U.S. won't have to reveal other friendly fire events: Schmidt's
lawyers hoped to use other incidents to help their case

(EXCERPT) Michael Friscolanti National Post

Thursday, December 18, 2003

The U.S. military does not have to disclose potentially embarrassing
details about other "friendly fire" bombings that happened after an
American fighter pilot killed four Canadian troops in Afghanistan, a
judge has ruled.

Lawyers representing U.S. Major Harry Schmidt, who faces a dereliction
of duty charge in connection with last year's blast, had hoped the
release of other accident records would help prove their theory that
the Air Force is rife with command and control problems.

Among the records sought by the airman's defence team was the final
investigative synopsis into what went wrong when an AC-130 gunship
opened fire on an Afghan wedding in July, 2002, killing more than 40
civilians.

But Colonel Mary Boone, the military judge who will preside over Maj.
Schmidt's court martial, has decided the documents will remain secret.
Other friendly fire...

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---------------------------
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The American War Library
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