Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Dudes, we have been here before - US Friendly Fire before the courts
The current uproar is not the first time US ‘Friendly Fire’ has come before the scrutiny of a British Coroner. The story of how US aircraft attacked UK troops during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and how the US obstructed proceedings and for a long time couldn’t even muster an apology for the parents of the dead Brits, is told with burning restraint by Geoffrey Robertson QC in his book ‘The Justice Game’.
The Coroner at that 1990's hearing recommended that UK armed forces should refuse to serve in combat with US armed forces until the US introduced proper front-line fire control discipline. Not something of course within his powers to enforce but does show his opinion of the matters before his court.
Robertson’s book by the way also covers a number of important Civil Rights cases in which he appeared. The account of how a senior defence barrister mimed the presentation of certain defence evidence in the ‘Romans In Britain’ obscenity case is on its own worth the price of purchase. And as for the Matrix Churchill, the connections with Iraq and possible consequent corruption threads... yes this is a book that need re-reading, definitely.
The Coroner at that 1990's hearing recommended that UK armed forces should refuse to serve in combat with US armed forces until the US introduced proper front-line fire control discipline. Not something of course within his powers to enforce but does show his opinion of the matters before his court.
Robertson’s book by the way also covers a number of important Civil Rights cases in which he appeared. The account of how a senior defence barrister mimed the presentation of certain defence evidence in the ‘Romans In Britain’ obscenity case is on its own worth the price of purchase. And as for the Matrix Churchill, the connections with Iraq and possible consequent corruption threads... yes this is a book that need re-reading, definitely.
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