Keyword: courtmartial

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  • Pregnancy Equals Prison for US Troops in Iraq

    12/22/2009 2:21:55 PM PST · by BobMcCartyWrites · 27 replies · 439+ views
    Bob McCarty Writes ^ | 12/22/09 | Bob McCarty
    Early last month, Army Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo (left) issued General Order #1 as a means of informing those assigned to his Multi-National Division North (a.k.a., "Task Force Marne") that becoming pregnant -- or assisting in the effort -- is one of several types of conduct deemed "prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline" among members of the 22,000-strong task force headquartered in Tikrit, Iraq. In fact, it ranks alongside alcohol, drugs, guns and similar vices on the general's list of prohibited activities.
  • Cease and Desist The Prosecution of 3 Navy Seals - Petition

    12/10/2009 5:12:32 AM PST · by blueyon · 14 replies · 332+ views
    gopetition ^ | 12/10/09 | blueyon
    If you would like to, I posted a link to sign a petition to Cease and Desist any and all charges brought against the 3 United States Navy Seals . So far there is 22,454 signatures
  • HUMAN EVENTS Petition To Free the SEALs

    12/11/2009 2:26:18 PM PST · by La Enchiladita · 23 replies · 601+ views
    Human Events ^ | Dec. 10, 2009 | Human Events
    Secretary of Defense The Pentagon Washington, DC Dear Secretary Gates: We, the editors and staff of HUMAN EVENTS, and the many Americans who have attached their signatures to this petition, hereby request your personal intervention to dismiss the charges against Navy SEAL operators SO2 Jonathan Keefe, SO1 Julio Huertas and SO2 Matthew McCabe. These three men are charged with abusing a terrorist they captured in a daring nighttime raid on or about 1 September 2009. On that night, they -- as part of a platoon from SEAL Team 10 -- captured and detained Ahmed Hashim Abed, one of the most...
  • Free the Navy SEALs Now

    12/10/2009 6:15:13 PM PST · by raptor22 · 56 replies · 1,493+ views
    Investors Business daily ^ | December 10, 2009 | IBD editorial staff
    Law: American heroes are arraigned for allegedly punching a terrorist in wartime. What happens to Tiger Woods isn't vital to our country's future. What happens to Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe is. People are more likely to recognize the names of Tiger's alleged bimbo eruptions than the names of these three Navy SEALs we sent into battle. They are not household names in a nation consumed with Climate Gate, the public option and the antics of billionaire athletes. An administration consumed with apologies has said the architect of 9/11's massacre, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, must be given all the...
  • 101st Airborne Officer Serving 20-Year Sentence After Testimony of Expert Witness Ignored

    12/09/2009 8:10:46 AM PST · by IrishMike · 21 replies · 982+ views
    Andrew Breitbart BogGovernment ^ | Bob McCarty and Carrie Fatigante
    It’s not uncommon for people convicted of crimes to proclaim their innocence. Most deserve to be ignored, but not Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna. On July 31, 2008, Lieutenant Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative operating in the area of Albu Toma, north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the 26 -year-old leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division, was sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth after being convicted by a military court-martial panel of unpremeditated murder in violation of Article 118...
  • December 7, 2009: A Bridge to December 7, 1941

    12/07/2009 9:35:51 AM PST · by NewMediaJournal · 180+ views
    The New Media Journal ^ | Dec 7, 2009 | Ercille I. Christmas
    “Treachery.” That is the bridge between December 1941 and December 2009. “Treachery” in this new century has not come in the form of a surprise attack on America by a recognized military armada. Treachery is being unleashed on American troops by less than gallant men, well versed in the art of dissimulation. The tragedy is that in too many instances, the word of this enemy, an enemy who is without valor and honor, is taken over the words of American troops. More and more American troops are being charged and put away for long stretches for winning on the battlefield...
  • 101st Airborne Officer Serving 20-Year Sentence After Testimony of Expert Witness Ignored

    12/06/2009 7:45:42 AM PST · by BobMcCartyWrites · 27 replies · 1,618+ views
    Bob McCarty Writes ^ | 12-6-09 | Bob McCarty
    It's not uncommon for people convicted of crimes to proclaim their innocence. Most deserve to be ignored, but not Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna. On July 31, 2008, Lieutenant Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative operating in the area of Albu Toma, north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the 26 -year-old leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division, was sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth after being convicted by a military court-martial panel of unpremeditated murder in violation of Article 118...
  • Rep. Dan Burton Says Court Martial of Navy SEALs is a "Miscarriage of Justice" - Video 12/4/09

    12/04/2009 1:04:38 PM PST · by Federalist Patriot · 9 replies · 315+ views
    Freedom's Lighthouse ^ | December 4, 2009 | Brian
    Here is video of GOP Rep. Dan Burton saying it is an "outrage" and a "miscarriage of justice" that three Navy SEALs have been court-martialed for allegedly roughing up a captured terrorist leader. Burton says we are "standing justice on its head" by going after these SEALs, when at the same time we are bending over backwards to give "Miranda Rights" to captured terrorists. Burton says the Al-Qaeda terrorist manual tells operatives to allege abuse if captured, and he is skeptical about whether the SEALs are guilty or not. Burton has written a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking...
  • McCain remains mum on Navy SEALS court-martial

    12/01/2009 7:10:17 PM PST · by rabscuttle385 · 13 replies · 603+ views
    The Washington Times ^ | 2009-12-01 | Kerry Picket
    (snip) The Washington Times Watercooler approached ranking member of the Senate armed services committee Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) about his thoughts about this issue. Senator McCain backed away from any direct comments only saying, “That’s a judicial issue and one that I have not drawn any conclusion [on]. The judicial process is moving forward.” A spokeswoman for Mr. McCain later followed up saying the Senator does not comment "on matters that are actively being considered by the courts." Mr. McCain is well known for being a Navy POW during the Vietnam War and endured five and a half years of...
  • Save the SEALs: A serious nation doesn't prosecute its heroes

    11/30/2009 8:05:45 PM PST · by Abakumov · 29 replies · 919+ views
    The Washington Times ^ | December 1, 2009 | Editorial
    The fact that this case has come this far shows an astonishing lack of perspective. While these three patriotic young men stand before a military judge to answer a terrorist complaint about an alleged thrown punch, CIA- and Air Force-operated drone aircraft rain hellfire missiles on terror suspects, killing them and anyone who happens to be nearby, whether or not they have the right target. Fighting a war is dirty business. As George Orwell is reputed to have said, "we sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would...
  • Dec 7 Navy SEALs Courts-Martial PROTEST - Norfolk Virginia

    11/30/2009 2:45:02 PM PST · by Saoirise · 60 replies · 3,276+ views
    Eagles UP | 11/30/2009 | Elyse A. Buongiorno
    Dec 7 Navy SEALs Courts-Martial PROTEST - Norfolk Virginia SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! Type: Causes - Protest Network: Global Date: Monday, December 7, 2009 Time: 8:00am - 6:00pm Location: Naval Station Norfolk City/Town: Norfolk, VA Description As most of you already know, some of our military’s most elite, the Navy SEALs are under fire from the US Government for none other than bloodying the lip of 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. Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe & Petty Officer...
  • Military

    11/29/2009 9:19:21 PM PST · by stolinsky · 5 replies · 326+ views
    www.stolinsky.com ^ | 11-30-09 | stolinsky
    We now conduct war so that a lawyer can tell a general not to kill an enemy leader, while three SEALs need a lawyer to defend them after completing a successful mission. Wars requite warriors, not lawyers. Anyone who does not know this is a dangerous fool, even if he wears the uniform of a general or an admiral, or sits in the Pentagon or the Oval Office.
  • Clubbing Our Seals

    11/27/2009 5:09:19 PM PST · by raptor22 · 17 replies · 1,181+ views
    Investor's Business Daily ^ | November 27, 2009 | IBD edirorial staff
    War On Terror: As Khalid Sheikh Mohammed receives the benefits of U.S. justice, three Navy SEALs face court-martial for allegedly punching a captured terrorist who hanged Americans from a bridge in Fallujah. Apparently our efforts to impress the world about the marvels of our criminal justice system require us to give foreign terrorists such as Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the man who invented the manned cruise missiles that flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and plowed into a Pennsylvania field on its way to the Capitol Building, the full rights and protections of the American citizens he conspired...
  • SEALs Who Caught High-Profile Terrorist Now Face Court-Martial

    11/27/2009 8:32:10 AM PST · by Irisshlass · 148 replies · 2,145+ views
    Human Events ^ | 11/26/2009 | Rowan Scarborough
    The military is throwing the book at three terrorist-hunting Navy SEALs who captured one of the most wanted in Iraq. It seems one of the commandos may have punched Ahmed Hashim Abed, who intelligence reports said planned the bloody ambush of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah, Iraq, five years ago. Instead of plaudits, three SEALs face court-martial in January. And conservatives are expressing outrage to HUMAN EVENTS. Abed, whom the U.S. command designated "Objective Amber," was nabbed in darkness Sept. 3 by a platoon of commandos from SEAL Team 10, based in Norfolk. The next few hours proved...
  • Navy SEALs who captured one of Iraq’s most wanted terrorists, facing charges... over a bloody lip.

    The SEALs took down Ahmed Hasim Abed, the alleged mastermind of a ghastly 2004 incident in which four American contractors who worked security for Blackwater USA, were murdered in Fallujah and two of the bodies were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River. But instead of being praised as heroes, the SEALs are all facing charges and have hired lawyers, FoxNews.com reported.
  • Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

    11/25/2009 8:55:22 AM PST · by Paige · 118 replies · 2,429+ views
    Fox News ^ | 11/24/2009 | Rowan Scarborough
    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.
  • Navy SEALS Prosecuted for Slugging Barbarian

    11/25/2009 10:42:38 AM PST · by jazminerose · 25 replies · 1,065+ views
    www.joytiz.com ^ | 11/25/09 | Joy Tiz
    In yet another exercise in flaunting its “sensitivity”, the Navy is prosecuting three of our extraordinary Navy SEALS for slugging a terrorist. Not just any terrorist, mind you. Ahmed Hashim Abed was the mastermind of the annihilation and mutilation of four Blackwater security guards whose mission on that day was to transport supplies for a catering company. “The Fallujah atrocity came to symbolize the brutality of the enemy in Iraq,and the degree to which a homegrown insurgency was extending its grip over Iraq.” Little Abed was considered a high value target whose capture should be feted. Three of our elite...
  • Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

    11/24/2009 11:45:09 AM PST · by Terrence DoGood · 638 replies · 19,372+ views
    Fox News ^ | Tuesday, November 24, 2009 | By Rowan Scarborough
    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 for their trouble, three of the SEALs, members of the Navy's elite commando unit, are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com. The three have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and requested a trial by court-martial. 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....
  • Major Hasan to Face Court Martial — What to Expect

    11/13/2009 2:39:34 PM PST · by AJKauf · 12 replies · 415+ views
    Pajamas Media ^ | November 14 | Dan Miller
    According to news accounts, of which there have been many, U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is to be tried by general court martial on charges that he committed thirteen premeditated murders during his November 5 rampage at Fort Hood. The legal details are seeping out, slowly and sometimes erroneously. The case, as would be expected, has been widely covered by the media, and President Barack Obama has ordered a review of how U.S. intelligence agencies handled information they may have gathered about Hasan following questions about whether authorities may have missed warning signs about him. With all due respect,...
  • Death penalty rare, executions rarer in military

    11/11/2009 4:35:07 PM PST · by jazusamo · 20 replies · 531+ views
    Townhall.com ^ | November 11, 2009 | Mark Sherman
    Though the suspect in the shooting rampage at Fort Hood could face the death penalty, he will be prosecuted in a military justice system where no one has been executed in nearly a half-century. Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist alleged to have killed 13 people at the massive Army installation in Texas last week, might also benefit from protections the military provides defendants that are greater than those offered in civilian federal courts. "Our military justice system is not bloodthirsty. That's clear," said Eugene R. Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale. Much about Hasan's case will be decided...
  • Prosecutors to seek death penalty when Nidal Malik Hasan faces a court-martial

    11/10/2009 6:58:40 AM PST · by NoObamaFightForConservatives · 56 replies · 1,651+ views
    nydailynews.com ^ | November 10, 2009 | Richard Sisk DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
    WASHINGTON - Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan will be tried in a military court-martial, and prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty, officials said yesterday. FBI and Army investigators tried to interview Hasan, who is recovering from bullet wounds in a San Antonio, Tex., Army hospital, on Sunday, but he refused and demanded a lawyer. Under the military system, Hasan's fellow Army officers - almost certainly combat veterans - will rule on whether he is guilty of the mass murder of 12 soldiers and one civilian at Fort Hood, and, if so, on his punishment. A death penalty would...
  • Fugitive soldier turns himself in at Stuttgart

    08/22/2009 2:59:27 PM PDT · by Prodigal Son · 21 replies · 1,149+ views
    Stars and Stripes ^ | August 22, 2009 | Dan Blottenberger
    The U.S. Special Forces soldier who fled after being convicted in a court-martial of kidnapping, forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual assault has turned himself in to military authorities. Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, 36, surrendered at the military police station at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, at 10 p.m. Friday, according to Master Sgt. Gary Cryder, the provost sergeant for U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart. Stewart was then escorted by military police from Stuttgart to the Army confinement facility on Coleman Barracks in Mannheim. He arrived at Mannheim at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, according to Cryder. Cryder, who was not present...
  • Calley Apologizes for My Lai

    08/21/2009 7:47:30 PM PDT · by grandpa jones · 74 replies · 4,145+ views
    MSNBC.com ^ | 08/21/09 | staff
    COLUMBUS, Ga. - Speaking in a soft, sometimes labored voice, the only U.S. Army officer convicted in the 1968 slayings of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai made an extraordinary public apology while speaking to a small group near the military base where he was court-martialed
  • Is Obama Guilty of Treason?

    06/10/2009 3:07:18 PM PDT · by blackrobe · 53 replies · 3,057+ views
    Canada Free Press ^ | June 10, 2009 | JB Williams
    The answer to one of the above questions is absolutely, YES! --Either Barack Hussein Obama is guilty of treason, as formally charged in a March 2009 federal criminal complaint filed by retired Navy LCDR Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, III, on March 17th, (or) LCDR Walter Fitzpatrick is indeed guilty of Mutiny, - “forcible or passive resistance to lawful authority; especially: concerted revolt (as of a naval crew) against discipline or a superior officer.”
  • Case against Marine sergeant to proceed to court-martial (Sgt. Jermaine Nelson)

    04/24/2009 6:37:23 PM PDT · by NormsRevenge · 5 replies · 436+ views
    LA Times ^ | 4/24/09 | Tony Perry
    Murder charges against a Marine sergeant at Camp Pendleton in the death of a prisoner in Fallujah, Iraq, will not be dropped, despite the acquittal of two Marines in the same case. Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, has decided that the case against Sgt. Jermaine Nelson should proceed to a court-martial.
  • Haditha & Other Slander Against Our Troops

    01/29/2009 8:34:14 AM PST · by NewMediaJournal · 7 replies · 607+ views
    The New Media Journal ^ | Jan 29, 2008 | Dr. Laurie Roth
    One of the most notorious quotes was from Rep. John Murtha, (D-PA). Among other things he said “The Marines overreacted...and killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” Thank you for sharing your disloyal, betraying and UN-American opinion Mr. Murtha. You should be ashamed! With the Time Magazine examination and media noise, the military investigations went politically correct. After all, the war is controversial and the international community is looking on so we have to be ever so slanted and careful! Hell, for the 8 charged Marines, had begun. The media, having done their usual damage to our troops disappeared, to the...
  • New details at hearing for soldier accused of murder

    01/06/2009 12:35:15 PM PST · by Clive · 10 replies · 511+ views
    CTV News ^ | 2009-01-06 | (staff)
    A statement read at the custody hearing of a Canadian Forces officer charged with second-degree murder in Afghanistan says the soldier was seen near a severely wounded insurgent before two shots were fired. The court document suggests Capt. Robert Semrau, 35, shot the wounded insurgent. But prosecution and defence lawyers say he should be released from custody pending the outcome of his court martial. According to the document, on or around Oct. 19, a group of Afghan and Canadian soldiers were ambushed by Taliban in Helmand province. The group called in airstrikes and shortly after encountered one dead and one...
  • Pardon Sgt. Evan Vela, Mr. President

    12/19/2008 2:35:54 PM PST · by bigheadfred · 40 replies · 1,062+ views
    http://www.townhall.com/ ^ | Dec. 18, 2008 | Diana West
    We're now entering the final phase of an outgoing administration. And during this phase, George W. Bush, mere mortal but still president, has the practically supernatural ability to grant pardons. This endows him with the power of life over death, of clemency over conviction. For one month more, President Bush will be able to right wrongs, show mercy and restore faith. For one month more, he will have the opportunity to pardon Sgt. Evan Vela, now serving 10 years in a military prison for what a court martial called "murder" but what I, along with many, many Americans, call war.
  • MARINE CORPS PLAN TO COURT-MARTIAL SERGEANT-MAJOR AT MIRAMAR

    12/27/2008 7:21:17 PM PST · by river rat · 39 replies · 1,977+ views
    MilitaryCorruption.com ^ | Dec 2008 | Unknown
    MARINE CORPS PLAN TO COURT-MARTIAL SERGEANT-MAJOR AT MIRAMAR. MARK KELLISON PICKED UP FOR D.U.I. - ALSO CHARGED WITH UNAUTHORIZED LEAVE, MAKING FALSE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND FOUR VIOLATIONS OF ORDERS. TOP-RANKING ENLISTED MAN HAS 28 YEARS SERVICE - COULD FACE BUST TO JUNIOR NCO For nearly 30 years, everything Mark Kellison did in the Corps smelled like roses. Fast promotions, doting officers, the Massena, N. Y. native was at one time, senior drill instructor at the Parris Island MCRD. A sergeant-major in MilitaryCorruption.com's favorite branch of the military, the lanky top-ranking non-com had it made as the most powerful enlisted man...
  • STEELE'S MARCH (PART I): JAG HUNTER AND SSgt Ray Girouard

    12/18/2008 11:59:32 AM PST · by RaceBannon · 3 replies · 393+ views
    Jag Hunter ^ | 18 December 2008 | Jag Hunter
    STEELE'S MARCH (PART I) America's courts-martial scheme is burdened by a grim reputation. Experienced readers of courts-martial records become conscious always of power and design. In the series of courts-martial surrounding Operation Iron Triangle (9 May 2006), these distinctive factors quickly emerge from the shadows as a ship emerges from dense fog. Army Ranger -- Staff Sergeant Raymond L. Girouard is being punished without a jury trial for crimes he never committed. Courts-martial records are full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. In consequence of reading yesterday some of the earliest Iron Triangle reports the diabolical...
  • THE GREEN BERET COURT MARTIAL

    08/02/2008 9:55:49 AM PDT · by B4Ranch · 52 replies · 359+ views
    email | 01 August 2008 | To The Point News
    THE GREEN BERET COURT MARTIAL Written by To The Point News Friday, 01 August 2008 US Army Green Beret James T. (Smokey) Taylor was awakened in the early morning hours of November 5, 2007, when an intruder broke into his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He investigated the noises with one of his many weapons in the house. "It was just after Halloween, on Monday morning at 4:30," Taylor testified in his trial. "I heard this commotion at the door and grabbed my fishing gun, a little .22 revolver, to see what was going on. "I got to the front door...
  • Marine charged in Iraqi's death goes to court

    07/10/2008 9:28:11 AM PDT · by xzins · 97 replies · 121+ views
    Fort Mill Times ^ | 10 Jul 08
    (Published July 10, 2008) CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Marine Sgt. Ryan Weemer hoped his battle experience in Fallujah and other Iraqi hot zones would pave the way to a job in the Secret Service. Instead, the 25-year-old is among three Marines charged with murdering unarmed captives in November 2004, during some of the heaviest house-to-house fighting of the Iraq war. ADVERTISEMENT Cracking the Code of Sexual Chemistry and Attraction Still Time to Slim Down for Summer More Scholarships for Working Moms Going Back to College Weemer is due in a Camp Pendleton courtroom Thursday for a daylong preliminary hearing, known...
  • Top Marine General to Testify Against LtCol Chessani in Unlawful Command Influence Hearing on Monday

    05/31/2008 8:41:54 PM PDT · by billmor · 5 replies · 336+ views
    Thomas More Law Center ^ | May 30, 2008 | Thomas More Law Center
    ANN ARBOR, MI – Military prosecutors are expected to call as their witness General James N. Mattis, a highly respected Marine officer and one of only a handful of four-star Marine generals, to testify in the court-martial hearing against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani on June 2, 2008, at Camp Pendleton, California. http://www.thomasmore.org/qry/page.taf?id=63
  • Civilian Contractor in Iraq to Face Court-Martial

    05/29/2008 4:28:56 PM PDT · by SandRat · 26 replies · 113+ views
    BAGHDAD, May 29, 2008 – A contractor in Iraq charged under military law with stabbing another contractor was scheduled to be arraigned today in Baghdad. Alaa “Alex” Mohammad Ali, a contractor charged with aggravated assault, was scheduled to be arraigned today at Camp Victory here. The charge against Ali stems from the Feb. 23 alleged stabbing of another contractor at a combat outpost near Hit. This is the first time a civilian will be tried by court-martial under a 2006 amendment to the Uniform Code of Military Justice contained in the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. military officials said....
  • Marine heads to trial on obstruction charges in Haditha case [Lt Grayson court martial]

    05/28/2008 3:33:36 AM PDT · by RedRover · 467 replies · 237+ views
    Associated Press via Mercury News ^ | May 28, 2008 | Chelsea J. Carter
    SAN DIEGO—A Marine intelligence officer heads to court Wednesday to answer charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements during an investigation into the killings of 24 Iraqis. The court-martial of 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson is the first case to come to trial in the biggest U.S. criminal case involving civilian deaths to come out of the Iraq war. Authorities maintain eight Marines killed the Iraqis shortly after a roadside bomb hit a convoy, killing the driver of a Humvee and wounding two Marines. Grayson of Springboro, Ohio, was not present at the scene of the killings on Nov....
  • No charges against 2 Marines in Afghan deaths

    05/24/2008 12:18:32 PM PDT · by Dawnsblood · 3 replies · 66+ views
    MSNBC ^ | 5/23/08 | Associated Press
    Two Marine officers in a unit that was accused of killing as many as 19 Afghan civilians in 2007 will not face criminal charges, the military said Friday. Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, made the decision not to bring charges after reviewing the findings of a special tribunal that heard more than three weeks of testimony in January at Camp Lejuene. The tribunal investigated allegations that as many as 19 Afghan civilians died when a unit of Lejeune-based Marine special operations troops opened fire after a car bomb targeted their convoy on...
  • Bittersweet Memorial Day: Family of Haditha Defendant Speaks Out for First Time

    05/20/2008 4:22:37 AM PDT · by RedRover · 28 replies · 113+ views
    Defend Our Marines ^ | May 19, 2008 | Nathaniel R. Helms
    Three days after Memorial Day, the Marine Corps will court-martial the officer personally responsible for capturing the Al Qaeda terrorist who organized the ambush that triggered the so-called “Haditha Massacre”. On Wednesday, May 28, 1st Lieutenant Andrew Grayson will stand general court-martial for obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about the events at Haditha and attempting to obtain a fraudulent discharge from the Marine Corps. Last September the government dismissed two counts of dereliction of duty against Grayson. Two weeks ago military judge Maj. Brian Kasperczyk set the stage for Grayson’s court-martial during a final motion hearing at Camp...
  • Court-Martial of Highest Ranking Officer Charged with Crimes at Haditha May be Delayed Again

    05/02/2008 12:18:36 PM PDT · by RedRover · 17 replies · 83+ views
    Defend Our Marines ^ | May 1, 2008 | Nathaniel R. Helms
    The court-martial of the highest ranking Marine Corps officer accused of crimes in the infamous incident at Haditha, Iraq will face further delays if the Military Court of Appeals grants motions filed there by his defense team today. The Thomas More Law Center that represents Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani announced today that it has filed a “Petition for Extraordinary Relief” with the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington, D.C on his behalf. The petition asks the military appellate court to reverse the judge’s order denying the defense counsel’s request for evidence it deems essential to his...
  • Jury acquits soldier in Iraqi shooting death

    05/01/2008 6:24:37 PM PDT · by tobyhill · 50 replies · 72+ views
    msnbc ^ | 5/1/2008 | AP
    FORT HOOD, Texas - A military jury Thursday acquitted an Army sergeant of premeditated murder in the death of an unarmed Iraqi insurgent who was killed in a village overrun by al-Qaida operatives. The family of Sgt. Leonardo Trevino gasped, clapped and sobbed after the verdict in his court-martial was read. The 31-year-old from San Antonio also was cleared on charges of attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder and three counts of obstruction of justice. Trevino said he felt betrayed by the soldiers who testified against him but that he held no ill will toward the Army.
  • Jury Acquits Soldier of Murder Charge

    04/28/2008 6:07:30 AM PDT · by MNJohnnie · 10 replies · 106+ views
    Military.com ^ | 04-28-2008 | Military.com
    A court-martial panel on Friday found a Hawaii-based soldier not guilty in the killing of an unarmed Iraqi during a raid on a suspected insurgent hideout last year. Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales' friends and family erupted in cheers when the head of the military panel, or jury, read the verdict. The jury of nine soldiers acquitted Corrales of all three charges, including premeditated murder, after more than seven hours of deliberation. Corrales would have faced a minimum sentence of life in prison if he had been convicted. Corrales said it feels like a 200-pound weight had been lifted from...
  • Military Judge Narrows Issues in Chessani Court-Martial; Trial Moved to June 17th

    04/28/2008 2:08:19 PM PDT · by radar101 · 10 replies · 107+ views
    Thomas More Law Center ^ | April 28, 2008 | Thomas More Law Center
    ANN ARBOR, MI – Amid the flurry of arguments in the hearing on several motions earlier in the month, comments by military judge, Colonel Stephen Folsom, USMC, has shed some light on how he will conduct the trial of Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani. According to the judge, it makes no difference whether the Marines in LtCol Chessani’s battalion did or did not kill civilians in cold blood – the issue for the jury will be whether LtCol Chessani should have reasonably suspected his Marines killed civilians in cold blood. “The judge’s theory introduces coherence to the trial. It will...
  • Jury acquits soldier charged with Iraqi murder [Congratulations, Sgt Corrales!]

    04/26/2008 4:38:16 AM PDT · by RedRover · 68 replies · 163+ views
    Associated Press ^ | April 26, 2008 | AUDREY McAVOY
    WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii (AP) — A court-martial panel on Friday found a Hawaii-based soldier not guilty in the killing of an unarmed Iraqi during a raid on a suspected insurgent hideout last year. Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales' friends and family erupted in cheers when the head of the military panel, or jury, read the verdict. The jury of nine soldiers acquitted Corrales of all three charges, including premeditated murder, after more than seven hours of deliberation. Corrales would have faced a minimum sentence of life in prison if he had been convicted. Corrales said it feels like a...
  • Case dropped against Haditha defendant

    03/28/2008 1:20:39 PM PDT · by Past Your Eyes · 2 replies · 385+ views
    Houston Chronicle ^ | March 28, 2008 | ALLISON HOFFMAN, AP
    CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Marine Corps dropped its case and gave full immunity Friday to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad's killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005. The case against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 26, of Edmond, Okla., was dropped as jury selection was about to begin for his court-martial. The government has been seeking Tatum's testimony against the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn. In addition to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Tatum had been charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated assault. Tatum's attorney, Jack Zimmerman, said there...
  • Marine charged with murder in Fallujah death [Sgt Ryan Weemer]

    03/18/2008 5:31:35 PM PDT · by RedRover · 46 replies · 1,341+ views
    Associated Press via the North County Times ^ | March 18, 2008 | Chelsea J. Carter
    SAN DIEGO -- A Camp Pendleton Marine has been charged with murder and dereliction of duty for his alleged role three years ago in the killing of a detainee in Fallujah, Iraq. Sgt. Ryan Weemer on Tuesday became the third person charged in the case that centers on allegations that a Marine squad shot a group of unarmed captives during heavy fighting in November 2004. The case came to light when the 25-year-old Weemer applied for a job with the Secret Service. Investigators claim Weemer described the killing during a polygraph test that included a question about whether he had...
  • Courtney Lockhart’s Military Career (Lauren Burk's Killer)

    03/10/2008 10:53:44 PM PDT · by Anti-Bubba182 · 10 replies · 1,805+ views
    WRBL.com ^ | 3-10-08 | David Spunt
    We're on your side with information about Courtney Lockhart's military career. News Three has confirmed that Courtney Lockhart spent time as a soldier in Iraq. This afternoon News Three spoke with a U.S. Army spokesperson from the Pentagon, and we have a timeline for you of Courtney Lockhart's military career. Courtney Lockhart graduated from Smith's Station High School in the spring of 2003. A few months later, Lockhart began his basic training with the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Carson Colorado. He was deployed to Iraq and served there from August 2004 until July 2005. While in Iraq, Lockhart received...
  • TMLC: Marine Lt. Colonel Chessani Thrown Under the Bus for Pol. Reasons; Fair Trial an Illusion

    03/05/2008 1:47:35 PM PST · by Gene Eric · 3 replies · 197+ views
    Thomas More Law Center ^ | March 05, 2008 | (no annotation)
    ANN ARBOR, MI – “Military Judge Colonel Stephen Folsom’s, USMC, ruling yesterday refusing our request to take the deposition of Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, is the latest indication that it will be impossible for Marine Lt. Colonel Chessani to get a fair trial regarding November 19, 2005, Haditha incident,” said Richard Thompson, Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, the Ann Arbor, Michigan based public interest law firm defending Lt. Col. Chessani. “This entire prosecution is politically motivated and stinks to high heaven. Denying us the right to take Murtha’s deposition so that we could show undue command...
  • Court-martial of Marine postponed over CBS subpoena

    03/01/2008 2:07:01 PM PST · by radar101 · 29 replies · 105+ views
    North County Times ^ | 1 MARCH 2008 | CHELSEA J. CARTER
    SAN DIEGO -- A military prosecutor is appealing a judge's decision to throw out a subpoena for unaired footage of a "60 Minutes" interview given by a Marine squad leader charged in the killings of 24 Iraqis. The appeal prompted the indefinite postponement of Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich's court-martial, which was scheduled to begin March 10, Wuterich's attorney, Mark Zaid, told The Associated Press on Friday. Marine prosecutor Capt. Nicholas Gannon has said in court documents the unaired CBS footage is vital to the case because it contains admissions by Wuterich of crimes in the attack in Haditha, Iraq,...
  • First Haditha trial set to unfold [SSgt Wuterich court martial commences March 3]

    02/23/2008 3:33:20 AM PST · by RedRover · 33 replies · 258+ views
    North County Times ^ | February 23, 2008 | Mark Walker
    CAMP PENDLETON -- A jury that includes several combat veterans will gather in a courtroom here one week from Monday to hear the first case against four Marines being prosecuted in the slaying of two dozen Iraqi civilians more than two years ago. The court-martial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich will offer dramatically competing versions of what happened in the city of Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, and the outcome could set the tone for subsequent courts-martial of the three other Marines. The prosecutions are themselves controversial, drawing scorn from active-duty Marines and retired veterans, as well as global attention....
  • Haditha defendant ordered to testify against another

    02/14/2008 3:35:03 AM PST · by RedRover · 53 replies · 50+ views
    North County Times ^ | February 13, 2008 | Mark Walker
    CAMP PENDLETON -- The Marine Corps has ordered one of two men charged with manslaughter in the 2005 deaths of 24 civilians in the Iraqi city of Haditha to testify for the prosecution at the court-martial for a co-defendant. Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum has been ordered to appear at the trial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, which is scheduled to start in less than three weeks, and tell the jury his version of the events of Nov. 19, 2005. Tatum's attorney Jack Zimmerman said he was caught by surprise when served with the order. "We were sent a copy of...
  • Retired Green Beret Gets Court Martial After Shooting Intruder

    02/01/2008 5:24:10 PM PST · by cateizgr8 · 16 replies · 43+ views
    The PC Free Zone is reporting that an 80-year-old retired Green Beret has been tried by his peers after shooting an intruder in his Knoxville, Tennessee home. He is the oldest member of Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association. BREVARD, Jan. 19, 2008 Retired Army Green Beret Smokey Taylor got his court martial this weekend and came away feeling good about it. Taylor, at age 80 the oldest member of Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association, was on trial by his peers under the charge of failing to use a weapon of sufficient caliber in the shooting of...