CBS: Why were five U.S. soldiers killed by an American bomber in Afghanistan?
A classified report blames human error for the deadliest friendly fire incident of the Afghan War involving U.S. soldiers. Soldiers who were there say that's wrong
On this Veteran's Day weekend, as the Trump White House plans to send more troops and planes into Afghanistan, we bring you a cautionary tale of how five U.S. soldiers -- including two Green Berets -- died there on the night of June 9th, 2014.
The Pentagon concluded the deaths were an "avoidable" accident -- known by the contradictory phrase "friendly fire." It was the deadliest such incident involving U.S. fatalities in 16 long years of ongoing war in Afghanistan. It wasn't gunfire that killed the U.S. soldiers. It was a pair of 500-pound bombs dropped right on top of them by a U.S. warplane.
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WNU Editor: Friendly fire is a fact of life in all war zones. What I find amazing about the U.S. experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan is that while "friendly fire" incidences where U.S. soldiers were killed and wounded have occurred many times .... it did not (and is not) at the high rate that I expected.
