stevedogc

This is absolutely disturbing. Whoever feels it neccessary to brings these HEROES up on charges should be ashamed of themselves. I am so disgusted by this story. These brave men who put their lives on the line to keep this country free are being treated the same way by some people in this country as the scumbag terrorists who murdered 3000 innocent people. I am absolutely scared at where this country is going if this is how the true heroes of this country are treated. We are making the jobs of these people nearly impossible by treating them this way. Basically, we are letting the terrorist win.

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist - Iraq | War | Map - FOXNews.com

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 an admiral'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

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

lostjumper

How can we do this to our heroes? I'm not even outraged anymore, just saddened immensely by this. I hope they are cleared of this immediately. People do not understand that this is a war zone they ran their mission in. For the target to come out with only a bloody lip and complain about this is ludicrous.

The irony of this is beyond my comprehension. He kidnapped, tortured, and killed 4 people, and he complains about a bloody lip. I sincerely hope no one on this board would actually support this terrorist...

maverick4

I give this thread only a few more posts before this somehow gets spun into mentioning the word 'Obama' or 'liberal' ....

DarrylS

Have to wonder if there is more to this story... does not sound right..

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Leave No Doubt

The hypocrisy of this just sickens me. Something's very wrong, I dunno but I don't feel real good about the trend of things lately when it comes to the treatment of our military.

The Navy SEALS will respond, I'm sure of it. As an American citizen I'm FAR more embarrassed by our treatment of these guys than I am by some high value target's fat lip.

Where's an apology when you need one.

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edit...2012 BABY!

patsfan13

They refused Admirals mast (non judicial punishment) and opted for Court Marshal, they wanted this out in the open. I amazed they took the word of this savage. Perhaps he was punched when apprehended. He shold be thankful they did torture him, mutilate his body, murder him, themn burn his body and hang it from a bridge like he did to the Blackwater guys.

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

apple strudel

You guys are so easily lead. Without knowing any of the facts of the matter you've already trotted out the OMG HEROES111 tripe.

DarrylS

Navy Times confirms the story... not sure if they are regurgitating the Fox News Story.. wonder if the seriousness has to do with the cover up,i.e. the false official statement??? Without regard there has to be more than a he said, he said case...

SEALs charged in alleged assault of detainee - Navy News, news from Iraq - Navy Times

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Leave No Doubt

This is why the NYC trial is going to be bad news. Imagine what that particular collective will have to say, and if we're punishing our elite forces for supposedly giving out fat lips then....well, do the math.

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edit...2012 BABY!

apple strudel

Dereliction of duty, false official statement and impeding an investigation are a lot more than a fat lip.

But it's always morally convenient to just call your guys heroes ant the other guys savages and not bother with learning the facts, isn't it?