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Probe clears U.S. in bombing of U.N. food convoy

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.N. food convoy in Afghanistan accidentally hit by U.S. bombers last November was not properly marked and was traveling on a day when it was not authorized to do so, the U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.

The Central Command released results of an investigation into the errant strike, in which no one was hurt but U.N. vehicles and several tons of food were destroyed.

It also released results of separate investigations into claims of abuse of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees, which found that prisoners were not mistreated.

The World Food Program convoy was near the small town of Shashpul on November 12 when it was struck. It was not marked, and it was not traveling on one of the days for which the U.N. had received clearance to move convoys, the Central Command said.

At the time, American bombers were trying to strike steep cliffs alongside the road in order to block the route to enemy forces. U.S. military investigators concluded that the U.S. forces were not at fault because they would have had no reason to know that the convoy was in the area and it was not visible to the pilots, flying at 30,000 feet.

The Central Command also said Wednesday that an investigation found that reasonable force was used against a detainee who alleged that he was beaten by U.S. guards at a holding facility in Kandahar, Afghanistan, last January.

As guards were trying to remove his restraints during processing, the detainee was uncooperative, fell face-first on to a floor and suffered a nosebleed, the Central Command said. After the incident, new procedures were implemented, including putting blankets on the floor.

In a separate probe, military investigators concluded that complaints by 27 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, captured at Hazar Qadam in January, that they were also mistreated at the holding facility in Kandahar were "unsubstantiated."

None of the men was seriously injured, and any minor injuries were sustained during the capture, not while being detained, the Central Command said.

Results of a fourth investigation, into a friendly fire incident near Camp Rhino in November, were also released Wednesday.

In that incident, crews on helicopters called in to provide close air support misidentified signals from a ground patrol unit as small arms fire and returned fire. No one was injured, and no equipment was damaged.

As a result, new communications procedures were implemented, and helicopter crews were given additional training, the Central Command said.