Friendly-fire probe ends
The week's news at a glance.
Ottawa
The Canadian government this week applauded the U.S. for filing manslaughter charges against two American fighter pilots who mistakenly killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Investigators ruled that Maj. Harry Schmidt was reckless when he dropped a bomb on Canadian infantrymen training near Kandahar, despite having been instructed to “hold fire.” Schmidt’s commander, Maj. William Umbach, was accused of failing to stop him. The charges showed that the U.S. took the deaths “very seriously,” said Canadian Defense Minister John McCallum. Schmidt released a statement apologizing, and saying he “honestly and reasonably believed” the Canadians were shooting at him.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans