Friendly fire probe into killings of Canadian, U.S. soldiers complete

[babylonsister]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070406.wfriendlyfire0406/BNStory/National/home

Friendly fire probe into killings of Canadian, U.S. soldiers complete

WILSON RING

Associated Press and Canadian Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The U.S. army has completed a probe into whether a Vermont National Guardsman and a Canadian soldier were killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan during a fierce night-time battle just over a year ago, a Guard official said Friday.

But the results of the investigation into the March 29, 2006 death of Master Sgt. Tom Stone and Canadian soldier Pte. Robert Costall won't be released until Master Sgt. Stone's family has been briefed about the findings, said Guard spokesman Capt. Keith Davio.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian Defence Department was checking Friday to see if a similar briefing would be given to Pte. Costall's family.

The delay in the release of the results was due to the nature of the incident, Capt. Davio said.

“The biggest thing is it involves the three different governments,” the U.S., Canada and Afghanistan, said Capt. Davio. “Specifically what took so long, we don't know that yet.”

Master Sgt. Stone and Pte. Costall died during the firefight that followed a Taliban attack on a base in a remote part of southern Afghanistan. The attack was repelled by U.S., Canadian and Afghan soldiers.

A week later, the Vermont National Guard announced that a friendly fire investigation was under way to determine if Master Sgt. Stone and Pte. Costall were killed by their allies.

more...