Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Four Canadian Soldiers Dead After Friendly Fire Accident in Afghanistan

Aired April 18, 2002 - 06:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go live now to Afghanistan for more on that friendly fire bombing incident that killed four Canadian soldiers. Our Elaine Quijano is in Washington with more on that. Elaine, what can you tell us?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol. As you said, four Canadian soldiers are dead, eight others are wounded, after that friendly fire accident in Afghanistan. Now, U.S. officials are left trying to answer some difficult questions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): It was part of the coalition's war on terror, a training mission roughly nine miles south of Kandahar, involving U.S. and Canadian forces.

GEN. RAY (ph): HENAULT, CHIEF OF DEFENSE STAFF, CANADA: The battle group was conducting a regular live-fire training exercise, a nighttime live-fire training exercise, in an area that's recognized as a training area. The aircraft that are over flying and assisting operations in Afghanistan are operating on well-recognized and in very well-controlled routes and under very strict control.

QUIJANO: But those Canadian and U.S. military officials say somehow an American F-16, similar to this one, dropped at least one 500-pound laser-guided bomb on a dozen Canadian soldiers.

MAJ. BRYAN HILFERTY, U.S. ARMY: I'd like to convey to the families and friends of the injured and dead soldiers the condolences and prayers.

QUIJANO: Now, as fellow soldiers stationed at the Kandahar Airport mourn, Canadian military authorities say they'll carry out an investigation in cooperation with the United States.

HENAULT: How this sort of thing can happen is a mystery to us. That's what the investigation will determine. I can't speculate on it at this point in time. All I can say to you is that without a doubt, there was a misidentification of the Canadians and what they were doing on the ground, and that was obviously the cause of this accident.

(END VIDEOTAPE) QUIJANO: Now, Canadian authorities say there was no hostile fire in the area that might have led to the accident. Meanwhile, President Bush has called Canada's prime minister to express his condolences.

Live in Washington, I am Elaine Quijano -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: We are getting a lot of e-mails this morning, Elaine, from our viewers in Canada wondering how something like this could have happened. These were sizable bombs.

QUIJANO: They certainly were; 500 pounds and laser-guided. And as you mentioned earlier, this American pilot had no visual frame of reference, not able to see, obviously, this taking place overnight around 2:00 a.m. or just before 2:00 a.m. Kandahar time.

The question obviously now: How could some kind of miscommunication, misdirection happen? This is going to be an essential investigation as this war on terror moves forward. The coalition forces working together side by side very closely in this campaign, as we have heard both President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld say, they plan on having their forces in there as long as it takes.

So any kind of incident like this one obviously is going to make their operation that much more difficult, adding tension to what is already a very tense situation -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you've got that right. Elaine Quijano, thanks -- reporting live for us from Washington, D.C., where part of that investigation will take place.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.