Navy S E A L S capture terrorist, then are promptly indicted.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Do you liberals out there REALLY believe that we are going to do anything to KSM and his band of merry men when travesties like this are happening?

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist
Tuesday , November 24, 2009

By Rowan Scarborough


ADVERTISEMENTNavy 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.

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.

The three SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs — two officers and an enlisted sailor — have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.

FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.

The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.

"I gave the detainee a glance over and then left," the SEAL wrote. "I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health."

Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, spokeswoman for the special operations component of U.S. Central Command, confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com that three SEALs have been charged in connection with the capture of a detainee. She said their court martial is scheduled for January.

United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.

The source said intelligence briefings provided to the SEALs stated that "Objective Amber" planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush, and "they had been tracking this guy for some time."

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.

The four Blackwater agents were transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph.

Intelligence sources identified Abed as the ringleader, but he had evaded capture until September.

The military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse highlighted in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The Navy charged four SEALs with abuse in 2004 in connection with detainee treatment.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Sorry. Did it again. Meant to put this in the Off-Duty section.

[neversaydie69]

Do you liberals out there REALLY believe that we are going to do anything to KSM and his band of merry men when travesties like this are happening?

they will ask for trial by jury and be found innocent by a bunch of bleeding heart liberals because they will say they were waterboarded and forced to confess.

[MarcusKspn]

Do you liberals out there REALLY believe that we are going to do anything to KSM and his band of merry men when travesties like this are happening?

IF the SEALS broke their own rules, then it is their own fault. It doesn't matter if they captured a stable boy, or OBL himself. They know the rules they are supposed to abide by. They would not face court-martial if they wouldn't have broken the rules.

George, in addition to all your other areas of expertise are you also now an expert on military law? Or are you just ****ed because FoxNews is telling you that you should be ****ed?

The way I see it they will follow through with the court-martial and be found not guilty there.

[jlcooke3]

The fact the charges are coming from an Islamic terrorist after he was handed over Iraqi's ought to be the first clue something about this whole mess is fishy. Maybe in the future these terrorist who are wanted by the U.S. will be unavoidably killed in action. Would save us alot of trouble in the future.

[ridebmxnc]

The fact the charges are coming from an Islamic terrorist after he was handed over Iraqi's ought to be the first clue something about this whole mess is fishy. Maybe in the future these terrorist who are wanted by the U.S. will be unavoidably killed in action. Would save us alot of trouble in the future.

this... kill anyone associated with these *******s.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

George, in addition to all your other areas of expertise are you also now an expert on military law? Or are you just ****ed because FoxNews is telling you that you should be ****ed?

You are a fool.

[MarcusKspn]

The fact the charges are coming from an Islamic terrorist after he was handed over Iraqi's ought to be the first clue something about this whole mess is fishy.

Very true, but that is the good thing about the court marshal. They cannot claim that the situation was swept under the rug. It was investigated, the claim reported, and the subjects put to trial. If the accusation is false, they will be found not guilty.

[MarcusKspn]

You are a fool.

And you are an arrogant know it all. I would rather be a fool than to pretend I know all the answers such as yourself.

[ScareCrow57]

And you are an arrogant know it all. I would rather be a fool than to pretend I know all the answers such as yourself.

Once again I agree with you.

However, I have a real problem with putting soldiers in a war zone and then putting them on trial for stuff like this. It is a waste of resources and demoralizing to the troops. The SOB that was trying to kill you cries and they knee jerk. Happened all the time in Viet Nam. Some of those things are unfortunate but in war there will be collateral damage. Ask the folks in the former Yugoslav republic. If yo are going to put these brave soles on trial then we should also put Bill Clinton and George Bush on trial as well.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

And you are an arrogant know it all. I would rather be a fool than to pretend I know all the answers such as yourself.

Where did I say that I knew anything about military law? I said that punishing these heroes, I don't care in what venue, is BS. And that the prevailing attitude in our government will NEVER allow those animals to be put to death, even if they are found guilty. This administration is trying so hard to be liked, I fully expect the fix is in to let those freaks walk right out of the courthouse.

So, unless you have something truthful to say, STFU!

[gunnyv]

The way it was handled in the Old Corps-

Summary Court is heard by the CG, who determines said terrorist deserved a bloody lip. Each Marine would be found guilty, fined $1, and the record of said conviction expunged after one month of good behavior.

[THEENGINEGOES]

Where did I say that I knew anything about military law? I said that punishing these heroes, I don't care in what venue, is BS. And that the prevailing attitude in our government will NEVER allow those animals to be put to death, even if they are found guilty. This administration is trying so hard to be liked, I fully expect the fix is in to let those freaks walk right out of the courthouse.

So, unless you have something truthful to say, STFU!

Umm, no you didn't. You never said any of that. Sorry.

[FireMedic049]

The way it was handled in the Old Corps-

Summary Court is heard by the CG, who determines said terrorist deserved a bloody lip. Each Marine would be found guilty, fined $1, and the record of said conviction expunged after one month of good behavior.

Ooh Rah!!!!

[jlcooke3]

Very true, but that is the good thing about the court marshal. They cannot claim that the situation was swept under the rug. It was investigated, the claim reported, and the subjects put to trial. If the accusation is false, they will be found not guilty.

Nothing good will come of this court martial. Suppose that they are innocent, do you think the troops on the ground will breathe a sigh of relief and continue on business as usual? Do you suppose that the rest of the terrorist in the world will suddenly see that we are fair and just society? The answer to both of those is NO!!! Troops will find a way to ensure that they are not put in that position again and islamic fanatics don't give two ****s about fair and just. So in the end who do you think this farce of a court martial serves? The people of the United States? The Seals? The rest of the world? Just who does it serve?

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Umm, no you didn't. You never said any of that. Sorry.

Oh. For the intellectually challenged, I guess I should have said "implied" instead of "said".

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Nothing good will come of this court martial. Suppose that they are innocent, do you think the troops on the ground will breathe a sigh of relief and continue on business as usual? Do you suppose that the rest of the terrorist in the world will suddenly see that we are fair and just society? The answer to both of those is NO!!! Troops will find a way to ensure that they are not put in that position again and islamic fanatics don't give two ****s about fair and just. So in the end who do you think this farce of a court martial serves? The people of the United States? The Seals? The rest of the world? Just who does it serve?

I know!!!!! This policy dictated by our terrorist-friendly president will serve the terrorists!!!!! What do I win?

Remember when Pres. Bush simplified this whole matter? "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists". Pres. Obama would have a hard time picking sides.

[jonnyirons2]

My friend from HS is a SEAL, I hope he never has to deal with this crap.

[The nots so new FNG]

This is really F'd up. Its a GOD DAMN war zone for christs sake. I lean VERY heavily on the side of our guys are innocent until very clearly shown otherwise. Can some less than admirable stuff happen - sure. That is a price those who fight us must pay. (there might be a lesson there - DON'T FIGHT US!!!!). In a lot of respects, it goes back to Bush - you are either with us or against us.

War is not pretty and its not surgical and non-combants will get hurt. Stop pretending it can be clean. War is fundementally evil. If we as a society commit to war, then we need to commit to war and all it entails. Anything less will just our soldiers killed for no good reason.

Oh and for the record - did any of those 4 blackwater security guys get to file a formal complaint for how they were treated in the ambush - didn't think so......

[BryanLoader]

There must be something more to this. Did some reporter get photos or something. The guy is on the run for five years, gets taken by an elite military unit, is turned over to the Iraqi military and at some point gets a fat lip? Hell, that doesn't even rate detention even on a school ground. Now they are going to court martial 3 SEALs? Something is fishy for damn sure.