US 'dumped' report into UK troops' crash ordeal

The wreckage of the Land Rover after it was struck by the tank transporter.

US to pay $2.3 million to UK troops

Lawyers claim the Pentagon will now pay £1.2m compensation after trying to deny Iraq collision

Watch the video here

Mark Townsend, defence correspondentSunday February 18, 2007The Observer

The Pentagon has been accused of obstructing an investigation into how three British soldiers almost died when an American tank transporter rammed them off a road in Iraq.

Lawyers for the UK troops claim that the US authorities tried to 'dump' their inquiry in a move to block a compensation claim. The American military also said it had no record of the incident, but it has emerged that the collision was officially recorded at the time

The allegations risk creating fresh tensions between the UK and US coalition forces and arrive amid the ongoing inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Matty Hull, who was killed by American pilots after they mistakenly fired on his convoy.

US army officials are due in London this week to interview Corporal Jane McLaughlan, Staff Sergeant James Rogerson, Corporal Stephen Smith and their interpreter, Khalid Allahou, almost four years after all were seriously injured when their Land Rover was struck twice from behind by the US transporter. McLaughlan, who was driving, was unable to keep control and the Land Rover crashed off the road. All four passengers were thrown from the vehicle.

Their legal advisers said that, despite attempts to block their claim, the US authorities were likely to pay £1.2m in compensation to the soldiers, the first financial payment of its kind involving coalition allies in the Iraq war.

CONTINUED