Study Cites Drone Crew in Attack on Afghans

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Study Cites Drone Crew in Attack on Afghans
By CHRISTOPHER DREW

A Predator drone pilot played down two warnings about the presence of children before military commanders ordered a helicopter attack that killed 23 Afghan civilians traveling down a road in February, an Air Force investigation has found.

A report on the investigation, released Friday, said the pilot’s mistakes “clouded the picture” and contributed to poor judgments by field commanders, who believed the vehicles being monitored were carrying Taliban fighters.

The attack inflamed tensions over civilian casualties and raised questions about the hazards of relying on remotely piloted aircraft to track people suspected of being insurgents.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/world/asia/11drone.html

[msongs]

1. burn korans bad, drone kids to death good US policy. ok nt

[RC]

2. Must have been too many survivors and witnesses to spin it.