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MAJOR
GENERAL JOHN McCOLL'S STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC ACCIDENT
OF 6 MARCH 2002
You will
all be aware of the tragic incident that occurred on Wednesday
afternoon at the ISAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal demolitions
range on the eastern outskirts of Kabul. EOD teams from the
German and Danish contingents were working to destroy SA-3
anti-aircraft missiles. These missiles are but one small fraction
of the thousands of unexploded ordnance that are the legacy
of Afghanistan's troubled past.
The exact
sequence of events is not known at this time, and is the subject
of a thorough inquiry. However, there was clearly an accident,
causing a large explosion while the teams were working on
the missiles. This resulted in two German dead, five German
wounded, three Danish dead, and three Danish wounded.
This tragedy
occurred despite the most stringent operating procedures,
and I pay tribute to all those ISAF EOD personnel who work
in this most dangerous of trades.
ISAF has
a clear mission and will continue to meet fully its responsibility
to provide support to the Interim Administration. Nonetheless,
this tragic incident is a shock to us all, and one that saddens
me deeply. The thoughts and prayers of all members of my force
are with the families of the dead and injured at this time.
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