SEALS Unfairly Caught Up in Legal Tsunami

From Susan Katz Keating:

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Calling All Pitchforkers! Show Support for SEALS Unfairly Caught Up in Legal Tsunami

This latest outrage has been making the rounds among milsupporters, and I happily join in to spread the word. Three of our nation's finest SEAL operatives have been caught up in a legal tsunami that threatens to punish them after they completed a dangerous mission on our behalf.

Background: Three Navy SEALs took part in the capture of Ahmed Hashim Abed, one of the most wanted enemy agents in Iraq. Abed is believed to have orchestrated the brutal murder and desecration of four Blackwater USA operatives, two of whose bodies were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River. After he was captured, Abed - who clearly knows his ICC regs well - complained that the SEALs roughed him up a bit.

Predictably, the US Government pressed criminal charges - against the SEALs.

The charged men are as follows.

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 will be arraigned on December 7 at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, VA....

Susan has more here.

You don't need me to tell you what to do here. This IS a travesty, and we must make our voices heard.

Oh, one more thing!

In the 2008 Weblog Awards, I *know* you are all voting daily for Knee Deep in the Hooah! in the Milblog category.

I would like to draw your attention to another category, while you are over there:

Best Hidden Gem (Authority between 0 - 50)

I only just found that one a couple of days ago (that's how well hidden it is!) and I found a name that I have been reading - on and off - for some time.

Susan Katz Keating's profile says (in part):

...but I still major in the dynamics of national self-preservation. Who plans to harm us? Who works to protect us? How does our society enable or hamper the opposing efforts? My views are based on a clear mindset: I believe in protecting and preserving this nation, and in honoring and supporting those who have picked up the mantle of national defense. I also believe in maintaining a strong military, and in making proper use of military force.
With those views in mind, I'll use this space to present investigations, advocacy, peeks into the past, and gossip on a need-to-know basis. Tips are welcome. Comments, too, but keep 'em clean. The young'uns are reading....

You can find her blog here, and it is well worth the read! She is in the Best Hidden Gem category, so I am asking you to add your vote for her. You can find the 2008 Weblog category page here. Scroll waaaay down to the bottom, to find the Best Hidden Gem voting page.

Then, I suggest you visit back to Susan's site often, to read her well-informed, articulate writings.

Thank you!

ADDED from comments (Thanks, KYW):

Oh, prayers requested for her (Susan's) daughter who is undergoing emergency surgery today....if you would be so kind.