I guess this belongs in here right? I'm surprised I'm the first one to post about this.
Survivor lambastes U.S. pilot
Baril vows full inquiry
Graeme Hamilton and Sheldon Alberts
National Post
LANDSTUHL, Germany and OTTAWA - Canada and the United States began setting up inquiries yesterday into who was responsible for the "friendly fire" deaths of four Canadians in Afghanistan -- but one of the injured soldiers is already putting the blame squarely on the U.S. pilot involved.
"It's a shitty thing that happened and a dumb mistake by that pilot," Corporal Brian Decaire told the National Post yesterday from his room in a U.S. Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
"I don't care, that's a dumb mistake. I hope he's hurting now. There are a lot of families that are hurting. The whole battalion's hurting."
Cpl. Decaire, who took shrapnel to his jaw and hand, spoke as the head of a Canadian inquiry into the deaths said he is prepared to blame U.S. personnel if there is clear evidence of misconduct.
Retired General Maurice Baril, who will lead the five-person inquiry, said he believes the Canadian investigators can find out the truth without directly interrogating the U.S. National Guard pilot about why he dropped a 500-pound bomb on Canadians conducting a live-fire training exercise near Kandahar on Thursday.
"We are there to find out what happened. We are not there to point fingers or chase any ghosts anywhere," Gen. Baril said in Ottawa. "But if we find that there is a very clear blame to be done, I will have to report what I found."
The five-member board of inquiry will begin its investigation on Monday. Art Eggleton, the Defence Minister, promised an interim report on the tragedy will be completed within three weeks and said a final report is to be finished within two months.
Ottawa has asked the board to determine "whether the deceased and injured" soldiers or "any other persons were to blame for the injuries or deaths."
The bodies of the four soldiers will arrive in Canada this morning at CFB Trenton, just west of Kingston. Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, will attend an honour guard ceremony to pay tribute to the victims.
"They were good men. They were Canadians," said Cpl. Decaire of Sergeant Marc Léger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green and Private Nathan Smith.
The four coffins, draped in the Maple Leaf flag, were loaded aboard a Hercules transport plane yesterday in Kandahar to the solemn skirl of bagpipes.
The commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan sent the paratroopers home with a jumpmasters slap.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Stogran walked up to each coffin and tapped it -- something a jumpmaster would do to a paratrooper before a jump off an aircraft.
"You're OK, jumper," said Lt.-Col. Stogran, standing at attention. "Have a good one. Airborne!"
Six of eight Canadians injured in the bombing, currently receiving treatment at a U.S. army base in Germany, are expected to return to Canada on Tuesday.
Injuries to two of the men -- Sergeant Lorne Ford and Corporal René Paquette -- had initially been described as life-threatening, but doctors said yesterday they were out of danger.
Sgt. Ford of Brampton, Ont., the soldier most seriously hurt, required emergency surgery for shrapnel injuries to his eye and could lose it.
The survivors received visits yesterday from the Governor-General, Adrienne Clarkson, and General Montgomery Meigs, commander of the U.S. Army for Europe.
The error that caused the first deaths suffered by Canadian troops in a combat area since the Korean War has pained the U.S. servicemen and medical personnel looking after the injured.
"Almost every American we've come in contact with has been apologetic," Cpl. Decaire said. "They've been taking really good care of us."
A National Guard sergeant controlling access into the hospital was blunt in his assessment of the U.S. pilot. "If what I heard is true, I hope they nail that fly boy to the wall," he said.
The accident has prompted a national outpouring of grief and -- in some quarters -- anger toward the U.S. military and government.
Mr. Eggleton confirmed one member of the Canadian board of inquiry -- Brigadier General Mark Dumais -- has been asked to join a separate U.S. investigation team tasked with finding out why the unidentified F-16 pilot decided to bomb the Canadian troops.
Sources in Canada and the United States have said the pilot fired on members of the 3rd battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry even though he did not have permission from U.S. commanders. Initial reports suggest the pilot had been authorized only to mark the target, but believed he was being fired upon and dropped a bomb in self-defence.
Opposition parties have demanded that Canadian investigators be given full access to all U.S. military personnel who witnessed or were involved in decisions leading up to the tragedy, including the F-16 pilot.
But Gen. Baril, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said he would be reluctant to demand access to the U.S. pilot because he would not want the Americans to make similar requests to interrogate Canadian soldiers about the incident.
It is expected that Brig. Gen. Dumais, as a full member of the U.S. board of inquiry, will be able to grill U.S. military witnesses and provide the information directly to the Baril inquiry. In turn, Gen. Baril has promised to turn over all Canadian testimony about the bombing to U.S. investigators.
The terms of reference for investigators include a request to determine whether there was proper co-ordination between Canadian and U.S. authorities about the training exercise and between ground and air forces involved in the tragedy.
"There is no reason for me to believe there was any mistake made by Canadians in this regard," Mr. Eggleton said.
Gen. Baril has been asked to make recommendations on how to improve communications between ground and air forces during live-fire exercises and "measures to prevent a similar occurrence in the future."
Military officials said Canada has no authority to compel non-citizens to testify before a board of inquiry, although they can request that the U.S. pilot and other officers to appear.
On Parliament Hill, several MPs expressed concern that George W. Bush, the U.S President, failed to publicly express sympathy for the Canadian victims immediately following the tragedy. Mr. Bush personally telephoned Mr. Chrétien to express his sorrow, and issued a statement of condolence on Thursday. Yesterday, he offered public sympathy about the Canadian deaths and said, "I wish we could bring them back."
The public expression came after several government and opposition MPs signalled that Mr. Bush's initial actions were insufficient.
"I think it undoubtedly would have been of some comfort to the families to hear the President's own words through the media," John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister, said prior to Mr. Bush's statement yesterday.
Alexa McDonough, the New Democrat leader, said the U.S. is taking the Canadian military "for granted" and Ottawa should pull its troops from Afghanistan.
But Mr. Eggleton said Canadians will continue their six-month mission and will likely resume live-fire exercises.
Cpl. Decaire's mother, Maureen, told the Post her son lost his best friend in the blast, Cpl. Dyer of Montreal.
Cpl. Decaire, a native of Winnipeg, said he is anxious to get home to see his family
When asked about the specifics of the bombing, Cpl. Decaire said he and the other soldiers were not yet ready to discuss it publicly.
However, yesterday Mrs. Decaire provided one of the first detailed accounts of the seconds before and after the blast, reported to her by her son.
"He said they were out training and they had just finished and he heard a whistling sound. It didn't dawn on him it was a bomb, of course. He said the next thing he knew there was a brilliant flash of light and he was thrown in the air, though not terribly far because he wasn't knocked out. And then he looked over to where the flash was, where the guys had been before, and there was just nothing to see for the most part.
"He said they got up and started towards where the bomb had hit and that's when he realized that some of the people just didn't exist anymore. Not that they were dead, they just weren't there. And he saw a couple of bodies of a couple of the guys and then the others who were badly wounded. He said there was one about 200 yards away that had a lot of foot damage and leg damage."
She said her son displayed a range of emotions to her. "He's wondering how come he's alive and he wasn't killed. He was very close to where the bomb hit. I guess it's just the way the fragments angled that he wasn't killed. He was about 15 metres away, he said."
Despite the bombing, Ms. Decaire said her son would like to return to Afghanistan. "I don't think that's a big macho thing, I think he feels a need to maybe be with the guys who were there and understand what happened."
salberts@nationalpost.com
Survivor lambastes U.S. pilot
Baril vows full inquiry
Graeme Hamilton and Sheldon Alberts
National Post
LANDSTUHL, Germany and OTTAWA - Canada and the United States began setting up inquiries yesterday into who was responsible for the "friendly fire" deaths of four Canadians in Afghanistan -- but one of the injured soldiers is already putting the blame squarely on the U.S. pilot involved.
"It's a shitty thing that happened and a dumb mistake by that pilot," Corporal Brian Decaire told the National Post yesterday from his room in a U.S. Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
"I don't care, that's a dumb mistake. I hope he's hurting now. There are a lot of families that are hurting. The whole battalion's hurting."
Cpl. Decaire, who took shrapnel to his jaw and hand, spoke as the head of a Canadian inquiry into the deaths said he is prepared to blame U.S. personnel if there is clear evidence of misconduct.
Retired General Maurice Baril, who will lead the five-person inquiry, said he believes the Canadian investigators can find out the truth without directly interrogating the U.S. National Guard pilot about why he dropped a 500-pound bomb on Canadians conducting a live-fire training exercise near Kandahar on Thursday.
"We are there to find out what happened. We are not there to point fingers or chase any ghosts anywhere," Gen. Baril said in Ottawa. "But if we find that there is a very clear blame to be done, I will have to report what I found."
The five-member board of inquiry will begin its investigation on Monday. Art Eggleton, the Defence Minister, promised an interim report on the tragedy will be completed within three weeks and said a final report is to be finished within two months.
Ottawa has asked the board to determine "whether the deceased and injured" soldiers or "any other persons were to blame for the injuries or deaths."
The bodies of the four soldiers will arrive in Canada this morning at CFB Trenton, just west of Kingston. Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, will attend an honour guard ceremony to pay tribute to the victims.
"They were good men. They were Canadians," said Cpl. Decaire of Sergeant Marc Léger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green and Private Nathan Smith.
The four coffins, draped in the Maple Leaf flag, were loaded aboard a Hercules transport plane yesterday in Kandahar to the solemn skirl of bagpipes.
The commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan sent the paratroopers home with a jumpmasters slap.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Stogran walked up to each coffin and tapped it -- something a jumpmaster would do to a paratrooper before a jump off an aircraft.
"You're OK, jumper," said Lt.-Col. Stogran, standing at attention. "Have a good one. Airborne!"
Six of eight Canadians injured in the bombing, currently receiving treatment at a U.S. army base in Germany, are expected to return to Canada on Tuesday.
Injuries to two of the men -- Sergeant Lorne Ford and Corporal René Paquette -- had initially been described as life-threatening, but doctors said yesterday they were out of danger.
Sgt. Ford of Brampton, Ont., the soldier most seriously hurt, required emergency surgery for shrapnel injuries to his eye and could lose it.
The survivors received visits yesterday from the Governor-General, Adrienne Clarkson, and General Montgomery Meigs, commander of the U.S. Army for Europe.
The error that caused the first deaths suffered by Canadian troops in a combat area since the Korean War has pained the U.S. servicemen and medical personnel looking after the injured.
"Almost every American we've come in contact with has been apologetic," Cpl. Decaire said. "They've been taking really good care of us."
A National Guard sergeant controlling access into the hospital was blunt in his assessment of the U.S. pilot. "If what I heard is true, I hope they nail that fly boy to the wall," he said.
The accident has prompted a national outpouring of grief and -- in some quarters -- anger toward the U.S. military and government.
Mr. Eggleton confirmed one member of the Canadian board of inquiry -- Brigadier General Mark Dumais -- has been asked to join a separate U.S. investigation team tasked with finding out why the unidentified F-16 pilot decided to bomb the Canadian troops.
Sources in Canada and the United States have said the pilot fired on members of the 3rd battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry even though he did not have permission from U.S. commanders. Initial reports suggest the pilot had been authorized only to mark the target, but believed he was being fired upon and dropped a bomb in self-defence.
Opposition parties have demanded that Canadian investigators be given full access to all U.S. military personnel who witnessed or were involved in decisions leading up to the tragedy, including the F-16 pilot.
But Gen. Baril, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said he would be reluctant to demand access to the U.S. pilot because he would not want the Americans to make similar requests to interrogate Canadian soldiers about the incident.
It is expected that Brig. Gen. Dumais, as a full member of the U.S. board of inquiry, will be able to grill U.S. military witnesses and provide the information directly to the Baril inquiry. In turn, Gen. Baril has promised to turn over all Canadian testimony about the bombing to U.S. investigators.
The terms of reference for investigators include a request to determine whether there was proper co-ordination between Canadian and U.S. authorities about the training exercise and between ground and air forces involved in the tragedy.
"There is no reason for me to believe there was any mistake made by Canadians in this regard," Mr. Eggleton said.
Gen. Baril has been asked to make recommendations on how to improve communications between ground and air forces during live-fire exercises and "measures to prevent a similar occurrence in the future."
Military officials said Canada has no authority to compel non-citizens to testify before a board of inquiry, although they can request that the U.S. pilot and other officers to appear.
On Parliament Hill, several MPs expressed concern that George W. Bush, the U.S President, failed to publicly express sympathy for the Canadian victims immediately following the tragedy. Mr. Bush personally telephoned Mr. Chrétien to express his sorrow, and issued a statement of condolence on Thursday. Yesterday, he offered public sympathy about the Canadian deaths and said, "I wish we could bring them back."
The public expression came after several government and opposition MPs signalled that Mr. Bush's initial actions were insufficient.
"I think it undoubtedly would have been of some comfort to the families to hear the President's own words through the media," John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister, said prior to Mr. Bush's statement yesterday.
Alexa McDonough, the New Democrat leader, said the U.S. is taking the Canadian military "for granted" and Ottawa should pull its troops from Afghanistan.
But Mr. Eggleton said Canadians will continue their six-month mission and will likely resume live-fire exercises.
Cpl. Decaire's mother, Maureen, told the Post her son lost his best friend in the blast, Cpl. Dyer of Montreal.
Cpl. Decaire, a native of Winnipeg, said he is anxious to get home to see his family
When asked about the specifics of the bombing, Cpl. Decaire said he and the other soldiers were not yet ready to discuss it publicly.
However, yesterday Mrs. Decaire provided one of the first detailed accounts of the seconds before and after the blast, reported to her by her son.
"He said they were out training and they had just finished and he heard a whistling sound. It didn't dawn on him it was a bomb, of course. He said the next thing he knew there was a brilliant flash of light and he was thrown in the air, though not terribly far because he wasn't knocked out. And then he looked over to where the flash was, where the guys had been before, and there was just nothing to see for the most part.
"He said they got up and started towards where the bomb had hit and that's when he realized that some of the people just didn't exist anymore. Not that they were dead, they just weren't there. And he saw a couple of bodies of a couple of the guys and then the others who were badly wounded. He said there was one about 200 yards away that had a lot of foot damage and leg damage."
She said her son displayed a range of emotions to her. "He's wondering how come he's alive and he wasn't killed. He was very close to where the bomb hit. I guess it's just the way the fragments angled that he wasn't killed. He was about 15 metres away, he said."
Despite the bombing, Ms. Decaire said her son would like to return to Afghanistan. "I don't think that's a big macho thing, I think he feels a need to maybe be with the guys who were there and understand what happened."
salberts@nationalpost.com
