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American Morning

American F-16 Mistakenly Drops Bomb on Canadian Soldiers

Aired April 18, 2002 - 09:03   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Up Front" this morning though in Afghanistan an American F-16 mistakenly dropped at least one laser- guided bomb on Canadian soldiers conducting a training exercise near Kandahar. Four of those soldiers were killed, eight of them wounded. Canadian military officials say they will investigate the friendly fire incident with the cooperation of the United States. For more on that now we are joined by CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Walter Rodgers, in Kabul. Good morning, Walt.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Misidentification appears the key to this tragedy. The U.S. F-16 was operating on a routine night patrol well above the desert where the Canadians were also on a routine exercise. The U.S. pilot would have had no visual contact with those targets on the ground before he released his bomb, a laser-guided bomb, perhaps two, as you pointed, out eight Canadians - or four Canadian killed, eight wounded. The Canadians are very clear that they believe they were in the right on this. Their troops were in a very clearly designated training area. And General Ray Henault of the Chief of Staff, Chief of Defense Staff in Ottawa was more than little baffled by what had happened.

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GEN. RAY HENAULT, CHIEF OF DEFENSE STAFF, CANADIAN: There's no hostile activity in the area that I'm aware of. But, again the details are something that need to be determined. Those kind of details we have not been made privy to. But certainly my understanding is that there was no hostile activity in the area that would have created this incident.

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RODGERS: Normally the U.S. pilot would have had to secure permission from ground control before releasing those bombs. It's not clear at this point in the investigation whether indeed the pilot released those bombs with that sort of permission, doubly tragic for the Canadians. This is the first time since the Korean War 1950-1953 that they have suffered any combat casualties - Paula.

ZAHN: Walt, if you could, tell us about the former king of Afghanistan and his return home.

RODGERS: Paula, the news in Kabul was as good as the news in Kandahar was tragic for those Canadians. King Zahir Shah, the Former King of Afghanistan, deposed in 1973, came home at last after nearly 30 years in exile. He came home because he believes and many of Afghans believe that he can offer a healing presence here acting as an overseer, trying to bring the various factions and political divisions in this country together again. Remember, he's coming as the Chairman of the Counsel of Tribunal Elders, which meets in June. That counsel of (INAUDIBLE) will try to reshape a government here. Perhaps even decide what, if any role, there would be for the aging king. He's 87 years old. Again, the welcome was low-key here principally because of security concerns for the king on his arrival. There were no untoward incidence - Paula.

ZAHN: All right. Thanks so much Walt. Walt Rodgers reporting from Afghanistan this morning.

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