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Obama condolences on death of Briton Linda Norgrove 'Taliban or US forces could have killed aid worker'
(about 6 hours later)
Barack Obama has spoken to David Cameron about the death of kidnapped British aid worker Linda Norgrove. US investigators say kidnapped British aid worker Linda Norgrove could have been killed by a Taliban weapon or a US one, or a combination of both.
UK and US officials are investigating whether Ms Norgrove was killed by a grenade during a rescue attempt by American forces in Afghanistan. They are keeping an open mind as to how she died in the failed rescue attempt.
The White House said the US president offered his deepest condolences for Ms Norgrove's death. Downing Street has announced that Brigadier Rob Nitsch will be the senior British representative on the joint US/UK investigation panel.
Mr Obama said her work represented her extraordinary commitment to advance the lives of others. US President Barack Obama has offered his deepest condolences over the death in a call to David Cameron.
'Examination of detail'
The top US commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, ordered the investigation on Monday after a review of the operation launched to try to free Mrs Norgrove ended in her death.
His team said they would wait for the investigation to reach a conclusion before making any major statements.
Brigadier Nitsch, the Head of Joint Force Support, UK Forces Afghanistan, will serve alongside the senior US investigating officer Major General Votel on the investigation panel.
Peter Ricketts, the prime minister's national security adviser, will also discuss the operation with the Head of US Central Command in Afghanistan, General Mattis, when the general is in London on Wednesday.
Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC that there was no time limit on the probe.
He said: "That really is up to the investigators. Clearly, they have to scrutinise very carefully what happened in this case.
"They will have to interview the people involved, they will have to look at the video footage of what happened, so there is quite a bit of examination of detail to go on here.
"I don't think it's for me to set a time limit to that. We're interested not so much in the timing, as in really finding out what happened and why."
Conflicting evidenceConflicting evidence
Mr Obama and Mr Cameron agreed the rescue mission was necessary because her life was in grave danger, and that it was now essential to get to the bottom of what had happened. Mr Hague said he had "given the green light" to a military operation to rescue Ms Norgrove within hours of her kidnap. It was now important, he added, for the investigation to run its course.
Earlier President Obama spoke to the prime minister, offering his deepest condolences for Ms Norgrove's death.
Mr Obama said her work represented her extraordinary commitment to advance the lives of others.
Mr Obama and Mr Cameron agreed the rescue mission was necessary because her life was in grave danger.
Nato sources in Afghanistan initially claimed that she had died when one of her captors set off a suicide bomb, but it then emerged she may have been killed by an American grenade.Nato sources in Afghanistan initially claimed that she had died when one of her captors set off a suicide bomb, but it then emerged she may have been killed by an American grenade.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The president offered his condolences for the death of Linda Norgrove. A Downing Street spokesman said: "[Mr Cameron and President Obama] agreed that the decision to launch the rescue operation had been right, given the grave danger to Linda's life, and that US forces had shown great courage.
"[Mr Cameron and President Obama] agreed that the decision to launch the rescue operation had been right, given the grave danger to Linda's life, and that US forces had shown great courage.
"They looked forward to close co-operation between the UK and US authorities on the investigation and agreed to stay in close touch as it moved forward.""They looked forward to close co-operation between the UK and US authorities on the investigation and agreed to stay in close touch as it moved forward."
US military sources said surveillance of the operation from overhead and on the ground was conflicting.US military sources said surveillance of the operation from overhead and on the ground was conflicting.
Rescue agreedRescue agreed
The joint US-UK investigation into the failed rescue attempt will be led by the chief of staff of the US Special Operations Command, Maj Gen Joseph Votel, the BBC was told.
The investigators will look at surveillance footage of the operation taken by helicopters or pilotless drone aircraft as well as from cameras mounted on the helmets of the soldiers on the ground.The investigators will look at surveillance footage of the operation taken by helicopters or pilotless drone aircraft as well as from cameras mounted on the helmets of the soldiers on the ground.
At a Downing Street news conference on Monday, Mr Cameron said 12 meetings of the government emergencies committee, Cobra, had taken place before Foreign Secretary William Hague and the US agreed the rescue attempt should go ahead.At a Downing Street news conference on Monday, Mr Cameron said 12 meetings of the government emergencies committee, Cobra, had taken place before Foreign Secretary William Hague and the US agreed the rescue attempt should go ahead.
The decision was then approved by the prime minister.The decision was then approved by the prime minister.
Ms Norgrove, 36, from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, who was employed by US aid group DAI, was seized in the Dewagal valley in Kunar province on 26 September. Ms Norgrove, 36, from the Isle of Lewis, was employed by US aid group DAI. She was seized in the Dewagal valley in Kunar province on 26 September.
Three local staff, who were kidnapped with her when the two cars they were travelling in were ambushed, were released unharmed last week.Three local staff, who were kidnapped with her when the two cars they were travelling in were ambushed, were released unharmed last week.
DAI vice-president Betsy Marcotte told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she did not blame US troops for her colleague's death.DAI vice-president Betsy Marcotte told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she did not blame US troops for her colleague's death.
"Clearly it is distressing news, but it doesn't change anything for me," she said."Clearly it is distressing news, but it doesn't change anything for me," she said.
"I feel confident in how this was handled and that we have been satisfied that the British and the Americans were doing everything they could.""I feel confident in how this was handled and that we have been satisfied that the British and the Americans were doing everything they could."