U.S. gunship videotaped its Afghan wedding attack

Wednesday July 10, 2002 06:44

by cnn

CNN buried this article in CNN Asia

The AC-130 gunship involved in last week's attack that ''mistakenly'' killed civilians in southern Afghanistan recorded some images of the airstrike, but U.S. officials will not say what the video shows. CNN buried the story under CNN Asia to avoid giving it US prominence.

U.S. gunship videotaped Afghan strike
CNN Asia
July 8, 2002
http://asia.cnn.com/2002/US/07/08/afghan.gunship/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The AC-130 gunship involved in last week's attack that mistakenly killed civilians in southern Afghanistan recorded some images of the airstrike, but U.S. officials will not say what the video shows, CNN has confirmed.

The air attack, which the United States and Afghanistan are investigating, killed at least 48 civilians and injured another 117 in Oruzgan province, where villagers said a wedding party was in progress, Afghan officials said.

The videotape is highly classified and is so sensitive it likely won't be released without direct approval by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Tommy Franks, commander in chief of U.S. Central Command.

One critical unanswered question for the Pentagon is whether the imagery shows anti-aircraft artillery fire. Questions have arisen about whether the gunship crew might have mistaken celebratory wedding fire by rifles for artillery fire.

Defense Department sources said ground controllers insisted they saw artillery guns firing before the gunship was called in. Central Command has initiated a formal probe, and investigators will be looking, in part, for shell casings that might have come from an artillery gun.

Sources said the tape is unlikely to be released, partly because of concerns that it would set a precedent with the news media. Video taken from a gunship of controversial incidents is rarely made public.

http://asia.cnn.com/2002/US/07/08/afghan.gunship/index.html