quagmire, smagmire. Some peoples bubbles have been bursted. Wonder where they are going to next. You can rest a sure they are busy conjuring up something.
By U.S. Army Spc. Leah R. Burton 28th Public Affairs Detachment
LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq, March 2, 2005 — Over the past month, the military police here have responded to 54 larcenies, including burglaries, theft of government and private property, postal theft and shoplifting.
“Larceny is probably the majority of our cases,” said U.S. Army Spc. Daniel Krupka, 939th Military Police Detachment (Law and Order).
Two of the most recent incidents involved third country nationals who were caught with unauthorized items from alcohol to digital cameras to military issued equipment. “We got a tip that the [Army and Air Force Exchange Service] employees had alcohol in their possession, so we went over there and found all kinds of stuff,” said Investigator Shane Stephens, 939th MP Detachment.
The suspects were adamant that soldiers gave them the items, but much of it had clearly been stolen, Stephens said. One suspect was in possession of 11 brand new military issue knives worth $144 each. Others had expensive digital cameras, SAPI (body armor) plates, rucksacks, load bearing equipment and desert camouflage uniforms.
In the second incident, two men were caught by Army and Air Force Exchange Service loss prevention attempting to steal two packages of underwear. When they were questioned, loss prevention personnel found an additional four packages, said Capt. Gary Blagburn, 939th MP Detachment operations officer.
“We take an aggressive approach to stopping shoplifting by using in-store exchange detective teams, electronic surveillance systems, electronic article surveillance and other methods,” said Amanda R. Bittle, exchange service area loss prevention manager. “It is a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the value of the stolen merchandise.”
“It involves more than just the physical act of concealing or taking possession of goods or merchandise, altering a price tag or other price marking, or transferring the goods from one container to another. It also involves the intent to convert the goods or merchandise to the shoplifter’s own or another’s use without paying the full purchase price.”
In both cases, the individuals were fired by their companies and flown out of theater.
“Usually, when they’re caught, they’re back home in one to two days,” Blagburn said.
Other incidents include a unit that had some government property stolen. They posted up signs that they needed the items returned and provided an amnesty box. The items were recovered.
Much of the theft of personal and government property is borne of sheer soldier negligence, troops failing to secure their belongings. To date, the MPs have recovered items such as M-16s, AT4s, M-9s, grenades and vehicles.
Service members go to public areas like the fitness center, leave their bags unattended and return to find them missing. Or they leave their trailer going to the latrine, leaving their door unlocked and come back to find their television missing. “Just keep your stuff secured. Know your roommate, and know who’s been in your room,” Blagburn said.
While the civilian employees are liable to lose their livelihood as a result of a larceny charge, service members have much more at stake.
Several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice could be violated including:
• Article 108, sale, loss, damage destruction or wrongful disposition of military property
• Article 121, larceny and wrongful appropriation
• Article 122, robbery
• Article 129, burglary
• Article 134, knowingly receiving, buying or concealing stolen property, with the maximum punishments of dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and confinement for anywhere from two to 15 years.
Blagburn said individuals are encouraged to think about the consequences before setting their sights on someone else’s property.
Thu, Mar 03, 2005 (6 minutes ago)
A Greenfield man has been indicted on accusations he tried to sell the names of U.S. intelligence agents to Iraq before the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban, 52, was arrested this week and attended an initial hearing in federal court Thursday, U.S. Attorney Susan W. Brooks said in a news release.
Shaaban, also known as Shaaban Shaaban Hafed and Joe H. Brown, is suspected of making a deal to sell the names. He isn't accused of providing the information or receiving money for it, Brooks told RTV6's Linda Allen.
The allegations focus on events that are alleged to have occurred before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
"Agreeing to provide names of United States operatives to Iraq in the months immediately preceding the war are very serious charges that go to the heart of the nation's security," Brooks said in the release.
Information on whether investigators believe he had those names wasn't immediately available.
The indictment came after an investigation by the FBI (news - web sites), which was assisted by the Department of Homeland Security, the news release said.
Shaaba, according to the indictment, went to Baghdad in late 2002 and agreed to obtain -- from a third party in another country -- the names of U.S. intelligence agents working in Iraq and sell them to Saddam Hussein's intelligence service for $3 million.
The indictment alleges that Shaaban began his trip to Iraq on or about Oct. 26, 2002, flying from Chicago to Paris to Damascus, Syria. He allegedly went to Iraq from Syria.
While in Iraq in November 2002, he allegedly offered to sell to Iraqi intelligence officers the names of about 60 U.S.-connected agents working in Iraq, according to the indictment. He named a price of $5 million and said he would get the names from a third party, the indictment alleges.
Details on how Shaaban allegedly planned to get the names from the third party wasn't immediately available.
The indictment alleges that the Iraqi officers agreed to a fee of $3 million and required that Shaaban provide a sample of the information before payment. The indictment doesn't indicate that Shaaban provided any names or received payment.
The indictment also alleges that Shaaban:
Sought Iraqi support to establish a TV station in the United States that would broadcast pro-Iraqi news
Sought an arrangement in which he would be paid a fee by Iraq to organize volunteers to act as human shields to protect Iraqi infrastructure during the 2003 war Broadcast messages of support for the Iraqi government on Iraqi media stations, advocating support for Iraq and encouraging others to resist the United States
The government has charged Shaaban with conspiracy; acting as a foreign agent without notification; violations of Iraqi sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; unlawful procurement of an identification document; and unlawful procurement of naturalization.
A pretrial court date has been set for April 25.
Watch RTV6 at 6 p.m. for coverage of this story and revisit this page later for updates.