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Trial delayed as US vigilantes deny charges of torture
The Scotsman ^ | August 17, 2004 | STEPHEN GRAHAM

Posted on 08/17/2004 2:15:53 AM PDT by MadIvan

THREE American vigilantes who ran their own counter-terror campaign in Afghanistan yesterday denied charges of torturing prisoners in a private jail and were given a week to bolster their defence with documents returned by the FBI.

The group’s leader, Jonathan Idema, accused the United States authorities of withholding hundreds of documents, photos and videos which he claimed proved his contacts with the CIA, FBI and the US department of defence.

Idema, Brett Bennett and Edward Caraballo were arrested when Afghan security forces raided their makeshift prison in a house in Kabul on 5 July. They face charges including hostage-taking and "mental and physical torture".

They face up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

Along with four Afghans accused of helping them, they made their second court appearance in Kabul yesterday, amid chaotic scenes as Idema accused Afghan and US authorities of conspiring against them.

Idema, a former US soldier and convicted fraudster reportedly aged 48, is conducting his own defence, but said he was unable to do so properly as he had received no translation of the indictment or laws under which he is being charged.

"We don’t even know what the law says," he said.

Abdul Baset Bakhtyari, the presiding judge, said Idema had agreed to conduct his own defence and accused him of failing to respond to the charges. "You just want to waste time. You understand perfectly," he said.

Idema alleged that Afghan intelligence agents had confiscated 200 videotapes, 500 pages of documents and more than 800 photos and given them to the US authorities.

He said these materials were key to the defence, as they gave details of the interrogations of prisoners and proved the defendants were operating with the knowledge of the US military and law enforcers.

A lawyer for Caraballo said American officials told him only late on Sunday that the material had been returned to the Afghan intelligence service.

"The FBI knew when the trial was," Michael Skibbie, an attorney, said. "It shows incredible disrespect for the Afghan justice system."

After deliberation with his two assistants, the judge adjourned the case for a week and said the court would look into Idema’s request for a translation of the indictment.

US embassy officials declined to comment on the proceedings.

Idema, from North Carolina, has previously claimed his men had arrested "world-class terrorists" and that he was in contact with senior Pentagon officials.

The US military, facing its own allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, says the men were freelancers operating outside the law and without their knowledge.

At the first court hearing, on 21 July, some of the eight prisoners rescued from the group’s private jail alleged they had been beaten, deprived of food and doused in hot water.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; deathwish; idema; vigilantes
I'd never heard of this before...have you lot?

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 08/17/2004 2:15:54 AM PDT by MadIvan
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To: KangarooJacqui; EggsAckley; dinasour; AngloSaxon; Dont Mention the War; Happygal; lainde; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 08/17/2004 2:16:18 AM PDT by MadIvan (Gothic. Freaky. Conservative. - http://www.rightgoths.com/)
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To: MadIvan
This guy has a history. Some good and some strange. There are actually some defenders in the conservative community too, as weird as that sounds.


future Texas prison for terror suspects??

3 posted on 08/17/2004 2:19:28 AM PDT by GeronL (Viking Kitties have won the GOLD MEDAL in the 2,000 meter ZOTTING)
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To: MadIvan
Idema's a notorious wack job from Poughkeepsie New York. Some buddies of mine knew him well. They were not surprised to hear of this. All in a day's work for Idema.

He has lived a life on the wild side. He's a survivalist, martial arts type who's been on the in and out's with the law for years.

A real screwball.

4 posted on 08/17/2004 2:21:21 AM PDT by zarf
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To: GeronL

It's not just the home that's so appealing in that photo, it's the landscaping. What an AWESOME tree in the front yard!


5 posted on 08/17/2004 3:15:36 AM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
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To: GretchenM
"What an AWESOME tree in the front yard!"

Hey...you makin fun of Mesquite trees?
6 posted on 08/17/2004 8:03:29 AM PDT by monday
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To: monday
Hey...you makin fun of Mesquite trees?

I think I am! It's just that, where I come from,* this is the usual sight due to the abundance of water.

I have to hand it to any tree for thriving in that climate. ;-)

*Washington, the Evergreen State

7 posted on 08/17/2004 11:41:28 AM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
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To: GretchenM; monday

I love Texas. And that home is just $5,000, where else can you say that??


8 posted on 08/17/2004 7:23:56 PM PDT by GeronL (Viking Kitties have won the GOLD MEDAL in the 2,000 meter ZOTTING)
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