Recent Military Mistakes
By The Associated Press
Some bombing accidents involving the U.S. military from recent history:
Oct. 13, 2001: A Navy F/A-18 Hornet drops a 2,000-pound bomb on a residential neighborhood in Kabul, Afghanistan, a mile from the military helicopter it intended to hit at Kabul's airport. A Pentagon statement says ground reports indicated that four people were killed and eight injured; U.S. officials say they had no way to confirm the number of casualties.
March 12, 2001: A bombing range accident in Kuwait kills six and seriously injures three when a Navy F/A-18 pilot is mistakenly given the signal to bomb what turns out to be an observation post.
Feb. 16, 2001: U.S. warplanes bomb military targets near Baghdad; about half the bombs miss their targets.
May 20, 1999: At least three people are killed when NATO missiles hit a hospital near a military barracks in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with NATO acknowledging one of its laser-guided weapons missed a target. The same day, NATO airstrikes damage the Swiss ambassador's residence in Belgrade during a reception, along with the Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian and Hungarian ambassadors' residences. Serbian media say damage also was reported at Libya's embassy and the Israeli diplomatic mission.
May 13, 1999: NATO acknowledges an attack on a Kosovo village, Korisa. Yugoslav officials said 87 ethnic Albanians are killed and more than 100 injured. NATO says Korisa was a Serb military command post, and suggests Serb forces trapped the refugees next to the target as human shields.
May 7, 1999: U.S. planes flying a NATO mission mistakenly bomb the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three journalists and injuring 20 people. A bad map from CIA target planners is later blamed.
May 7, 1999: NATO admits it is highly probable that a bomb headed for an airfield "went astray and hit civilian buildings." Serb officials say a cluster bomb attack damages a marketplace and the grounds of a hospital in Nis, Yugoslavia killing at least 15.
May 1, 1999: A missile hits a bus crossing a bridge north of Pristina, Yugoslavia, killing 47. NATO says the bus started across the bridge after a bomb directed at the span had been released.
April 28, 1999: A missile slams into a private home in Sofia, Bulgaria, but no injuries are reported. NATO acknowledges a missile went off course and may have crossed the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border.
April 27, 1999: A missile strike in the Serb town of Surdulica kills at least 20 civilians. NATO says one of its bombs missed the target, a nearby military barracks, and struck a residential neighborhood.
April 14, 1999: NATO mistakenly bombs a refugee convoy near Djakovica during its campaign, saying a misfire "may have caused damage to a civilian vehicle and unintentional harm to civilian lives." Yugoslav officials said 75 people died and more than two dozen were hurt.
April 12, 1999: NATO confirms a rail bridge was struck by allied aircraft and that a train was nearby at the time. Yugoslav state media report NATO missiles struck a railroad bridge near the Serb town of Grdelica and hit a passenger train, killing 17.
April 10, 1999: Two Marine jets drop bombs on a lookout post at the Vieques training ground in Puerto Rico. One civilian guard is killed. Four others are injured, including three civilians.
April 9, 1999: NATO says a bomb, intended for the main telephone exchange in Kosovo's capital of Pristina, fell short of its target, causing damage to a residential area.
April 1994: Two U.S. Air Force F-15s shoot down two U.S. Army helicopters on a diplomatic mission over Iraq, mistaking them for hostile aircraft in the "no-fly zone," killing 26 people. No one was found criminally responsible.
Feb. 13, 1991: A Baghdad shelter was attacked in the Persian Gulf War, killing more than 300 civilians. U.S. officials said it was a military command center, and they did not know civilians were inside.
January 1991: Seven U.S. Marines are killed when a missile fired by a U.S. Air Force A-10 attack aircraft hits their armored vehicle during a battle with the Iraqis.
|