Seeks 'Fair Treatment' In Friendly Fire Case
The American fighter pilot caught up in a tragic case of
friendly fire is getting some much-needed support from Illinois
Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Governor is asking federal officials to
ensure fair treatment of the Illinois fighter pilot charged in the
deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Blagojevich also
wants permission for one of his staff members to attend the pilot's
court-martial. The governor's request, made in a letter sent Sunday
to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, came after Blagojevich met
pilot Maj. Harry Schmidt's wife, Lisa, last month.
Schmidt faces a charge of dereliction of duty for mistakenly
dropping a bomb on a squad of Canadian troops in April 2002.
Schmidt has said he thought