John Simpson Documentary / Panorama tonight

[kj]

did anyone see it? it was a self made documentary by the team of journalists that got hit by a 1000 lb American bomb by accident. John Simpson was injured, you might have remembered reading / hearing about it during the conflict. The footage was absolutely harrowing. Couldn't believe what i was seeing. It was like something out of a movie. American soldiers dragging bodies from the road onto the grass verge, bits of body lying strewn across the road, burning vehicles and soldiers screaming in pain.

One of their camera men was actually filming the spot that got hit, there were about 20-30 Kurd fighters standing there along with some American special forces, then they just disappeared and the camera man was thrown onto his back from the explosion.

I was really angry watching that. The Kurd fighters were furious, the Americans weren't saying anything and people were just all over the place.

The documentary went further and paid tribute to the camera man / interpreter that had volunteered to work with the BBC in order to become a friend of John Simpson. They visited his family afterwards to pay respects and it was truely upsetting.

Apart from the obvious, it was an outstanding programme from the BBC. Its left me both upset and furious.

[AlanG]

I only caught the end of it but will always remember the last documentary on the incident, where the camera kept rolling with blood running down the lens as you saw the carnage unfold

[kj]

that was it. That footage was included in this, except this time they included it all, uncut. I couldnt believe what i was seeing. Almost like something straight out of Saving Private Ryan. The Americans couldnt believe it, but apparently, US Army sources said that the reason why they got bombed was because the enemy were at another intersection but the America officer that gave the go-ahead to open fire said he was too busy to give coordinates. The pilot described the target...

'i see a road, i see an intersection, i see vehicles' to which the office replied 'thats your target, you are clear to open fire'.

This was them, the pilot had seen the wrong intersection, wrong group of vehicles. Then you heard this horrible screeching noise of the bomb home in on its target, and the group of Kurds look up to the sky and then a massive explosion.

[Burny]

u didnt tape it did u?

[kj]

i'm going to see if the BBC can send me a copy of the documentary on tape. prolly cost me £20 or something, but it was a good episode.