USAF Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, commander of US Central Command Air Forces, told the Associated Press news service at the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Air Show that he knows that some “civilian casualties” have been “staged.” Buchanan, who retires early next year, was responding to questions about collateral damage in the war in Iraq. He told AP that coalition air forces are “very, very careful” about controlling “collateral damage.” CENTAF uses precision-guided munitions and, says Buchanan, “they are always the smallest weapons possible.”
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
