A second letter of support from members of Congress has gone out on behalf of three Navy SEALs charged with mistreating an Iraqi detainee.
The latest letter, written by U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., and signed by 40 of his Republican House colleagues, asks Army Maj. Gen. C.T. Cleveland, head of Special Operations Command Central, to drop all charges against the men.
“I find it infuriating and unconscionable that the three SEALs are now undergoing court martial as a result of those allegations,” Burton said in an accompanying statement. “This sends a backwards message to our men and women in the military who are charged with carrying out dangerous missions and must often use aggressive force in dealing with al Qaeda and the Taliban.”
Two North Carolina representatives, Howard Coble and Sue Myrick, signed the letter. No Virginians were among the signers.
A similar letter, written by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and signed by 32 other members of Congress, was sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Two of the SEALs were arraigned last week at Norfolk Naval Station. Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe is charged with assault, dereliction of duty and making a false statement to an investigator. Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas is charged with dereliction of duty, making a false statement and impeding the investigation.
They are scheduled to be court-martialed next month.
The third SEAL, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false statement. He has not yet been arraigned.
All three are assigned to SEAL Team 10 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
The detainee allegedly assaulted, Ahmed Hashim Abed, is thought to be linked to the 2004 convoy ambush in Fallujah, Iraq, in which four Blackwater contractors were killed, their bodies mutilated and hung from a bridge.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
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Fellow shadow soldiers
It is so easy for these "citizens" to complain nowadays about crap but as I said yesterday, the minute BRAC commission says we are considering shutting down bases in Virginia you wanna raise your hands,plead and beg for them to keep the bases but if a soldier giver a detainee a fat lip you wanna fry the same men who keep you free. That detainee or detainees could have possibly been the providing the improvised explosive devices(IED) that has been killing our men and women that patrol the mean streets of Iraq or the rocky roads of the Afghan provinces. It really turns my stomach in knots that some of these "citizens" compalin about a detainee who has gotten squared away. I gurantee if it was someone you loved that was on the end of one those IED's you would want justice. But oh well I am done on this matter. Cause alot you "citizens" would never truly understand what is to be a soldier that is fighting for your country or your beliefs. "SEALS I say again we got your back 3/75rgrmedic out."
375rgrmedic
Don't let the "no loads" get you down. Those that matter support you and the cause. Let those who have not "Been there, done that" settle back and read all about some sex crazed golf nut and leave military business alone.
a fix
on my previous comment the first line should read *why take the NJP if your *not* guilty*
alexvb
Like i've stated to you before why take an NJP if your guilty? You act as if an NJP is nothing. Obviously you know nothing about it. Getting an NJP hurts your career period!!! I wouldn't take an NJP for something I didn't do. That's like taking a plea agreement if your innocent. Yeah, you might know your innocent, but everyone else thinks your guilty cause you took a plea! In the end it's still gonna be bad for you. You act as if an NJP is just a slap on the wrist, but it's still put in your record and it will affect future promotions!! SO quit asking why didn't they just take the NJP. Do you and charles live together by chance?
Charles
you have no idea. To blindly believe what a terrorist says over those that provide your freedoms is pathetic at best. However, it's very typical of the left. Bow down to them and bash your military and country. Maybe they would be more excepting of you in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Iran. Try it maybe you'll like it. Remember, they aren't guilty yet no matter how much you want them to be, but heck pretend you care at least say you believe our military guys over a terrorist!!
375rgrmedic SHADOW SOLDIER
The types your referring to will never get it brother. They live in a dream world where everything is perfect. They will never or have ever experienced the real deal or how bad our hands are tied behind our backs over there as it is. ie rules of engagement and escalation of force. We as American Soldiers have many more rules to follow than those in other countries and I'm sure you know this. Good post and I enjoyed reading it. I know exactly where your coming from and I feel the same way. It makes you wish you could pick and choose whose freedoms you want to defend right?
Here we go again
It seems like yesterday that I dealt with this purported journalist relattive to another poorly-written and biased junk piece. This time, Sizemore fails to mention that the alleged assault resulted in but a bloody lip for this "gentleman" detainee and that there were no witnesses.
Fellow Shadow Soldiers
The public and government officials who have never put on a uniform and actually fought for this country should shut their mouths and let these men go without any kind of criminal action be brought against them. Some of you civilians are quick to point fingers at us soldiers for a small infraction. But you whine and cry if a base gets shut down and worse of all you become all patriotic if someone threatens this country and then you praise us for what we do. Serving and fighting for your country is two different things. Any clown can put on a uniform sit behind a desk and type all day or play musical instrument and say they served. But to get sent behind enemy lines or sent out on route recons or clearing buildings in Fallujah or fighting for your life on roberts ridge is a hell of alot different. So before you pass judgement on my fellow soldiers get off your lazyboy chairs, walk in our shoes and then you will see what is we go through while we are 18 or more hours away from home doing our jobs. If it wasnt for men like myself, fellow shadow soldiers, or marines. You wouldnt have the freedom to complain about nonsense such as this minor infraction or Tiger Woods personal life. SE
You have no idea
what we did in the service or whether we served. To blindly think that military service precludes obeying the law and expecting justice is dangerous and ignorant. You really have no idea what serving is about, do you?
375rgrmedic - Well said
Good point, if you have not walked in military shoes, been shot at or cleaned up bodies from a bomb blast how could a civilian possibly know what really goes on .
Lying
Aren't these SEALs getting done more for lying to investigating officers rather than merely for roughing up Iraqi detainees?
Seals
The court martial should not be tainted with politics. The opinions of those who do not understand the military much less the military justice system are nothing but ignorant knee jerk emotional reaction. They, the defendants, have been investigated and charged. Now it is for the court to find them innocent or guilty.
Duncan Hunter's Letter
Only Randy Forbes and Glen Nye (the Science Guy) signed DH's letter.
You can download the letter here:
http://hunter.house.gov/images/stories/seal_letter_final.pdf
Enemies f&d
Senators and Congress people are so involved in lining their own pockets their oath of office has been replaced by a simpler code..............'cya' forget about America and her values and her people! But what they don't recognize is that beginning next year and on into 2012 the American people (of which there are still a few) will throw these bums out into the street.There is not one in ten government people worth the time and money we spent putting their worthless ..... in office!! That's local ,state, and federal. Our military has from Vietnam to now provided these idiots with a safe haven to almost daily denouce the United States of America and stroke her enemies and yet at the very same time destroy the ligitimacy of her military ! They'll know no shame until we show them the door! In spite of what the main media provides as news,,,,,,,,,,,,these Navy seals know in their hearts that 'real America' is behind them 100%.
Yawn
It seems this story is getting no national attention except some 2-3 minute blurb on FOX, which is always a tired mix of angry and chest pounding. Where are the retired SEAL Admirals, Jesse Ventura, etc on this? How come their OIC did not step up to act as a heat shield. There is much more to this than some "rag" getting a fat lip. I never trust Fox spin. NPR does a better job of giving both sides. I think the only reason any of these politicians are weighing in is to get free press. If they really cared about those 3 guys, they would have done so from the outset. Military service is full of unfairness, Guys who don't deserve it, get maimed by IED's. Civilians who don't deserve it get strafed at their wedding by an AC-130, guys at the bottom of the food chain who don't deserve it take the heat or hung out to dry all the time. I don't get why these guys just didn't take their NJP, go on with duty, channel their rage into being the best, complete their service with honor then write a book or ascend to public office to address this from a higher level. This grass roots thing is faltering bad.
And you know
it for a fact that they were guilty? Where are the witnesses? Using your line of thought I guess we should just assume they are guilty based on the word of someone who has dedicated their life to the killing of non-believers? Let me pose this to you....have you ever been wrongly charged with a traffic violation and actually took it to the judge rather then just admit guilt by paying the fine? If so then realise that is exactly what they are doing by refusing NJP...which would have been entered in their service records and would reflect badly on any future promotion boards.
Not a dem nor a repub but rather a free thinking independent.
Sad but true
"Surely you've figured out by now our Senators' first allegiance is to the Democrat Party".
I didn't want to go there but you are so correct. How sad our democratic system is when votes, backslapping and PC takes priority over making the right choices. :-(
3 Hero SEAL'S
I've written to Webb and Warner....nothing but an invitation to visit their websites...??? The websites say nothing, I repeat NOTHING about our SEAL's. Webb knows better. Warner thinks a SEAL lives in the Arctic and is hunted for the fur, he can't understand that 2+2+4.
Why no va congressional signatures
Maybe because this is a military issue and not a congressional one.
Where is the VA politician support ?
I find it questionable that no Virginia politician has stepped forward in support for our three SEALS. Good job you out of state supporters.