Posted on 03/22/2012 5:07:43 PM PDT by ColdOne
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales will be charged with 17 counts of murder and six counts of assault and attempted murder related to a March 11 shooting spree in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.
The charges are expected to be announced Friday. The official could not explain why the count is now 17, when 16 have been reported killed in the incident.
Bales' lawyer, John Henry Browne, told CNN that he did not respond to leaks and that he would not comment before seeing the charges against his client.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
We're in the majority here. I try not to let the phony keyboard bravado get me down.
But they do make us all look bad, and that's unfortunate.
Such an unfortunate truth, sam. We have, for all intents and purposes, no legitimate media outside a few conservative outlets.
Just think about how they lied and covered up for the Islamic terrorism of Hassan and his massacre at Ft. Hood. For me it was one of the most sickening lies and distortions since Obama was elected.......and that's really saying something, since there has been nothing but lies and distortions since before he was elected.
The media committed suicide in 2008 in its love affair with Marxist Obama.
Thanks for the ping ohio.
I ain’t gonna fight with you. It is pointless.
Major Nidal Hasan, accused of the 2009 mass shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 dead, [32 wounded] has retained his military rank and continues to get paychecks from the government, the base commander said Wednesday.
Lieutenant General Donald Campbell, Jr., the commander of Fort Hood, said Hasan’s confinement and medical expenses are also being paid for by the military, KXXV-TV reported. He receives weekly medical treatment and is occasionally transported to meet with his defense team.
From Casey:
"Our diversity, not only in our Army but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse. ...
From Cambell:
"The bottom line is when you cut through everything we are as an army, we have to be fair to him regardless of what we saw or we think we saw or whatever the case may be,” Campbell said. “It’s imperative we maintain the integrity of the court martial so he gets as fair a shot as possible defending himself with his team.”
Bale will no doubt be tried and executed before the years out.
“Major Nidal Hasan, accused of the 2009 mass shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 dead, [32 wounded] has retained his military rank and continues to get paychecks from the government, the base commander said Wednesday.”
Wipe out a good chunk of Fort Hood......get a paycheck........sounds about right....
If he had killed his own troops or U.S. civilians either deployed or stateside then yes a Court Martial is in order. This is Afghanistan which is being fought like Iraq, like Nam, like Korea, where the armies hide in amongst the civilians homes and shoot from same. There is but one answer in these cases. Kill them one and all. If he suspected a Sniper in that area and took out what he saw as a target even if brass didn't approve he is a hero in my book. He saved lives.
If the pressures of his fourth deployment became too much and he finally "broke" under combat stress or PTDS Combat Fatigue etc he is still a hero in my book and does not deserve a Court Martial. He deserves help. Several Freepers know the man personally and one served with him on a deployment. I take their word as too his character as being far more credible than a Media Stooge going around the hood digging up dirt doing the enemies work for them.
One thing that does travel at the speed of light is what we called scuttlebutt that can mean a drinking fountain but is usually a term used to described gossip or rumors which travel at the speed of light. Rumors in units and on bases get around fast. Today a service member in Afghanistan can instantly call home, e-mail, or text home or media, almost any time as can a person on a ship at sea. This was not possible in wars before the second Iraq war. The media hears rumors and reports them as fact saying according too an unnamed source close to the White House, Pentagon, unit, or whatever related venue in question.
If he 'broke' (and that would be a good guess), then he indeed should get the help he needs. If there were other issues, then they need to be addressed honestly.
We have no disagreement on the media, and I understand your points about the necessity of waging war in a different manner. To that point, I would only posit the viewpoint that in wars such as WWII we had declared war on an entire country and were fighting against a legitimate military, creating a different scenario for the troops fighting it than we have in this war and the war in Iraq.
The war against Islamofascism is, IMO, a notably different situation, warranting its different treatment. I agree with General Petraeus in making that distinction, but understand that some with military backgrounds, such as yourself, do not agree.
(Rational discussion requires two rational people, and you proved very quickly that you didn't qualify. :)
You can still make contributions to my nephew, Sgt. Evan Vela, through the United American Patriots.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.