Soldier says ordered to delete Fort Hood videos

AP ^ | 10-15-2010

[My Favorite Headache]

FORT HOOD, Texas – A soldier who recorded the terror of last year's deadly shooting rampage in Fort Hood using his cell phone was ordered by an officer to delete both videos, a military court heard Friday.

Under cross examination, Pfc. Lance Aviles told an Article 32 hearing that his noncommissioned officer ordered him to destroy the two videos on Nov. 5, the same day that a gunman unleashed a volley of bullets inside a processing center at the Texas Army post.

The footage could have been vital evidence at the military hearing to decide if Maj. Nidal Hasan should stand trial in the shootings. The 40-year-old American-born Muslim has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

Prosecutors have not said whether they'll seek the death penalty if the case goes to trial.

[ichabod1]

Right. Illegal order. He should have refused to obey. Since he did NOT refuse to obey, he should be prosecuted for destroying evidence, and the non-com for conspiracy to destroy evidence.

[driftdiver]

Most junior military members do not question orders unless they are clearly illegal.

They are taught to follow orders.

[Just A Nobody]

deadly shooting rampage in Fort Hood

This was not just a "deadly shooting rampage" -- the massacre was commited by a soldier in the United States Military against fellow soldiers. TREASON is what it was and he should be tried as such.

The Fort Hood massacre was an act of jihad on American soil at a military base while yelling allah akbar, for God's sake! There should have been continuous outrage about this POS sine 11-9-09! What the hell is the matter with people?

[driftdiver]

“Since he did NOT refuse to obey, he should be prosecuted for destroying evidence,”

You’re an idiot.

[MichaelCorleone]

I'm not exactly a wiz in things technological, but couldn't he have transferred the video to friends or YouTube or something before letting the higher-ups know about it?

[ichabod1]

HEY! You’re Being OFfensife With ME. YU cant say that! your being offenssive with me!!~!~!!~~*()*)!

[Grut]

It’s also an order to destroy evidence. Surely that’s not a lawful order.

Any order from someone above you in your chain of command is presumptively lawful. Don't expect some kid E-2 to be a lawyer, the one thing he'll understand in a situation like that is that disobeying a lawful order gets you in a lot more trouble than obeying an unlawful one does.

[ßuddaßudd]

This is what we'll eventually hear,
" The video was asked to be deleted in consideration of the victims, their families and the family of the alleged perp. " blah blah blah

[Just A Nobody]

On the other hand, there must have been several hundred witnesses to what happened.

Exactly, they don't need no stinking video when there are many eyewitnesses! Unfreakingbelievabe!

[driftdiver]

Have you ever been in the military?

Troops are trained to follow orders. Especially junior troops. If they start questioning every order people will die and the mission will fail.

There are many reasons this kid did what he was ordered to do. None of which are reasons to prosecute him.

Unless you’d like to throw away another career to get a guilty verdict that is essentially guaranteed.

[444Flyer]

I'm assuming it wasn't this video. The cold hearted Jihadist murderer just pre-massacre.

[FreedomPoster]

You’re kidding, right?

Any day of the week would be the right answer.

[Just A Nobody]

There were YT vids of the WH POS that day giving a shout out before commenting on the jihadist terror attack at Fort Hood. I just tried to pull them up from my Fav File and this is the massage I get: This video has been removed by the user.

[FreedomPoster]

Probably ignorance on the part of the reporter. Similar to the ignorance generally displayed when a story involves firearms.

[444Flyer]

That convenience store video has also been removed from a few places that I checked.

[ichabod1]

( (*) )

[FrankR]

Just askin’...

[Just A Nobody]

That is another one I "thought" I had...no where to be found now. Outrageous!

Why are more folks not questioning this terrorist act and the total lack of interest in the jihad in America?

[Hulka]

The NCO might possibly be Muslim?

[Hulka]

Not exactly true, for example, not illegal order to demand deletion/and or confiscate a cell-phone that recorded secret or restricted info or sensitive operations.

But in this case, true.