Posted on 04/03/2008 4:11:54 PM PDT by bigheadfred
I recently received an email from Curtis Carnahan, the father of Sgt. Evan Vela, who, having served his country in Iraq is currently, and wrongly, serving a ten year sentence in prison. Mr. Carnahan asked me to look into his son's case because of the distinct parallels between his son's wartime dilemma in Iraq and that of the SEAL team in Afghanistan that was immortalized by former SEAL Marcus Luttrell in the best-selling book Lone Survivor.
As Mr. Carnahan noted, I've written about the Luttrell case before in an attempt to call attention to the inverted morality of our Military's rules of engagement that forced these SEALS into a situation in which it was against US law to save their own lives when their mission secrecy was compromised by their discovery, deep in Taliban territory, by two Afghan shepherds. Having decided to let the two Afghans go rather than kill them to save themselves and their mission--in part out of fear of prosecution back home!--three out of the four SEALS were themselves killed (with Luttrell being the "lone survivor") in a ferocious battle, and 16 other US special forces were shot down and killed during a failed rescue attempt. Nineteen brave Americans dead to uphold the blessed ROE.
Sgt. Vela, part of a small sniper team ordered for days into the "Triangle of Death" south of Baghad, faced a similar situation when his team was discovered in their "hide" by an Iraqi man and his teenaged son. With Sunni insurgents nearby, and the man refusing to be quiet and still, Sgt. Vela was ordered to kill the man. He did so. The sniper team lived through the mission. Sgt. Vela was later charged and convicted of murder. In essence, what our country is saying is that it would have been a far, far better thing if Sgt. Vela and his team had been killed by Iraqi insurgents--in wartime with hostile forces all around them--rather than kill the one Iraqi man whose noise and lack of cooperation was a sure-thing to bring hostile fire on our men.
Please read this fine account of the story by Marcia Drezon-Tepler in the New York Daily News.
There is loads more here, including a link to information about helping in a drive for clemency for Sgt. Vela.
Wretchingly sickening.
We're not going to have any army at all next time around, folks, if this is the way we treat the men who actually want to defend this country.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/03/30/2008-03-30_american_sniper_hung_out_to_dry.html
We still need the help of All Americans with letters of Clemency and with funding for an appeal. Go to http://www.freeevanvela.com/ for more information on how to help.
Thanks for the ping!
Here is a link to the original Diana West article.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DianaWest/2007/08/17/death_by_rules_of_engagement
We’re over here Ranger.
BUMP AND A PING!
Back in the 1980s, in an army ethics class, the conclusion was reached that
“Soldiers do what they have to do in wartime. But they should know ahead of time that they will be judged, not at the front by other warriors, but in the rear by those who neither understand nor sympathize with their situation, who have never used a rifle in battle, and who seek not military justice, the upholding of order and discipline; but to assuage politicians that the ugliness of war can be expunged in court, and that all will be forgiven except the designated scapegoat, chosen to bear the sins, real and imagined, of the conflict. Once he is, or they are, punished, then all is forgiven and can be forgotten.”
This is one of the major reasons why I opposed the invasion of Iraq in the first place. As far as I'm concerned, a government that sends soldiers into combat and then prosecutes them under these circumstances can't possibly keep a straight face when it tells me that there is any urgency at all involved in the military campaign in the first place.
Too bad the majority of Americans aren't running this country. Too bad that same majority can't kick in a buck or two to defend the defenders of this country. To stop the @$#$#!$# prosecutions of our Military men would save millions. And then I wouldn't have to ask. Instead, I could be reading the story on fossilized feces found in Oregon. The stories about the fresh stuff leave me...
It takes the military leadership, Pentagon, etc. to stand up for these guys. Accused military have no official spokesperson once they have been accused. It’s a very bad system that most people don’t realize exists. We as a country need to modify the UCMJ and the way our accused military is treated.
BUMP for Sgt Vela!
>> Accused military have no official spokesperson once they have been accused.
The impression I get is abandonment. My prayers continue for the brave men and women that defend our freedom. They must know and appreciate freedom more so than any other on the face of the Earth. God bless them all.
Agree with your statements, Gene Eric. God bless them all.
I can’t imagine your frustration, bigheadfred.
By the way, I had no idea their was a story on fossilized feces found in Oregon. Do tell. :-)
I think John Murtha applied for that job.
We as a country need to modify the UCMJ and the way our accused military is treated.
How about we promote Sergeants and demote Generals? And send those demented, demoted, demagogues to the worstest hardship posts on the planet, or the front lines, or the soup lines. Hoist the retards by their petards. Or to a post at the roast where they burn the most. (Just send them straight to He!!)
“By the way, I had no idea their was a story on fossilized feces found in Oregon. Do tell. :-)”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995951/posts
LOL. While all those are interesting suggestions, I’m sure there are other ways to attack the problem. I know very little about how the military justice system works except for what I’ve seen in the last two years. It seems nobody in leadership positions are permitted to stand up for an individual once they’ve been accused.
Unfortunately that code of silence does more to damage the accused versus helping them. Americans are used to civilian cases where a PR person comes out and tries to limit the damage of the claims. The silence from the military justice system is deafening. Media types are allowed to play with the facts and present their own “case” without any rebuttal. It is a sham that needs changed. Here’s a crazy idea. Their should be an official spokesperson, an advocate if you will, for each accused service person who can quickly respond to media inquiries and present their client in the best possible light.
The times have changed. We have the internet. We have global media sources. The enemy is using these charges in their own propaganda campaigns. The military justice system needs to change with the times.
Thoughts?
I need to go throw up.
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