21-12-2002 07:56									#1
	U.S. pilots took amphetamines an hour before 'friendly fire' incident Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I don't know if this has already been posted...

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WASHINGTON - ABC News says it has obtained cockpit voice recordings of the U.S. pilots involved in the 'friendly fire' incident in Afghanistan that killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight others. The report also says drugs may have played a role.


The report says both pilots had taken amphetamines about an hour before the incident.


The drugs, commonly known as 'go-pills,' are standard issue in the U.S. Air Force to help pilots stay awake during long combat missions.

The pilots involved in the 'friendly fire' incident, Maj. Harry Schmidt and Maj. William Umbach, say they were told by their superiors they could be found unfit to fly unless they took the pills.

On the night of April 17, both pilots took the pills before their mission over Afghanistan.

It was then, under the full influence of the amphetamine pills, that the two pilots spotted weapons fired near the Kandahar military base.

"OK, so I've got some men on a road and it looks like a piece of artillery firing at us. I am rolling in in self-defence," Schmidt says on the tape.

Schmidt had been told to hold fire by controllers in an AWAC plane, but he was convinced he and Umbach were under attack. "Bombs away, cranking left, lasers on. Shack," he said as he opened fire.

It was only after Maj. Schmidt dropped the bomb that he was told the target was not the enemy, that there were "friendlies in Kandahar."

Schmidt hit a squad of Canadian soldiers conducting a live-fire exercise. Four died, eight were badly injured.

Schmidt and Umbach are facing four counts each of manslaughter and dereliction of duty. Now their legal teams are questioning whether the amphetamines the pilots took played a part in the deaths.

Eugene Carroll says it's nothing new. He's a former U.S. Navy pilot who was given pills to juice him up for long flights. "It's certainly something that has to be considered: are the drugs enhancing safety or are they creating situations that are dangerous in and of themselves?" he said.

The U.S. military says the drugs are controlled and has ruled out the 'go-pills' as being responsible for the incident.

Preliminary court martial proceedings against the two F-16 pilots begin next month. If convicted they could face up to 64 years in prison.


http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/12/20/friendlyfire021220

	21-12-2002 08:01									#2
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Well, there's certainly the possibility that takign the pills put them more on edge, making them act in a more rash manner. That still doesn't explain why they were cleared to fire, though, or why they didn't know the Canadians were training in that area.

	21-12-2002 08:24									#3
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Although CBC and ABC are reporting this as new information, this is old information orginally published in the military report about the fatalities.

The ABC claim that "a 20/20 investigation has found, the amphetamines, the speed pills, are now standard issue to U.S. Air Force combat pilots" really means that 20/20 read a report available to the pubic.

	21-12-2002 09:25									#4
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20/20 is a joke.

	21-12-2002 12:02									#5
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they should just replace all piloted planes w/ ucavs, unmanned stuff, etc. it's just a matter of time till happens anyways.

	21-12-2002 12:11									#6
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send them to the electric chair

	21-12-2002 12:33									#7
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What a crock. Friendly Fire my ass. We lost four men due to their screw up. Two of those soldiers came from my city. They should pay.

	21-12-2002 12:34									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Kontiki Well, there's certainly the possibility that takign the pills put them more on edge, making them act in a more rash manner. That still doesn't explain why they were cleared to fire, though, or why they didn't know the Canadians were training in that area.

Actually, if I understand this situation corectly, they WERE NOT cleared to fire. They were told to HOLD their fire and were therefore in direct violation of their instructions. I don't know if it was a violation of "direct orders" (I imagine pilots are given some leeway when it comes to defending themselves), but there's a reason fighter pilots are given instructions by controllers: to prevent this kind of b*llsh*t from happening in the first place. They were told not to fire...but they went ahead and did, and moments later found out what they had really done: killed their allies. If they get anything less than life imprisonment it won't be justice...

	21-12-2002 12:34									#9
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So if those soldiers didn't come from your city the airmen would not have to pay?

	21-12-2002 12:45									#10
	Re: U.S. pilots took amphetamines an hour before 'friendly fire' incident Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Blisterz The report also says drugs may have played a role.

Does this mean then they were flying high?

	21-12-2002 12:52									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident So if those soldiers didn't come from your city the airmen would not have to pay?

Did I say that? No. Of course I'm upset that two of the soldiers that were killed were from my city. Whenever a Canadian soldier is killed I am upset. Call me Nationalistic.

Those two pilots disobeyed orders from their superiors. They should be held accountable for their actions.