NATION IN BRIEF

Pilot in 'Friendly Fire' Incident Sues Air Force

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A decorated pilot involved in a "friendly fire" bombing in Afghanistan that killed four Canadian soldiers is suing the Air Force, accusing it of ruining his reputation.

National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt says military officials should not have released to the public the scathing letter of reprimand he was given for the bombing. His lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, alleges the military violated privacy laws. It seeks unspecified damages.

The disclosure in July 2004 also violated a settlement agreement that spared Schmidt from being court-martialed in the 2002 bombing that killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight others, said his lawyer, Charles Gittins.

"The government flat-out failed to comply with their agreement," Gittins said.

Lt. Col. Catherine Reardon, an Air Force spokeswoman, had not seen the lawsuit. "At this point, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the case," she said Sunday.

On April 17, 2002, Schmidt and another pilot were flying F-16s when they spotted muzzle flashes near Kandahar airport. The Canadians were firing weapons on a training range, but Schmidt mistook them for Taliban forces and dropped a 500-pound, laser-guided bomb.

He has said his superiors never told him the Canadians would be conducting live-fire exercises that night.

The second pilot received a letter of reprimand and was allowed to retire from the Guard. He is not a party to the lawsuit.

New Orleans Candidates Solicit Displaced Voters

HOUSTON -- Seven candidates vying to be the next mayor of New Orleans sought support from displaced voters Saturday, two weeks before the election to decide who will guide the city through its long recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

The candidates fielded questions about rebuilding in a forum from New Orleans that was broadcast to evacuees in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, as well as Shreveport and Baton Rouge, La.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who is seeking a second term, reminded the audience that the April 22 primary comes just weeks before the start of the hurricane season.

"Do you want experienced leadership that is tried and tested? Or do you want to experiment at this important time in our city's history?" he asked, drawing applause and cheers in Houston, where about 100 evacuees watched from an auditorium at Texas Southern University.