identify the troops as coalition, rather than Iraqi, forces.However, the conclusion is reached that the orange panels are rocket launchers.A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman refused to comment on the contents of the video, saying: "A copy of the video was used as evidence by the Board of Inquiry's (BOI) investigation into the incident."This recording is the property of the United States government and the MoD does not have the right to release it without their permission."When the BOI findings were released to the family we did inform them that some classified material had been withheld, but we did not specify its exact nature."There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead L/Cpl of Horse Hull's family."Speaking after last week's adjournment, widow Susan Hull said she was "not surprised, but very disappointed".HCR Captain Alexander MacEwen, who was leading L/Cpl Hull's troop when it was hit, said the Americans had to be brought to account.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | February 6, 2007

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