A “top secret” cockpit tape held by the Oxfordshire Coroner is finally being made public by The Sun, a British publication. With the joyful reaction from two US pilots after successfully hitting their targets, you’d think they were rejoicing over scoring points in a video game rather than murdering human beings. However, their nonchalant demeanor is not what’s shocking Britain, but the fact that the victims of these pilots were allied British soldiers. The two reservist Americans had never been in action before and made errors which killed 25-year-old Lance Corporal Matty Hull and injured four of his comrades on March 28, 2003.

The first US pilot on the tape, referred to by POPOV36, gloats during the attack. He is encouraged by the second pilot, call sign POPOV35, who yells, “Get him, get him!” as the first shoots up the British convoy. Looking down at the mangled vehicles, one pilot sees a British soldier pulling his comrades from the wreckage. He comments, “It looks like he is hauling ass. Ha Ha.” After this, a second burst of fire is unleashed. Moments later, the pilots are told over the radio that their victims were British soldiers. More concerned with his own fate than that of the people he just shot, POPOV35 says, “We’re in jail dude”. POPOV36 weeps on the return to base: “G_d dammit. Fuck me dead.”

The British convoy was inside an area US pilots had been told not to shoot into. Their armored vehicles had orange overhead canvas panels to identify coalition forces to aircraft, and were displaying thermal reflectors and British Flags. The two US pilots, who were being guided by Forward Air Controllers from the US Marine Corps, made 6 major errors.

ERROR ONE came when they asked the Forward Air Controller, call sign Manila Hotel, if friendly forces were around the Iraqi vehicles — not to the west.

InERROR TWO neither pilot gave the precise grid references for the Household Cavalry patrol to double check its identity.

ERROR THREE saw them convince themselves the identification panels were really orange rocket launchers.

In ERROR FOUR POPOV36 decides to attack, saying he is “rolling in” — without permission from the Forward Air Controller. POPOV35 asks for artillery to fire a marker round into the target area to clear up confusion.

But ERROR FIVE came when POPOV36 attacked without waiting for it.

In ERROR SIX POPOV36 strafes the column for a second time but still doubts its identity.

British Trooper Chris Finney, 18, was able to stop further attacks by jumping into a burning vehicle to radio in a Mayday report and call off the strike. He then dragged a badly wounded comrade from the wreckage and also went back for Lance Corporal Matty Hull.

Both the Ministry of Defense and the US government have refused to let the Oxfordshire Coroner show the tape in court. British Defense Officials claim they are legally bound by the Pentagon not to reveal any secrets, though they also insist there is nothing secret on the tape which would violate that pledge. Lance Corporal Matty Hull’s widow, Susan, was even told the tape did not exist. She said, “I’m very relieved this is being made public at long last. I can’t believe these pilots can discuss what they’re doing so casually when these are the last moments of my husband’s life.”

A senior US military source told The Sun, “This tape needs to get out. The pilots need to be brought to account.” The identities of the American pilots have not been released, but it is known that POPOV36 is a lieutenant colonel, and POPOV35 a major. So far there has been no US Air Force inquiry into the situation.

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