Anger at 'friendly fire' verdicts

Richard and Claire Leger lost their son Marc in the bombing

The relatives of four Canadian soldiers killed and eight injured by two United States pilots in Afghanistan say the punishments given to the pair are too light.

Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach faced a series of charges brought by the US Air Force - including manslaughter and dereliction in the line of duty - following the "friendly fire" incident in April last year.

The F-16 pilots faced the prospect of more than 60 years in prison, but the Air Force commander who reviewed the case recommended on Thursday that the two men should face only "administrative sanctions".

"I was hoping to get their wings, I can't accept anything else," said Claire Leger, who lost her son Marc after the pilots bombed his unit, which was on a night-time training exercise.

The idea of 'shoot first, ask questions later' has to stop - this is not closure

Richard Leger
Father of victim

"I was hoping that the States could recognize that friendly fire is not acceptable. They keep saying it's part of war, but I don't accept that."

Her husband Richard added: "We feel that Mr Schmidt is not a pilot that should be flying at any time."

"They haven't taken responsibility for their actions," Mr Leger told the Toronto Star.

"The idea of 'shoot first, ask questions later' has to stop. This is not closure."

Pilots took 'go pills'

Both pilots have maintained their innocence throughout, blaming the "fog of war" for the deaths.

But a joint US-Canadian investigation said the men were at fault for the deaths - the worst case of so-called friendly fire during the war in Afghanistan.

The F-16 pilots bombed what they thought were hostile troops

The pilots were found to have shown a reckless disregard for flight rules and it was found they had taken military issue amphetamines - known as "go pills" - to allow them to fly a 10-hour sortie to Afghanistan.

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien distanced himself from the verdicts.

"It's a sad thing, we know we lost four soldiers and ... brave young men were killed there.

"It was as mistake... I am not in a position to comment on the system of the justice of another nation."

Relatives of other men caught up in the bombing expressed disappointment, but not surprise at the decision.

"They've got pilots flying over Iraq right now, and I don't think they're going to undermine the morale of their own pilots by court martialing other ones for what I'm sure is seen in a large part of the American military as an accident of war," said Margaret Decaire, whose son, Brian, was one of the victims.

Marley Leger, widow of Sergeant Marc Leger, told reporters: "Do you know what? It wouldn't matter what the decision [was]... it's not going to bring back Marc."

Charles Gittins, Major Schmidt's lawyer, told AP: "My client never believed he violated the law. He did his best under very difficult circumstances."