The following is a Fox News report:
Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq – the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.
The three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment – called a captain’s mast – and have requested a trial by court-martial.
Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named “Objective Amber,” told investigators he was punched by his captors – and he had the bloody lip to prove it.
Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.
Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.
Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.
Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.
Neal Puckett, an attorney representing McCabe, told Fox News the SEALs are being charged for allegedly giving the detainee a “punch in the gut.”
“I don’t know how they’re going to bring this detainee to the United States and give us our constitutional right to confrontation in the courtroom,” Puckett said. “But again, we have terrorists getting their constitutional rights in New York City, but I suspect that they’re going to deny these SEALs their right to confrontation in a military courtroom in Virginia.”
The three SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs – two officers and an enlisted sailor – have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.
FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.
The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.
“I gave the detainee a glance over and then left,” the SEAL wrote. “I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health.”
Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, spokeswoman for the special operations component of U.S. Central Command, confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com that three SEALs have been charged in connection with the capture of a detainee. She said their court martial is scheduled for January.
United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.
The source said intelligence briefings provided to the SEALs stated that “Objective Amber” planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush, and “they had been tracking this guy for some time.”
The Fallujah atrocity came to symbolize the brutality of the enemy in Iraq and the degree to which a homegrown insurgency was extending its grip over Iraq.
The four Blackwater agents were transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph.
Intelligence sources identified Abed as the ringleader, but he had evaded capture until September.
The military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse highlighted in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The Navy charged four SEALs with abuse in 2004 in connection with detainee treatment.
(Source: Fox News)
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27 Responses
The defendants requested a court-martial, probably to clear their name. They turned down “non-judicial punishment” for what is basically a very minor offense.
This is exactly what chazal mean when they say” Kol ha’merachem al ho’achzorim soifoi le’achzer al ha’rachmonim”.
Welcome to Obamerica, a real Obamanation.
He “said” they punched him in the mouth? Does anybosy put it past this thug to punch himself in the lip and claim the Americans did it?
Obama! ENOUGH OF YOU
GO TO KENYA
Welcome to Obamanation!
I heard this last night on Mark Levin’s Show (do I listen to myself?) and I cannot begin to tell you how much this upset me. The lousy ben kelev got a bloody lip and for that some soldiers AND THE USA have to suffer?? The administration should be sued for malpractice! This is how he “helps protect and defend the Constitution?!” GEVALT!
The story is starting to come out that the guy wasn’t going quietly so he needed help. Too bad they didn’t blow his head off like they should have!!!
i cant stand obama
getzel1 (#5)
if u dont want people to tell you to go back to poland, dont tell the pres. to go elsewhere.
don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house.
Impeach the president ! I have no doubt if someone would start a campaign to impeach Obama he would be very sucsessfull ! Weve had enough change already time to go back to the old america !
I can’t see this going on for too long. They’re going to quietly drop the charges and that’s the last we’ll hear of it. It’s embarrassing with the other achzur on trial right now.
Someone please tell me that this just some type of cruel joke and not what is really happening. If it were up to me these three NAVY SEALS should get a parade up Broadway NYC along with all of those who are serving and have returned. Even if this is true why would anyone care what happened to a murderer during capture. G-D bless the US miltary and we should all pray for the safety of it’s members.
From the comments above it seems clear that the President directly ordered this investigation. Its amazing how the President everyone hates managed to inject his insane policies into the judicial wing of the army in just a few months in office…
all seals should resign in solidarity with their
comrads. Lets see what the country can do without them. Instead of getting a medal they get a court martial. The military is sick and needs a shock to cure it.
To Mr.Common Sense # 13 it’s no secret that Obama micro manages everything and something like this and the civilian trial that KSM is getting has the imprimatur of Barak “Hussain” Obama all over it. The Attorney General or the Navy would never do such a controversial thing which makes the President look bad without his approval.
All it stated is “the chain of command.” Do any of you really think that an allegation like this actually made it to the desk of the President of the United States? Ridiculous. I’m not a fan of Obama but this story has anti-Obama politics written all over it. This story is a plant and is just being done to tarnish the administration.
Stuff like this is done just to distract people from the real issues.
Well, the president and his AG Holder seriously despise the military and if there is a way to mess them up, they will do it.
BH there are 1077 days until (Election Day) Tuesday, November 06, 2012 and 1152 days until Sunday, January 20, 2013 when we can IYH make a Boruch Shep’torani on these horrendous people.
First of all anything this serious that can stir up enough animosity to potentially unseat the Commander in Thief does in fact get the Okay from the Commander in Thief. Secondly the direct blow to the moral of our soldiers will not be forgotten and most certainly will cause American Casualties.
Finally – the ‘NeveAliza’ comment… What took so long? One of the few people whose two cents are actually looked forward to on posts like this. They should really employ you
Our constitution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. The government has not been upholding it for the longest time and this is not a free country any more and we have no rights.
#21-
Absolutely. I do look forward to comments like NA’s- they are comic relief in a time of worrisome developments. Anyone who thinks the startling decision to try these soldiers does not reflect the current administration’s policies and perspective should truly continue to post: at least it’s good for a laugh, albeit sad for the ignorance masquerading as sarcasm…
#17 and which menuvel do you listen to,where you picked up your MO, conservative reform etc views as you have done in your postings starting way back? mark levin is far from being a menuvel..compared to the anti torah (bible)commentators you adore. you give it a fancy name ‘liberal’ but thats what their goal is
There are legitimate questions regarding this detainee. If he had a fat lip, did he get it while resisting arrest? Did he receive it while in American or Iraqi custody? Was this self inflicted? What medical proof is there that he got punched in the gut?
The worst part is that the seals will not receive the same constitutional rights as KSM will in New York Federal Court.
20, thats obama’s fault too. if anything bad in the USA could be blamed on Bush even if its obamas fault….
the truth is its impossible to really know anything about politics . listening to the conservative talk shows on the radio is a bad place for info bec its the least subtle mud slinging news (equally as bad as liberal reporters).
besides the torah doesnt allow a judge to only listen to one side for a reason bec it biases your opinions.
i was an ardent conservative til i read some books on liberal agendas (im not referring to moral issues)and i realized both sides have logical points and your not getting the whole story from either side
about this report i want to point out its a thorny issue bec on the one hand the ppl being detained are terrorists so they deserve punishment. but on the other hand a civilized army must control their soldiers and cant have brutality or they are no better. once you have ppl abusing power in anyway you just entered a slippery slope.
RoshYeshiva Shlita, it is with great kovod that I am seeing that the Rosh Yeshiva is blogging on Yeshiva World again. I look forward to seeing what he has to say.
mark levin, I like seeing you there too.
bacci40, my Rov says that the Democrats are menuvalim for their support of toeiva marriage. Got anymore chochmos to share with us?
I say that the President should change the rules of engagement. Shoot first, ask questions later and don’t take anyone alive. That is what the Arabs do. Why should the American military be any better?