More of that oh-so-innocently named ‘friendly fire’ in Afghanistan. This time, it wasn’t the work of a guy named ‘Psycho’ but an American bomber hitting and killing three Brits and seriously injuring two others.

The US Embassy in London read from (a well-worn) statement: “The United States expresses its deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the soldiers who died, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery.” That would be friendly-fire and speedy recovery, the words of war.

When wars are fought from altitude the results tend to be indiscriminate. As the major arial force, the US has been roundly criticized for the vast ‘collateral damage’ it has wrought on a defenceless civil population. Even the Afghan President himself has complained at the recklessness of killing.

But what do you do? Ground wars are so yesterday and high explosive are so today. Collateral damage and friendly fire are simply inevitable in the cross-hairs of bomb sights. That’s modern war. Get over it.

But it’s hard. Senseless killing, inevitable to war, cheapens everything, life included.

The BBC story is here: ‘Friendly fire’ kills UK soldiers.