Thursday, September 12, 2002

Air Force recommending criminal charges against two National Guard pilots


WASHINGTON - The Air Force is recommending criminal charges against two Air National Guard pilots for their role in the fatal bombing of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan ( news - web sites), a senior defense official said.

The charges were to be announced Friday at the Pentagon ( news - web sites) after the U.S. Central Command and the Canadian government released additional details from a joint investigation of the April 17 tragedy.

The senior defense official, who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity, said the Air Force would recommend that F-16 pilot Maj. Harry Schmidt be charged with involuntary manslaughter. He dropped a 500-pound bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers, mistaking them for enemy forces. Four Canadians were killed and eight were wounded.