Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[Kayaker]

U.S. pilot pays $5,672 for killing Canadians
By PAUL KORING
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Washington — Major Harry Schmidt, who killed four Canadian troops and wounded eight others in Afghanistan, acted shamefully and rashly and “used the inherent right of self-defence” as an excuse to wage his own personal war, a U.S. Air Force general ruled yesterday in finding the pilot guilty of dereliction of duty.

Multiple charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault against Major Schmidt had been dropped, but Lieutenant-General Bruce Carlson's scathing judgment imposed the toughest punishment available under the administrative process. Major Schmidt will go on half pay for two months, which will cost him $5,672 (U.S.)....

....“Following the engagement in question, you lied about the reasons why you engaged the target after you were directed to hold fire, and then you sought to blame others. You had the right to remain silent, but not the right to lie. In short, the final casualty of the engagement over Kandahar on 17 April 2002 was your integrity.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040707.wxschmidt07/BNStory/National/