Airstrip One

Identification: Friendly Fire - 6th January 2002, 18.15

Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Larpent has warned of the dangers of 'friendly fire' and has called for a reversal of the deployment of British troops to the Gulf. Attempts to identify British troops in the past as 'friend' rather than 'foe' included such wheezes as fluorescent markers during Gulf War 1. The MOD has confirmed that whilst a system of IFF is being developed, it is not yet in place. No surprise there, then.

Although 'friendly fire' is not a sufficient reason to abandon a campaign with other allies, this particular episode again displays the complacent attitude taken by the MOD to the safety of their own soldiers.

What steps have the US armed forces taken to prevent such embarrassing incidents?