I know this guy. He is absolutely, completely a fraud. Even the stuff in Robin Moore's book about him is mostly fiction -- HE was Robin's researcher's sole source for it. In fact, wanted posters of him were posted in Bagram for months, directing the MPs and USAF SPs to grab him, before the Afghans finally bagged him.
He's a felon. Go to www.bop.gov and search for Jonathan Keith Idema in the inmate locator. He did five years inside, on top of whatever part of his sentence was paroled. (Wire Fraud).
He has represented himself as an Army major, a special forces operator, a former member of the unit known as Delta, and a member of US intelligence agencies. And I can say with 100% certainty that these claims are all untrue. He did serve briefly in the Army special forces - 15-20 years ago. He was caught stealing in Phase I of training. He was barred from re-enlistment as a result of other misconduct. He then showed up in the Reserves, with his bad paper from active duty miraculously missing from his file. He left there under a cloud also.
He is a legend in his own mind who has been in Afghanistan on and off since 2001 and a long list of NGOs, REAL SF operators, and REAL intelligence agencies have been looking for him, on a "not to interfere" basis with other missions. I would bet money that at least one of the phone numbers on his card belongs to a satellite phone that he borrowed from a Knights of Malta sponsored charity three years ago -- they are still looking for it.
Let's let the NDS hang on to him and do their investigation. If it turns out he has committed crimes under Afghan law, well, when he gets out he can write a book on comparative penology: from the inmate viewpoint.
The USG does not generally post wanted posters (complete with a mis-spelling, so you know a GI made it!) of its agents conducting "black ops." If any.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
I love FR.
Thanks.
Very interesting and useful.