Posted on 10/19/2009 4:29:22 PM PDT by curth
The parents of imprisoned Army Lt. Michael Behenna of Edmond have responded to the action of the congressional delegation in seeking clemency for their son, convicted of killing an al Qaida operative in Iraq.
The trial ended with the revelation that military prosecutors withheld evidence favorable to Behenna in violation of civil and military law and the appeals process is ongoing.
Members of the delegation seek an immediate reduction in Behenna's 20-year sentence, and, ultimately, a new trial.
Vicki and Scott Behenna said, "Michael and our family are deeply grateful for this show of force by the entire Oklahoma congressional delegation in support of reducing Michael's sentence based on similar cases. "We are also appreciative of others who have stepped up and endorsed the congressional letter seeking clemency for Michael. "A serious question mark hangs over the fairness of Michael's trial given that the prosecution violated due process by not handing over evidence favorable to Michael's defense before the verdict was issued. The delegation rightly recognizes that all soldiers, including Michael, deserve a fair trial. They also recognize that his sentence should be in line with similar cases.
(Excerpt) Read more at tmrcom.blogspot.com ...
http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/
About 40 years ago another Lt. kills a wounded, unarmed, teenaged enemy soldier that was trying to crawl away, by emptying a magazine of 5.56 into his back and gets a Silver Star and (eventually) a lifetime Senate seat from Massachusetts.
Doesn't seem right somehow.
Can you spell Scapegoat?
Uh, folks-—I can guarantee you this ROE was not the way our GIs from the WW2 era conducted themselves-—which may account for the fairly prompt victory of that time.
My two closest friends of that era have gone on to eternity. I have their own accounts, some backed up by photos, that establishes they spared no quarter on the enemy, nor the civilian populace conducting military like duty.
Deadly, ruthless, and victorious. At the end, they shared bread, broke bread, and extended a hand of friendship with those they had conquered and liberated. Until then, it was war.
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