Coroner faults Brit's death in Iraq
By SUE LEEMAN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Dec 18, 4:17 PM ET
LONDON - A British tank commander accidentally shot by one of his own soldiers as he struggled with an Iraqi attacker died because of an "unforgivable and inexcusable" delay in providing body armor to British troops, a coroner ruled Monday.
Sgt. Steve Roberts, a commander in the Royal Tank Regiment, died after he was attacked while manning a checkpoint outside the southern Iraqi city of Az Zubayr in the early hours of March 24, 2003.
An army inquiry found that when he tried to shoot the Iraqi, his Browning pistol failed and he was shot by a British soldier in a nearby tank who was trying to protect him but did not know his high-powered machine gun was inaccurate at short range.
The inquest heard Roberts was left exposed by "serious failings" in the army's ability to supply its troops, noting that he gave up his body armor three days before his death.
Had he been wearing the armor he would have survived, the inquest heard
Mon Dec 18, 4:17 PM ET
LONDON - A British tank commander accidentally shot by one of his own soldiers as he struggled with an Iraqi attacker died because of an "unforgivable and inexcusable" delay in providing body armor to British troops, a coroner ruled Monday.
Sgt. Steve Roberts, a commander in the Royal Tank Regiment, died after he was attacked while manning a checkpoint outside the southern Iraqi city of Az Zubayr in the early hours of March 24, 2003.
An army inquiry found that when he tried to shoot the Iraqi, his Browning pistol failed and he was shot by a British soldier in a nearby tank who was trying to protect him but did not know his high-powered machine gun was inaccurate at short range.
The inquest heard Roberts was left exposed by "serious failings" in the army's ability to supply its troops, noting that he gave up his body armor three days before his death.
Had he been wearing the armor he would have survived, the inquest heard
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 2:56 AM
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