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CNN Saturday Morning News

U.S. Military Criticized for Bombing Errors

Aired October 27, 2001 - 08:31   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Operation Enduring Freedom is about to enter its fourth week and the U.S. military is being criticized for recent misses.

CNN's Sheilah Kast has more from the Pentagon -- Sheilah.

SHEILAH KAST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Martin.

This is the second time in just 10 days that the U.S. has mistakenly hit Red Cross warehouses. The Pentagon confirmed that early Friday in Kabul two U.S. Navy jets each dropped a 2,000 pound bomb on this warehouse, on a warehouse complex, a Red Cross warehouse complex. The bombs were guided by signals from a global positioning system, GPS satellites. At about the same time, another Navy jet fired a smaller laser guided bomb at the compound, but missed, and that bomb landed in a residential area south of the warehouses. And several hours later, two B-52s dropped six more bombs, a total of six more bombs on the same warehouse complex.

The Red Cross says this leaves it with just one warehouse of food and supplies. It says no injuries were reported, but says there is no excuse for the bombing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO MUSA, ICRC SPOKESMAN: It's really deplorable and regrettable that this incident happened while we are, our staff in the field are really giving their, all their energy left to help the needy people. We informed yesterday the American government through our court in Geneva, reminding them that are rules in combat which foresee the protection of the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblem and reminding them of the location of this very clearly identified and marked installation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAST: The Pentagon says it regrets what it called an inadvertent strike. Although details are still being investigated, the statement said preliminary indications are that the warehouses were struck due to a human error in the targeting process.

CNN has been told that in the past Taliban sometimes parked vehicles near the Red Cross warehouses for cover. But the U.S. insists that it targets only military and terrorist targets -- Martin. SAVIDGE: CNN's Sheilah Kast reporting to us live from the Pentagon this morning. Thank you.

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