The Special Relationship

The coroner at the inquest of a British soldier killed in a "friendly-fire" incident in Iraq said yesterday that he had no choice but to delay his verdict until an American recording of the incident is produced by the Government.

Andrew Walker said that the failure of the Ministry of Defence to obtain authorisation to show the recording, thought to be of the moment two US aircraft opened fire on a convoy of British armoured vehicles, had been a "matter of profound regret" that "greatly saddens" him.

The MoD says that the recording is a classified US document, and that they cannot override the classification.

Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, 25, from Windsor, Berkshire, died in the incident, near Basra, southern Iraq, on March 28, 2003. Four members of his troop, the Household Cavalry Regiment, were injured. Sources say that the tape, which the MoD told Lance Corporal of Horse Hull's family did not exist, is incriminating and contains the line: "Someone's going to jail for this." Link