Posted on 05/24/2005 12:59:33 PM PDT by SmithL
SAN DIEGO -- A Navy SEAL lieutenant failed to set an example for his men when he punched a hooded and handcuffed Iraqi detainee, a military prosecutor said Tuesday in opening statements at the officer's court-martial.
"In this country, we hold ourselves to a higher standard than the enemy," said the prosecutor, Navy Lt. Jonathan Freimann.
A jury of six Navy officers is hearing the case of Lt. Andrew Ledford, who faces up to 11 years in military prison if convicted of charges including assault, dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming an officer. Although the detainee, Manadel al-Jamadi, died in Abu Ghraib prison shortly after the SEALs handed him to the CIA, Freimann said the government would present no evidence linking Ledford to the death.
"This case is about a platoon commander's failed leadership," Freimann said. "He chose poorly by joining them instead of leading them."
The prosecutor showed jurors several photos, including one of Ledford holding up a Red Bull energy drink as he and his men posed around al-Jamadi, who lay hooded in the back of a Humvee. Another photo showed a different detainee, who appeared to be wet, wearing a child's Halloween pumpkin mask while another SEAL knelt over him.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
If you're interested.
This stuff makes me sick. How can the people of the US have a sense that we are at war when we prosecute our finest. If these charges were brought up during WWII against a member of the UDT, the prosecutor would have been given a section 8.
Good grief! Leave the SEAL ALONE.
No, he's being tried for abusing a detainee. As an officer he is supposed to set the example. He failed, and is being tried. If he didn't do it he will walk.
I haven't said too much during these threads about prisoner abuse, but I need to speak up now. The military must unfortunately investigate every alegation of abuse because of all our liberal friends running around looking for the boogy man. Do not blame the command for the investigation, their hands are tied, they have to do it.
First, being an officer he will skate, unless he has ticked off someone up the ladder. Second, the military is loaded with the goody two shoes lawyers that have never gotten their hands dirty in a MANS WAR. It is a rigged system, called Military Justice.
"How can the people of the US have a sense that we are at war when we prosecute our finest."
We aren't prosecuting our finest, Lt Pantano's Article 32 hearing found there was no evidence proving he murdered 2 detainees. The Cpl in Falujia who shot the terrorist playing dead was cleared. Why? Because the investigations were done. No one is being railroaded.
It tough when we must abide by all the rules, but the enemy doesn't follow any rules.
Everything you are saying is true, but we screwed the pooch by embedding the media with our combat units, and with that came closer scrutiny. In my humble opinion the media should have been kept out like they were during Desert Storm. This is probably one of the most touchy subjects. Before we deploy we are drilled with Rules of Engagement, Law of Land Warfare, and proper handling of EPW classes. We are also told to watch what we say and do around the media clow who may be with us. Once the allegation is out there is no choice but to do a thorough investigation. The Falujia incident was bullshiite, it should have never gone as far as it did, but once the film went out the genie was out of the bottle, and a good Marine had his life put on hold. It sucked, but he was cleared.
It's interesting. Military Freepers tend to look at instances of prisoner abuse by our military with a sense of disgust. It's generally the armchair warriors on FR who cheer this type of behavior on.
Assuming he did it, which is by no means a certainty, he ought to reflect on two basic rules of combat leadership - never lose control, and never take pictures.
No, he's being tried for allegedly abusing a detainee. Until he is found guilty of that crime he is an Navy Seal Officer who should get the benefit of the doubt from us.
Having been familiar with both military and civil justice systems, both are political from top to bottom. The rule of thumb that you get justice from the best judge that money can buy applies in both systems.
The military is one notch worse because they can hide their goings on, always have and always will. Only a fool would think differently.
In fighting Islamic terror, we have to remember that we are NOT fighting uniformed national soldiers, but monsters who have traded their very humanity for a nebulous afterlife in "paradise".
They respect no law but the transcribed rantings of an illiterate 7th century child-raping bandit. Their culture regards qualities like our mercy, decency and compassion as weaknesses to be used against us.
With that said, I advocate one, single rule of engagement when dealing with Allah's "soldiers":
NO QUARTER, NO PRISONERS. If they use a religious structure as a hideout or ammunition dump, blast it to rubble. If prisoners are taken, they are to be interrogated and dispatched with extreme prejudice.
All this yapping about "we must be better than our enemies" is a bunch of feel-good BS - the kind of thing some ivory-tower academic socialist would come up with and then stick his smug nose in the air.
It's the job of the military to kill people and break stuff, not to coddle mass murderers and make sure they get their cup of warm milk before bedtime.
Prosecuting an American soldier for roughing up a murderous thug is DEAD wrong. Were it up to me, the guy would be receiving a medal on the steps of the White House.
IMHO, sometimes you have to fight evil with evil.
I have never started a flame war, but I will with you! I have been involved with military justice for 24+ years. If you can match that, then I will listen to you. You remind me of a squealing "I didn't do drugs" NJP loser. Flame away knucklehead!
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