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Crapo and Simpson Petition President for Vela Pardon
NBC News Channel 6 (KPVI) ^ | Posted: Dec 4, 2008 03:12 PM | KPVI Staff

Posted on 12/04/2008 8:33:53 PM PST by bigheadfred

Senator Mike Crapo and Congressman Mike Simpson have taken their support of a local soldier to the next level. They're asking President Bush to pardon Sgt. Evan Vela. Vela was convicted in a general court martial in February for killing an unarmed Iraqi civilian. Crapo and Simpson maintain Vela was following the order of a superior during the incident.

In a news release issued Thursday Senator Crapo wrote, "The safety and success of our men and women in uniform would be seriously jeopardized if every service member was subjected to the same scrutiny for their actions during combat as in Sgt. Vela's case." Crapo added, "It is difficult to remain confident that local Iraqi influence did not affect the outcome of this case to Sgt. Vela's detriment." Crapo made those statements since Vela's case was held in Iraq while similar charges brought against other servicemen were tried in the states.

In the same news release Congressman Simpson wrote, "I've been to Iraq twice in the last four years and I know our servicemen face difficult and often confusing choices everyday on the battlefield. I am concerned that Sgt. Vela is shouldering the blame and playing the role of scapegoat for following orders throughout a series of tragic events that occurred during a time of war."

Vela was sentenced to ten years in the Fort Leavenworth prison. Both Simpson and Crapo also wrote letters asking for clemency during Vela's sentencing.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: iskandariyah; sniper; vela
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There is a drive on for letters asking to pardon Sgt. Evan Vela. Freepmail me for details.

Link to Sen. Mike Crapo's site

Sen. Mike Crapo

Pardon Evan Vela

1 posted on 12/04/2008 8:33:53 PM PST by bigheadfred
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To: RedRover; Girlene; lilycicero; jazusamo; smoothsailing; xzins; Diana in Wisconsin; SandRat; ...
Story link

There is also a video.

My bro has been really pushing this hard locally. He also has a letter from the former Commissioner of Probation and Parole (Idaho)

2 posted on 12/04/2008 8:39:26 PM PST by bigheadfred (FREE Evan Vela)
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To: bigheadfred

Thanks for the ping, Fred. I’m praying this happens and also that many will send letters.


3 posted on 12/04/2008 9:00:08 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: bigheadfred

I can’t think of a better Christmas gift.


4 posted on 12/04/2008 9:29:20 PM PST by lilycicero (I'd give FR up forever if there would be 2 identical gifts. I'm into deal making.)
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To: bigheadfred

Good for these Congressmen! Sounds like they understand the case pretty well. Praying that President Bush will find it in his heart to grant this pardon.


5 posted on 12/05/2008 5:43:07 AM PST by Girlene
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To: Girlene; jazusamo; lilycicero; Semper Fi Mom; mlocher

I just wanted to show you people that some members of Congress are worthy. But others, like MURTHA, aren’t worth the paper they are printed on.


6 posted on 12/05/2008 6:33:20 AM PST by bigheadfred (FREE Evan Vela)
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To: bigheadfred

Thanks for the note. I continue to pray for Evan.


7 posted on 12/05/2008 8:31:23 AM PST by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
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To: bigheadfred; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...

thanks bigheadfred.


8 posted on 12/05/2008 3:32:35 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______Profile finally updated Saturday, October 11, 2008 !!!)
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To: bigheadfred; 4woodenboats; American Cabalist; AmericanYankee; AndrewWalden; Antoninus; ...
Pinging the Haditha Marine list to fred's thread.


9 posted on 12/05/2008 6:05:26 PM PST by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
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To: bigheadfred; RedRover

Do the letters asking pardon for Evan go to the senators or to the president?


10 posted on 12/05/2008 6:19:33 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain, Pro Deo et Patria)
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To: RedRover

Ha, ha—love the Black Adder. At first I thought O.J. was already petitioning.


11 posted on 12/05/2008 6:28:47 PM PST by beaversmom
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To: RedRover

BUMP


12 posted on 12/05/2008 6:33:42 PM PST by ticked
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To: lilycicero; bigheadfred; RedRover
"I can’t think of a better Christmas gift."
I'll second that motion.
13 posted on 12/05/2008 6:54:17 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
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To: beaversmom

Glad you like it!


14 posted on 12/05/2008 7:05:57 PM PST by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
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To: xzins; RedRover; All

Send the letters here. They will be copied and one packet will be sent to President Bush’s Chief of Staff. The original letters will be hand-delivered to The President.

Directions for the letter:

· Address your letter President Bush
· Please state in your letter that it is in reference to Sgt. Evan Vela, who is Prisoner Reg No. 84486 confined at the Army Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
· State what you think of Evan’s situation, how you may know him and/or heard of his story.
· Request to Pardon Evan. Explain your feelings on why Evan should be pardoned.

· Please add anything you would like to the letter.

Please send the letters to:

Curtis G. Carnahan
PO Box 167
Parker, ID 83438

God Bless you and Thank you for your time to stand behind one of our soldiers!

**** From the Family of Evan Vela Carnahan

Curt has letters from Senator Crapo and Congressman Simpson.

He is in contact with the person who will give them to the President.

This is a link to a recent radio interview Curt did. It is ,IMO, great.

http://www.eastidahonews.com/nls/audio/podcasts/NLSTuesday12022008.mp3


15 posted on 12/05/2008 7:07:07 PM PST by bigheadfred (FREE Evan Vela)
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To: bigheadfred

Are we interested only in a pardon or is it ok to ask for a reprieve or a pardon?


16 posted on 12/05/2008 7:33:11 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain, Pro Deo et Patria)
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To: xzins

I think it would be fine to also ask for a commutation or anything we can get.


17 posted on 12/05/2008 7:55:39 PM PST by bigheadfred (FREE Evan Vela)
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To: nahanrac

*PING*


18 posted on 12/20/2008 7:08:26 PM PST by lilycicero (We enjoy captioned pics around here.)
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To: bigheadfred; Girlene; lilycicero
I'm trying to find the thread where the Iraqi she-snake made the qoute about "someone is going to get punished today" and also where Lynch refused to let Evan go to Germany for PTSD testing, and what was Lynch's rank at the time.

I need it asap, didn't get to it during the holidays (sorry). Will send you a copy before mailing.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays - pretty laid back here, loads of snow (for western Washington).

Happy New Year

Bruce

19 posted on 01/01/2009 9:24:21 PM PST by 4woodenboats
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To: 4woodenboats
4wb, From a Times article in this FR thread, Murder or Exhaustion in Iraq? Sgt. Evan Vela Court Martial, the "she-snake" info.

....."Iraq's Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, however, does not see the case as either a justified kill or a horrific accident by an exhaustion-impaired soldier. She was attending today's proceedings, she told TIME, because, "I want to be sure that any American soldier who wrongs an Iraqi will go on trial. [Vela] killed an Iraqi man, an unarmed man. He must be punished.""........
20 posted on 01/01/2009 9:53:37 PM PST by Girlene (Happy 2009!)
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