Patriot missile fired accidentally in Qatar

[unhappycamper]

Patriot missile fired accidentally in Qatar
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 17, 2007 5:47:32 EDT

WASHINGTON — A Patriot missile was accidentally fired from a military base in Qatar, hitting a nearby farm, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the missile landed in an “unpopulated farm area,” and no one was injured.

The incident — which occurred Monday night in Washington time but Tuesday in Qatar — is being investigated, Whitman said.

“It’s been described as an accidental discharge; beyond that, it’s just not clear at this time” what happened, Whitman said.

The official Qatar News Agency, quoting an unnamed official with Qatar Armed Forces General Command, said the missile was erroneously fired from Camp As Sayliyah, located on the outskirts of Doha, and it caused no damage.

~snip~

Patriot batteries misidentified and shot down an American and a British fighter in separate incidents, leaving three air crew members dead. A Patriot system also mistakenly tracked another U.S. fighter, which bombed a radar in response. The incidents took place in March and April 2003.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_patriotaccident_071016/

[hobbit709]

1. Gotta watch out for those incoming cornfields.

[tetedur]

2. I sure hope there aren't many more of these accidents over there.

They've just completed a missile defense system in Bahrain.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=195739&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30198

This kind of news bothers me.