No US response to coroner's plea

A representative of the embassy was invited to the coroner's court to explain what the coroner regards as the US authorities' "inexplicable and unacceptable" refusal to allow American witnesses or sensitive documents to form part of the inquiry.

Sharon Hehir, whose husband Les, 34, died in the US Marine Corps Sea Knight crash south of the Kuwaiti border on the night of March 20/21, said the coroner should not have to go to such "extreme measures" to see documents such as the US safety report into what happened.

She said: "I should not have to stand in front of television cameras to plead for co-operation. They should give it to us anyway. I'm sure I speak for all the families when I say that we just want to know what happened, we want the truth."

The Ministry of Defence passed the request to the US Embassy at around 11am on Tuesday but at 4pm, despite repeated checks by MoD officials at the court, there was no response. The coroner said he will now "take steps to contact" the embassy himself to reiterate the request.

Paul Spencer, acting for the Hehir family, told the coroner the US deputy chief of mission David Johnson's comments on the news on Monday night, that he didn't think this inquest process was "appropriate" or that the coroner was competent to examine the issues, had "dismayed" his clients.

He said: "There was no doubt from what he had to say that he was giving that answer on the senior instruction from the American government, that whilst they would be fully open with the MoD they had no intention whatsoever to co-operate with you.

"It seems to Mrs Hehir that if Mr Johnson is prepared to go on Channel 4 News then he or the American ambassador should at least be asked to attend here... to explain to you and to the rest of the families present at this inquest why it is that the American government is not going to co-operate with this inquest."

Mr Walker again questioned the US policy of protecting its servicemen, that does not allow them to appear before civil courts in other jurisdictions in relation to events in Iraq and withholds classified documents. Speaking about the US' failure to provide a key document, he said: "It's a deeply unsatisfactory situation but it's one that I don't seem to be able to resolve."

The British victims, all from 3 Commando Brigade, were the first UK casualties of the Iraq war. The other seven men who died were Royal Marines Colour Sergeant John Cecil, 35, from Plymouth, Devon; Captain Philip Guy, 29, from Bishopdale, North Yorkshire; Marine Sholto Hedenskog, 26, from Cape Town, South Africa; Warrant Officer 2 Mark Stratford, 39, from Plymouth; Major Jason Ward, 34, from Torquay, Devon; Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, 24, of Llandudno, North Wales, and Operator Mechanic (Communications) Second Class Ian Seymour, 29, from Poole in Dorset.