Brits: U.S. probe into friendly-fire deaths finished

Brits: U.S. probe into friendly-fire deaths finished
By Geoff Ziezulewicz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, November 7, 2007

RAF MILDENHALL, England — The American portion of the investigation into the August friendly-fire deaths of three British soldiers involving a U.S. fighter jet is complete, according to British officials.

Pvts. Aaron McClure, Robert Foster and John Thrumble were killed Aug. 23 when an RAF Lakenheath-based F-15E fighter jet with the 492nd Fighter Squadron inadvertently dropped a bomb on their position in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

The British Ministry of Defence, conducting its own investigation into the accident, was informed last week that the American inquiry has been completed, according to MOD spokesman Charlie Morton.

Officials with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and U.S. Central Command Air Forces did not return requests for comment on the American investigation’s completion by the Stars and Stripes’ deadline on Tuesday.

Morton said the British investigation is ongoing.

~snip~

Morton said this week the MOD is consulting with American officials regarding how much of the investigation British officials will have access to.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50092