An American colonel in charge of the Patriot battery that accidentally shot
down a British Tornado jet, killing the two crew, has apologised for the
blunder.
Colonel Tim Glaeser says a software glitch allowed the Patriot radar to
read the Tornado as a missile.
He made the apology during a visit to the Tornado base at Ali Al Salem in
Kuwait.
The RAF commander has also given an assurance that the mistake cannot
happen again.
And in the meantime...
The North Korean Foreign Ministry released its statement in Moscow.
It argued the invasion of Iraq by American, British and Australian forces
"threatens peace and security not only in the region but in the entire world".
"The use of force against Iraq, as well as the military preparations by the
United States and its satellites on the Korean peninsula have made us
understand clearly that we must do everything for our legitimate defence,"
the statement said.
Pyongyang gave no details about what those defensive measures involve,it's
possible they may include Patriot Missile 'knock offs' made in China with
the original software.
