LAWYER BLAMES CANADIAN DEATHS ON AIR FORCE AMPHETAMINES

New Orleans -- A lawyer for one of two U.S. pilots who dropped a bomb
killing four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan last April says the U.S. air
force had pressured the pilots to take amphetamines that may have impaired
their judgment during the mission.

Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach face a possible court-martial for
dropping the laser-guided bomb near Kandahar on April 18. A U.S. air force
investigation determined the pilots "demonstrated poor airmanship" and
ignored standard procedure by not making sure there were no allied troops
in the area.

But Umbach's lawyer, David Beck, said he will prove at a Jan. 13 hearing on
whether to court-martial the pilots that the U.S. air force routinely
pressures pilots to take dexamphetamine, a prescription drug also known as
"go pills." He said the drug can impair judgment and is not recommended for
people operating heavy equipment.

The U.S. air force prevents pilots from flying if they refuse to take the
pills, Beck said.

U.S. air force spokeswoman Lieut. Jennifer Ferrau acknowledged the pills
are used as a "fatigue management tool" to help pilots stay alert through
long missions. But she said the use of the pills is voluntary, and that
their effects have been thoroughly tested.

"There have been decades of study on their efficacy and practicality," she
said. "The surgeon general worked very closely with commanders on this."

On Dec. 20, ABC News 20/20 reported that at the time of the mistaken
bombing, Schmidt and Umbach had been under the influence of Dexedrine, also
called "go pills" which are regularly distributed to U.S. air force pilots.
ABC said they are known on the street as speed or uppers and are illegal
narcotics.

"This is speed," Dr. Robert DuPont, former White House drug czar, told ABC.
"This is where we got the phrase, 'speed kills."'

Beck and Charles Gittins, Schmidt's lawyer, said the U.S. air force's
investigation of the friendly-fire incident is full of errors. Beck said
the pilots were not told in advance that allies were holding combat
exercises, and that Schmidt dropped the bomb in self-defence after seeing
gunfire on the ground.