November 24, 2009

Daily Kos Now in Charge of Military? Navy SEAL's Get Court Martial Instead of Medal for Capturing Most Wanted Terrorist

The guys who captured the mastermind behind this:

Are about to be court martialed for maybe giving that guy a fat lip.

This would be the same incident in which Americans were murdered in Fallujah over which Markos "Kos" Moulitsas said, "Screw them."

Now Kos' candidate is in the White House and the military is more interested in punishing heroes who may have barely stepped over some imaginary ethical line than in rewarding them for a job well done.

Imagine: Hey guys, thanks for putting your life on the line and in a job well done capturing Osama bin Laden, but now I'm going to bust you down to private because one of you might have kicked him once while he was down and the rest of you covered it up.

Screw them, indeed.

I think I'm going to be sick.

FoxNews:

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com....

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.

Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

Apparently military lawyers are just as idiotic as their civilian counterparts. My confidence level in the lawyerly profession has just about reached the limits of tolerance for the absurd.

UPDATE: 100% agree with Don Surber who titles his post "They should have just shot him.":

The message is getting clearer to the American military on how to handle people like KSM: Better dead than alive. Less paperwork.

You know, the last two thrillers I've read -- the latest from Vince Flynn and Brad Thor -- have been variations on the theme of counterintel types being fed up with all the BS that comes with working for the government. And you know I've just assumed that this was pretty much the world of fantasy. That in the real world when push came to shove that we would defend those that put their lives on the line. Maybe I was wrong?

There is always a lot of BS that comes along with working for government. That's the nature of the beast. But at some level won't it be tempting for people like these Navy SEAL's just to up and quit?

When the Atlas that is shrugging is involved in front line of counterterror operations then our nation's security is at risk.

And for what? So that a couple of pencil necked lawyers can say that the letter of the law was followed.

Thank a lawyer for the next time we are attacked.

Another update: Jack Murtha emails DrewM to say:

This guys are cold blooded smackers and I won't rest until they are given the death penalty. Coincidentally, the executions will take place in my district after we build a prison and death chamber with a 7 billion dollar earmark I am inserting in next year's budget.

And just a reminder: one of the men who was murdered was a former SEAL.