Wrong House?

You likely have heard this story; several television and "print" sources have reported on the US military bombing the "wrong house" in Mosul.

The Guardian:

US commanders ordered an investigation yesterday after they admitted mistakenly bombing a civilian house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Al-Jazeera:

Residents said 14 people, including children, were killed in a strike in the northern village of Aaytha, and showed 14 freshly dug graves. The military, making a rare admission of error in its fight against guerrillas, said five people died when a 500-pound bomb flattened the house.

CNN:

U.S.-led multinational forces were searching for an insurgent cell leader and hit the house with a 500-pound bomb, the military said in a statement.

The correct target was nearby, the military said.

They almost got it right (though almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.. and, well, 500-pound bombs):

CENTCOM News Release (emphasis added):

COALITION AIR STRIKE IN MOSUL

MOSUL, Iraq -- During a cordon and search operation to capture an anti-Iraqi force cell leader, a Coalition F-16 dropped one GBU-38, 500-lb GPS-guided bomb, in the area south of Mosul on the house intended for search.

The house was not the intended target for the air strike. The intended target was another location nearby.

The strike occurred during a pre-planned air mission to support ground troops searching for AIF in support of offensive operations in the Mosul area.

Coalition forces in the area for the mission responded to the site to provide assistance. Responding forces reported that five individuals died in the strike. There was no collateral damage to other buildings.

Multi-National Force ? Iraq deeply regrets the loss of possibly innocent lives.

An investigation is underway to determine the facts regarding this incident

Good? No - the bomb did not land where it was supposed to. But get this straight: The house was the target of the search, the bomb was to be dropped "near by", but hit the house instead. According to Fox News on-air reports (still searching for transcript) neighbors immediately confirmed that the occupant of the house was a middle-aged man who liked to kill police.

Sloppy reporting? Agenda driven? Who knows - even a months-long investigation would probably not determine the motive.