USA: THE PENTAGON CONFIRMS THAT THREE US SPECIAL FORCES TROOPS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 19 INJURED BY AN ERRANT BOMB DROPPED BY A US B-52 BOMBER

Record ID: 971069

  • Title: USA: THE PENTAGON CONFIRMS THAT THREE US SPECIAL FORCES TROOPS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 19 INJURED BY AN ERRANT BOMB DROPPED BY A US B-52 BOMBER
  • Date: 5th December 2001
  • Summary: (W6) ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 5, 2001) (POOL-ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV UNITED STATES DEFENCE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA CLARKE WALKING UP TO PODIUM 0.10 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES DEFENCE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA CLARKE SAYING: "Good afternoon, as you know today at approximately 12:30am U.S. service members were killed and 20 more were injured when a B52 dropped its ordinance in close proximity to friendly forces. The B-52 was flying in support of opposition forces north of Kandahar. We have an update since this morning and unfortunately the number of U.S. forces killed is three. The names are being withheld pending the notification of their families. We do want to offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to their families of these service members. This accident does underscore what needs to be remembered that everyday the men and women of the U.S. military are at risk defending our freedoms and our way of life and for that we are very grateful. And I would repeat for what the secretary said yesterday, 'We did not ask for this war. We did not start this war. And every casualty lays at the feet of the Al Qaeda and the Taliban.'" 1.14 3. MEDIA 1.19 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) CLARKE SAYING: "We have heard that (Pashtun chief Hamid) Karzai is out, has been visible, seems to be doing fine." 1.25 5. MEDIA 1.30 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADMIRAL JOHN STUFFLEBEEM SAYING "Here's what we can say about what we know so far. There was a fort air controller who called in a close support mission. A B-52 responded with "JDAM" ammunitions and one of those "JDAM" bombs landed 100 meters from where our troops were at and that is what obviously caused the casualties and injuries." / MEDIA 2.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2001 12:00
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  • Location: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
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  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAAO31BZ7O39X8WNMFUOK2UV406
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  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
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