REMEMBER GARY SHAFTO!!
The JAG Hunter...Dauntless and unafraid!
"The way to have good soldiers is to treat them rightly...A private soldier has as much right to justice as a major general."
President Abraham Lincoln"I can think of no more fitting expression of this country's appreciation for the sacrifices of our young servicemen than to grant them the same rights they are defending."
Senator Sam J. ErvinMonday, May 31, 2004
A Memorial Day reminder for all of us...
Guilt and innocence in uniform
From Custer to Calley, courts-martial have defined military justice
By Alex Johnson - Reporter
MSNBC News
"The trials of the U.S. military police accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners will remind many surprised Americans that the men and women who safeguard them and their liberty do not enjoy all of the privileges they have sworn to die defending."
Two fellow soldiers charged
Third murder allegedly involving 1-15 members since tour in Iraq
By Kelli Esters
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - Columbus, GA
"In November, four soldiers were charged in connection with the killing of Richard Thomas Davis..."
2 Fort Benning Soldiers face Murder Charges after Nightclub Shooting
WTVM TV - Columbus, GA
"The victim and suspects are part of the 3rd Infantry Division."
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Mark your calendars...August 2004
Finally, trials for Australians held in Guantanamo Bay
By Cynthia Banham
Sydney Morning Herald - Australia
"...David Hicks is to be charged within days, and will face a military trial in August."
Iraq War Woes Deepen Internal Pentagon Tensions
By Will Dunham
Reuters - Wired News
"The Shinseki thing is really ironic because not only was he badly treated, he was right..."
Up in the cellblocks
A Pentagon memo defines just who gets to see some inmates at Abu Ghraib--and when
By Edward T. Pound
U.S. News & World Report
"The new policy was drafted after the Red Cross, in visits to Abu Ghraib last October and November, uncovered abusive treatment."
In Iraq -- Iraqi detainee's death hangs over Marine unit
By Alex Roth and Jeff McDonald
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writers
"A military medical examiner ruled the prisoner died from a crushed throat, a finding that will be hotly disputed this summer at Camp Pendleton, where Pittman and another Marine will be court-martialed."
Military lawyer has had parade of high-profile clients
By Pam Zubeck
The Gazette - Colorado Springs, CO
“It’s what all true criminal defense lawyers aspire to; that is, fighting lying law enforcement agents, prosecutors who hide exculpatory evidence and judges who protect them."
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Scant Evidence Cited in Long Detention of Iraqis
By DOUGLAS JEHL and KATE ZERNIKE
The New York Times
"The number that were released because they were innocent? That number, too, is zero..."
AP: Intelligence Agents Accused in Abuse
By Matt Kelley
The Associated Press - My Way News
"Cpl. Robert Bruttomesso of the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion told Army investigators he reported that abuse to his chain of command."
Marine Arrested For Investigation Of Ex-Wife's Murder
Ex-Wife's Body Found In Shallow Grave
The Associated Press - SanDiego Channel.com (CA)
JAG Hunter bullet: Courts-martial are very quiet, "Private" affairs.
Two Marines convicted of prisoner abuse
Another pair face courts-martial in electric-shock incident
By Gidget Fuentes
Marine Corps Times staff writer
"The Marines attached wires to a power converter and pressed the wires against the Iraqi man as he returned to his cell from a trip to the bathroom..."
Inside the Ring
By Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough
The Washington Times
"I think one of the challenges though ... will be to investigate the extent to which Secretary Rumsfeld, Mr. Steve Cambone and this Major General [Geoffrey] Miller, to what extent that they apply nonlegal measures under an international law from Afghanistan to Guantanamo to Iraq."
Cuba Base Sent Its Interrogators to Iraqi Prison
By DOUGLAS JEHL and ANDREA ELLIOTT
The New York Times
"At least six members of the 377th Company who were reached by telephone declined comment on the investigation, saying they had been directed by their commanders not to talk to the news media about it."
Friday, May 28, 2004
Howard to seek speedy US trial for Hicks and Habib
By Louise Dodson - Chief Political Correspondent
Sydney Morning Herald - Australia
"[The Australians] may end up being the only foreigners tried by a US military commission because others have either been repatriated or are the subject of negotiations to send them home."
GAO: Fed Data Mining Extensive
By Kim Zetter
Wired News
"Of the agencies involved, the Defense Department had the largest number of projects, not all of which were aimed at finding terrorists or criminals."
Interrogators hid identities
By Toni Locy
USA Today
"...when he asked some of the mysterious agents and interrogators for their names, they would say, " 'I'm Special Agent John Doe,' or 'I'm Special Agent in Charge James Bond.' "
JAG Hunter bullet: Predatory JAGs are free to advance bogus criminal complaints against innocent men. Time's arrived to start stripping these clowns of their law licenses.
Marine acquitted of sex offenses
By Eric Steinkopff
Jacksonville Daily News Staff
"Hoffman, a Marine for more than 20 years, was wearing two Navy Commendation medals and three Navy Achievement medals among other awards. He had a spotless military record, worked for his local church and was active in children's sports and scouting..."
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Military's officer corps: too political?
Some detect overt support for President Bush. Others just see more polarization.
By Brad Knickerbocker
Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Other observers see a trend toward "careerism" among the officer corps - working for advancement based as much on success in Washington as on competence in the field.
Recent Events Spotlight JAG Corps
By Chuck McCutcheon
Newhouse News Service
"Guter and other military lawyers say JAGs are aggressively upholding legal principles, even if it means bucking a culture of saluting and obeying orders."
JAG Hunter bullet: 'Scuse me - Don Guter, former Navy TJAG, is one of the hunted JAGs. Guter is part of the problem, himself the subject of criminal charges and disbarment complaint. Factoid: Guter was the JAG representing (then) Chief of Naval Operations Frank Kelso when Kelso testified under oath before Judge Vest about being at the infamous "tailhook" bacchanal. Vest ruled that Kelso was lying (under oath), and swiftly dismantled the only court-martial coming from that Las Vegas nightmare. Said differently, Guter provided cover for the Navy's top commander, suborned perjury, got promoted, and for his successful defense of CNO Kelso, was selected as the Navy's top JAG. Don Guter is an admiral who should be doin' time in prison. No kiddin' folks...one doesn't make this stuff up.
Unintended consequences...
Opposition Growing to U.S. Exemption on Global Court
By Evelyn Leopold
Reuters - Wired News
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - "The United States may not have enough U.N. votes to exempt American soldiers from prosecution by a new global criminal court..."
Navy warden looks at prison scandal
By John F. Farritor
John F. Farritor of Oceanside retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a first sergeant.
For the North County Times - San Diego, CA
However, I have found through the years that the main intent of the [UCMJ] code was, "Give em' a fair trial and then hang 'em."
Soldier left brain damaged after playing unruly prisoner at Guantánamo
Richard Luscombe in Miami, FL
The Scotsman - Scotland
"Ron England, a former sergeant with Mr Baker’s company, said the soldiers involved "wanted to do it right" but had probably gone too far."
Former Guantanamo commander pressured on prisoner rules
Associated Press - KESQ News Channel 3 - Palm Desert, CA
"Brigadier General Rick Baccus (BAH'-kuhs) says interrogators repeatedly asked why suspected al-Qaida and Taliban detainees had books to read along with two showers and two exercise periods weekly."
WHAT? There's some splainin' to do here...
Third arrest made in gun shop robbery
By LISA BACKUS - Staff Writer
New Britain Herald - CT
"On May 20, police arrested naval seaman Keyjuan Oates...[but] Oates is no longer in the Navy as a result of the investigation..."
Remember U.S. Army Corporal Gary Shafto who "was found unresponsive in his cell while in custody at Fort Leavenworth, 14 March 2002...
Criminal charges expected in two detainee cases
From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
"Decedent was found unresponsive in his cell while in custody," according to the official.
Editorial
Witch hunt? Government must explain itself in Yee case
Ft. Wayne.com - Dallas Morning News
"Gag orders. Phantom charges. Something stinks."
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
U.S. General Linked to Use of Dogs at Prison -Post
Reuters - Wired News
"Col. Thomas Pappas testified that the idea came from Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, then commander of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and was implemented under a policy approved by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq..."
Experts: Sanchez exit from top military job isn’t a coincidence
USA Today (reprinted in the Desert Sun - Palm Springs, CA)
Sanchez signed a memo Oct. 12, 2003, that called for military intelligence officers to work closely with military police at the prison to "manipulate an internee’s emotions and weaknesses."
Posing as Captive, G.I. Beaten
The Associated Press - New York Times
"Mr. Baker, of Georgetown, Ky., had said he was beaten so badly by four American soldiers that he suffered a brain injury."
General in jail abuse scandal replaced
Rory McCarthy and Luke Harding in Baghdad
The Guardian Unlimited
"Gen Sanchez has been pressed to explain exactly how much he knew of the abusive treatment meted out by to Iraqi prisoners over the past year."
Sanchez will be replaced as commander in Iraq
The Washington Times
"Also yesterday, the Army suspended Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski as commander of the military police brigade implicated in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib."
Abuse of Captives More Widespread, Says Army Survey
By DOUGLAS JEHL, STEVEN LEE MYERS and ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
"...details paint a broad picture of misconduct, and show that in many cases among the 37 prisoners who have died in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army did not conduct autopsies and says it cannot determine the causes of the deaths."
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Former Soldier Claims Beating At Guantanamo Bay
The Associated Press - WAVE 3 TV - Louisville, KY
"There was a training accident..."
Iraq abuse insider disciplined
Correspondents in Berlin
Associated Press - The Daily Telegraph
"A US Army sergeant who gave an insider's view of Abu Ghraib prison to the media has lost his security clearance and been disciplined by the military for speaking out..."
US denies general's removal is linked to abuse
By Peter Spiegel in Washington
Financial Times
"Administration officials and military leaders, however, were eager to shoot down speculation that Gen Sanchez is being punished."
JAG Hunter bullet: And pigs can fly. Stay tuned for the retirement announcement...
Defense Officials: General Sanchez Reassignment Not Linked to Prison Scandal
By Alex Belida - Pentagon
Voice of America News
"Criminal blame for the scandal has fallen on a handful of enlisted personnel, with the repercussions for officers limited to several reprimands."
JAG Hunter here...scratchin' his head: Anyone asking why the NCIS is part of an EPA criminal investigation of a Pennsylvania company?
Environmental Protection Agency Enforcement Wrap
Pennsylvania Company Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Wastewater Pollution Case
By Cynthia Bergman of the Environmental Protection Agency
"The case was investigated by the Washington, Philadelphia and St. Louis Area Offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service..."(JAG Hunter emphasis)
Bush Gives Backing to Outgoing Iraq Commander
By Mark Sage
PA News, in New York (appearing in The Scotsman - Scotland)
"The shake-up comes at a time when Gen Sanchez has faced growing questions and criticism about his leadership during the scandal, and amid an increasing security crisis in the war torn country."
Judicial nomination in doubt amid abuse scandal
By Stephen J. Hedges
Chicago Tribune (appearing in the Monterey County Herald - CA)
"As the Pentagon's top lawyer, William Haynes has been at the center of some of the most controversial deliberations between Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's top aides..."
Change of venue in court-martial rejected
By Foster Klug
Associated Press Writer - Anchorage Daily News (AK)
"There is nothing public about a trial that is steeped in security and surrounded by fear of bodily harm," Myers wrote. "It is instead a mockery of justice."
Sanchez to Be Replaced As Iraq Commander
By Terrence Hunt
The Associated Press - My Way News
Regarding suggestions that Sanchez's departure is linked to the abuse scandal, Di Rita said, "That's just wrong."
Iraqi prisoner 'was beaten, kicked and left to die by Marines'
By Philip Sherwell and Colin Freeman in Baghdad
Telegraph.co.uk - London, England, UK
"One of the marines, Major Clarke Paulus, has been charged with dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, and assault, and faces up to five years in prison in connection with Hatab's death."
Pentagon says Jenkins charged with serious offense
Japan Today
"The United States has told the government of Japan that Sgt Jenkins remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and has been charged with extremely serious offenses..."
Defense asks for dismissal of charges against Travis airman
By Kim Curtis
The Associated Press - mlive.com (MI)
"Citing "repugnant and illegal government and prosecutorial misconduct," lawyers for Senior Airman Ahmad Al Halabi filed their formal request with a military judge."
Shots fired near officers lands 6 Marines in jail
The Desert Sun - Palm Springs, CA
"Authorities arrested six Marines suspected of shooting close to a residential area, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported."
Army Suspends General In Charge of Abu Ghraib
By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
"...Karpinski's lawyers drafted a rebuttal to the investigation that sharply denied wrongdoing on her part and characterized Karpinski as a "hero" to her brigade."
Monday, May 24, 2004
JAG Hunter bullet: Tacit approval by senior JAGs. They knew...
Feith is once again in the middle of a scandal
Neocon a key player in prisoner uproar
By Jim Lobe
Special to The Daily Star - Beirut, Lebanon
"...a delegation of senior JAG officers contacted Scott Horton, a former high-ranking military attorney and chairman of the Committee on International Human Rights of the New York City Bar Association, to see if he would intervene.
WASHINGTON: Court martial for senior US officials
New Straits Times - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“I think we’re going to find a sophisticated plan that was in Cuba on how to interrogate al-Qaeda people was translated to an unsophisticated group in Iraq that was poorly-trained and understaffed, and that the result was a cocktail for disaster.”
Soldier says he was beaten in training
Associated Press - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"...the soldiers beat and choked him, stopping when they saw he was wearing parts of an Army uniform."
Pentagon Is Replacing Sanchez as the U.S. Commander in Iraq
By Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker
New York Times
White House Rebuffs Criticism from Ex-Centcom Chief
Reuters
"The White House dismissed the criticism, saying President Bush does not look for advice from Zinni, who served as commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000."
Replacement sought for top US commander in Iraq
ABC News online
"The Pentagon is seeking a replacement for General Ricardo Sanchez, the top US commander in Iraq..."
Army: Unit Probed Afgan and Iraq Deaths
By Estes Thompson
Associated Press Writer - Yahoo! News
"The military has said it is investigating the December 2002 deaths of two Bagram inmates, both of which were ruled homicides after autopsies."
TR sailor charged with first-degree murder
By William H. McMichael
Navy Times staff writer
"Virginia Beach Police charged Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 2nd Class Jarred Swartzmiller, 21, of Galloway, Ohio, on Friday afternoon..."
Jenkins rejects Koizumi's urging to meet wife in Japan
The Asahi Shimbun - Japan
"According to the Pentagon, Jenkins is in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: instigating desertion, deserting service, helping the enemy, and promoting abandonment of loyalty. A Pentagon spokesman said that Jenkins' claim to being a North Korean national does not preclude prosecution."
Jenkins wants U.S. to guarantee he won't be court-martialed
Japan Today
TOKYO — "Charles Jenkins, the American husband of one of five repatriated Japanese abductees, will consider visiting Japan from North Korea if the United States guarantees it will not court-martial him as a deserted soldier..."
Scrutiny of prisoner handling may spread to Guantanamo compound
By Robert Burns
AP Military Writer - San Francisco Chronicle, CA
"I can't get into the specifics of what the tapes have, other than I can assure you there are no beatings on the tapes," Mulac said."
Clinton, Graham Predict Courts-Martial for Officers in Iraq
By Laurence Arnold in Washington
Bloomberg
"We will not let the low people suffer and the people up the chain of command get away with it," Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said on "Fox News Sunday."
Abu Ghraib is just the most notorious of a network of detention centers
The U.S. archipelago
By Dana Priest and Joe Stephens
The Washington Post (reprinted Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA)
"They are part of an elaborate CIA and military infrastructure whose purpose is to hold suspected terrorists or insurgents for interrogation and safe-keeping while avoiding U.S. or international court systems..."
Sunday, May 23, 2004
Gen. Zinni: 'They've Screwed Up'
60 Minutes - CBSNews.com
"In the lead-up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw, at minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility; at worst, lying, incompetence and corruption..."
Posted at The DRUDGE REPORT
"MAG: 2,000 PAGES 'MISSING' FROM PRISONER ABUSE REPORT PENTAGON SENT TO SENATE..."
Report Links U.S. General to Iraq Prison Abuse Case
Reuters
"...Capt. Robert Shuck, was told that Sanchez, the highest-ranking U.S. military officer in Iraq, and other senior officials were aware of what was taking place at Abu Ghraib."
U-S general denies allegations he witnesses some prisoner abuse
Associated Press - WTVO TV (IL)
"The military says the report is false -- and that Sanchez is standing by his testimony before congressional committees that he was unaware of abuse until he ordered an investigation into the allegations in January."
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Be My Little General...
Brigadier General (* one-star)
(Rear-Admiral lower half - sea services)
Major General (** two-star)
(Rear-Admiral upper half)
Lieutenant General (*** three-star)
(Vice-Admiral)
General (**** four-star)
(Admiral)
Prison Visits by General Reported in Hearing
Alleged Presence of Sanchez Cited by Lawyer
By Scott Higham, Joe Stephens and Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writers
"...Lt. Gen. Sanchez was even present at the prison during some of these interrogations and/or allegations of the prisoner abuse by those duty [non-commissioned officers]."
Lawyer says he was told top U.S. general in Iraq knew of prison abuse
Associated Press - USA Today
"Are you saying that Captain Reese is going to testify that General Sanchez was there and saw this going on?"
Post exclusive...
Lawyer: Top U.S. Officer Knew of Prison Abuse
By Scott Higham, Joe Stephens and Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writers
"The lawyer said he was told that Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez and other senior military officers were aware of what was taking place on Tier 1A of Abu Ghraib."
Pentagon says Jenkins charged with serious offense
Japan Today
WASHINGTON — "The American husband of a repatriated Japanese abductee in North Korea remains subject to U.S. military justice over "extremely serious offenses," a Pentagon official said Saturday regardless of Tokyo's efforts to have him go to Japan to be reunited with his wife."
Officer to be jailed for inappropriate relationship
By Franklin Fisher - Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
"The military jury’s sentence came after Lt. Col. Anthony R. Williams pleaded guilty last week to carrying on an unprofessional relationship with a female staff sergeant and using a government computer and e-mail system to send personal e-mails to her and another enlisted woman — a dental technician who was an airman first class at the time."
JAG Hunter here: Doin' the math...2,800 desertions in 2003 - 1,076 so far in 2004.
Desertion rate down in 2004, Army reports
By David Casstevens
Fort Worth Star Telegram Staff Writer (TX)
"[others] could have applied for conscientious objector or noncombatant status."
Guantanamo tactics too harsh, military told
Interrogations changed after army lawyers warned that techniques not permitted
By Robert Burns
Associated Press - The Globe and Mail (Canada)
"As their protests became more apparent in late 2002, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ended the use of such tactics pending the outcome of a comprehensive review that stretched from mid-January, 2003, to mid-April, a senior civilian Pentagon lawyer said."
Fremont man resigns to avoid court-martial
Resignation for Fremont guardsman
The Argus - Fremont,CA (staff and wire reports)
"Leo Merck, 32, who had commanded the Pittsburg-based 870th Military Police Company since early 2002, finalized a deal Wednesday with the Army, said an Army spokesman at Fort Lewis, Wash., where the 870th company was discharged after leaving Iraq last month."
JAG Hunter bullet: Case #38 would be an inquiry into the custodial death of Cpl. Gary Shafto!
37 detainees' deaths probed
By John Hendren
Los Angeles Times (reprinted Indianapolis Star, IN)
"Some cases involved more than one death. The deaths totaled 37. Thirty-two of them occurred in Iraq and five in Afghanistan."
Inside the Ring
By Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
This is not the first time Mr. Hersh and Mr. Rumsfeld have clashed. Mr. Rumsfeld has called some of Mr. Hersh's reporting "fiction."
Sign of the times...abused Iraqis enjoy more rights in seeking compensation for DoD abuses than U.S. soldiers and sailors who've suffered a great deal more over so many decades.
U.S. Preparing for Influx of Compensation Claims by Abused Iraqis
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS
New York Times
Most [claims paid thus far] involved accidents or cases of negligence, "like when a tank runs over a garden," he said. Military leaders in the field were frequently given cash and wide latitude to distribute it among Iraqis injured in military operations.
Friday, May 21, 2004
Guantanamo Jail Videos Could Aid Probe
By Ian James
Associated Press Writer in Newsday.com
"The videotapes are "going to be the best evidence on whether Guantanamo was another Abu Ghraib," said Michael Ratner, a lawyer who represents some detainees..."
Jury Deliberates Two Hours
Miami Soldier Who Deserted Iraqi Unit Guilty In Court-Martial
NBC6.net News Team - Miami, FL
"Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, of Miami Beach, was found guilty by a jury of four officers and four enlisted soldiers at the Fort Stewart Army base in Georgia."
JAG Hunter bullet: Top JAGs knew. And remained silent
Experts say treatment of terror suspects laid groundwork for abuses
BY Frank Davies - Knight Ridder Newspapers
Macon Telegraph (GA)
"JAG lawyers complained vociferously last year when the Iraq war started that they were "cut out" of supervising interrogations, according to one former officer who spoke on condition of anonymity."
Four arrested in raid on meth lab
San Diego Union Tribune
"It was unknown how the suspects were connected to the Navy. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was looking into the case."
The Other U.S. Military
The private contractor biz is hot, vast, and largely unregulated. Is it out of control?
By Spencer E. Ante in New York, with Stan Crock in Washington
Business Weed
"Why the hell were contractors there in the first place?" asks John D. Hutson, a former Rear Admiral and Navy judge advocate general who is now dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center.
8 cadets being investigated for possible steroid use
By Todd Jacobson - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)
"...no cadets have been charged with any crime, and there are no impending court-martials."
ICRC Concerned for Detainees in Secret U.S. Jails
Reuters
"U.S. authorities are responsible for ensuring that detainees at Bagram and Guantanamo Bay are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to the ICRC."
Army captain resigns to avoid court-martial
Contra Costa Times, CA
"In a deal to avoid a court-martial, an Army captain from Fremont [CA] resigned this week after he was accused of snapping nude photos of female soldiers at Abu Ghraib..."
New Details of Prison Abuse Emerge
Abu Ghraib Detainees' Statements Describe Sexual Humiliation And Savage Beatings
By Scott Higham and Joe Stephens
Washington Post Staff Writers
"Military intelligence officers took over the cellblock last October and were using MPs to help "set the conditions" for interrogations, according to an investigative report complied by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba."
Former Guantanamo commander claims pressure to make prisoners uncomfortable
Associated Press - WLNE-TV (ABC6) - Providence, RI
"...his boss there asked questions about Guantanamo that Baccus had been ordered not to discuss."
Sailor accused of leading crime spree
Associated Press - Newsday - Long Island, NY
"Navy Seaman Keyjuan Oates, 21, of East Hartford and Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, was arrested Thursday."
In prisoner abuse scandal, ‘following orders’ just might work
By David Kravets
Associated Press - Reno Gazette Journal - Reno, NV
"The superior orders defense will be extremely difficult to assert in the courts-martial because the accused must prove who gave them the orders."
Anti-war soldier
Witnesses testify in court martial
Associated Press
"Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, an infantry squad leader in the Florida National Guard, is being court-martialed for failing to return to Iraq after taking a two-week furlough last October."
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Pentagon Approved Intense Interrogation Techniques for Sept. 11 Suspect at Guantánamo
By David Johnston and Thom Shanker
New York Times
"...officials said that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had approved a range of more aggressive interrogation techniques in response to a desire in late 2002 to pry more information from a specific detainee at Guantánamo."
Attack Fears Sparked Guantanamo Crackdown -Official
By Charles Aldinger
Reuters
"...that's what first crystallized the first decision (by Rumsfeld in fall of 2002), which then was reconsidered" and changed in April of 2003, the lawyer said.
Ex-Guantanamo General Says He Was Pressed
By Randall Richard
AP National Writer in the Guardian (UK)
"...Brig. Gen. Rick Baccus said military intelligence wanted him to make the suspects' lives less comfortable to get them to cooperate with interrogators."
Army Sgt. Faces Court-Martial Over Iraqi Prison Abuse
Atlanta Daily World (GA)
"Afraid that his son may be scapegoated, Mr. Davis added, "Our government has a way of covering up their own actions, or protecting themselves."
Panel Seated in Mejia Court Martial
Associated Press
WXIA-TV - Atlanta, GA
"Attorneys for Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia of the Florida National Guard spent Wednesday arguing for a military judge to dismiss the desertion charge."
AP: Lawyer in Prison Abuse Scandal Fired
COLLEEN SLEVIN
Associated Press
"[Counselor] Ra'Shadd faces a September trial in Colorado that could result in his disbarment."
U.S. to Investigate Iraqi Inmate's Death
By Curt Anderson
My Way News
WASHINGTON (AP) - "The Justice Department is investigating the death of an Abu Ghraib prison detainee whose body, packed in ice, is documented in photos that also show two American soldiers posing nearby with thumbs up..."
JAG Hunter here:
Army Corporal Gary Shafto died in custody at Fort Leavenworth on 14 March 2002. Shafto was held under extraordinarily close supervision for reasons not yet explained. Locked up in a high security cell, every preemptive policy measure protecting a prisoner from taking his own life was triggered. More than that, security cameras were as ubiquitous as uniformed guards. Yet, Gary Shafto died in what army governors describe a suicide. Calls for an independent inquest into the custodial death of Cpl. Gary Shafto have been as ignored as reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross on reported abuses overseas.
What happened to Gary Shafto?
Sharon Shafto:
5/30/2002
"I [apologize] for not keeping this sight up to date...It's been a long time. It breaks my heart and soul to have to update with the following news:
On 3/14/2002 My Husband, Corporal Gary L. Shafto, was found dead in his cell in Ft Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks. I do not have the energy or heart to go into details...it's been 2 1/2 months, and still have a very hard time writing about it. I receive regular emails from people after they have been exposed to and read this sight. I'm still receiving emails saying things to the effect of proving his innocence and bringing him home. People have been reading this sight thinking he is still alive. It breaks my heart [every time] I get an encouraging email to continue fighting and bring him home. Well, I have brought him home, but not the way it was supposed be. It should have been a big welcome home party with friends and family, with balloons, streamers and welcome home signs. Instead he was brought home covered by the United States Flag, with a 21 gun salute and TAPS playing in the background. I have no more case to fight...three weeks after his death, I received notification from the Army Court of Appeals stating that the motion to drop all the charges and dismiss the case was granted. [A lot] that does now that my [soul mate] is dead...even more so, dead at the hands of the military, the USDB, and their guards. Please keep on eye on this sight...I promise you, there will be LOTS more to write and inform you of. Trust me on this... the fight is FAR from over!"
Senate wants Gitmo 'torture' videos, too
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor
"...Naval Inspector General Vice Adm. Albert T. "Tom" Church had reviewed several of the tapes during a visit to the base earlier this month and had taken some of them away with him."
Soldiers' problem: Doing right thing, recognizing wrong
By William H. McMichael
Gannett News Service (The Olympian.com)
"But what defines a "lawful order"?
PM denies Hicks claim as warden admits abuse
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
"The incident involving Hicks is alleged to have taken place in a Northern Alliance Shebergan prison in Afghanistan in December 2001..."
G.I. Pleads Guilty in Court-Martial for Iraqis' Abuse
By DEXTER FILKINS
New York Times
"He was a mechanic at the prison, servicing gasoline-powered generators."
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Gen.: Military Police Order Was to Protect Prison
Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "The U.S. general who put military intelligence in charge of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq said on Wednesday the decision was made to protect the prison and not related to interrogations."
Hicks 'tied up and beaten'
By Rory Callinan, Swat Valley, Pakistan
The Australian
"Hicks's Adelaide lawyer, Stephen Kenny, said yesterday that allegations of abuse against enemy combatants were now "so overwhelming" that there needed to be a "full and proper" inquiry into the treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay."
Court-martial used to prosecute many different crimes
CNN.com
"Even sitting in the wrong part of the bus once came under a court-martial's reach. But the subject of that case, future baseball great and Army Lt. Jackie Robinson, won acquittal and honorable discharge."
A Soldier's view
In Their Own Words: Prisoner abusers need to face military justice
"My name is Sgt. Daniel Burger and I am a member of the 724th Combat Engineer Battalion..."
Opinion
For the country's sake, follow Abu Ghraib trail
By - Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
"It is hard to believe that the trail stops at Gen. Karpinski."
How Does a Court-Martial Work?
Who sits on the jury? What are the punishments? Can you appeal?
By Phillip Carter
Slate.msn.com
"Courts-martial are run by a military commanders who are ultimately agents of the president and the executive branch, not the judiciary."
U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty at Baghdad Court Martial, AP Reports
By Alex Morales in London
Bloomberg.com
"Three other soldiers, Specialist Charles A. Graner Jr., Staff Sergeant Ivan L. ``Chip'' Frederick II and Sergeant Javal S. Davis earlier declined to enter pleas at pre-trial hearings, and will have to do so at a hearing on June 21..."
Court-martial to put military justice in spotlight
By John W. Gonzalez
Houston Chronicle (reprinted in The State - Columbia, SC)
"But the world gets a rare glimpse of the court-martial process as the first case alleging Iraqi prisoner abuses by U.S. troops reaches a makeshift military courtroom today in Baghdad."
JAG Hunter bullet: Secret hearing on 26 April. Huh? Other closed hearings? Is this what "as accessible as possible" means? Were these Art. 32 hearings? Or something else?
3 Witnesses at Iraq Abuse Hearing Refused to Testify
Their refusal indicates that key players in the abuse scandal may be closing ranks to save themselves and one another.
By Richard A. Serrano
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer (posted at KTLA.com, CA)
WASHINGTON -- "Three key witnesses, including a senior officer in charge of interrogations, refused to testify during a secret hearing against an alleged ringleader of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal on the grounds that they might incriminate themselves."
JAG Hunter bullet: Excuse this subtle nuance...important to raise up. No Article 32 hearing is required prior to a special court-martial.
Will military trials rehabilitate U.S. image in Arab world?
By Michael McGough
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh,PA) - National Bureau
"In statements to investigators, Sivits reportedly has implicated other suspects, including Spc. Charles A. Graner Jr., a native of Whitehall."
JAG Hunter bullet: Didn't take long!
U.S. Soldier Gets Year Jail Term for Prisoner Abuse
By Luke Baker and Alastair Macdonald
Reuters
"It's a kangaroo court, set up just to placate Iraqis..."
JAG Hunter bullet: There were JAGs who knew what was going on. Those JAGs said nothing in public. Those JAGs protected their bosses instead. Now those JAGs, and their commanders, are all running for cover.
U.S. Barred Legal Review of Detentions, Lawyer Says
By Adam Liptak
New York Times
"In the interrogation process," Mr. Horton said, "the fact that lawyers were cut out just opened the door for abuse."
Army Generals Cite Systemic Problems at Abu Ghraib
By Alan Elsner - Reuters
Gen. John Abizaid, who is responsible for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "We will follow the trail of evidence wherever it leads."
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
‘Definitely a Cover-Up’
Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Says Army Concealed Involvement in Abuse Scandal
By Brian Ross and Alexandra Salomon
ABCNEWS.com
When A Soldier Faces Court-Martial, What Does That Mean?
MTV.com
"There are three kinds of courts-martial: summary, special and general."
Former Guantánamo chief clashed with army interrogators
General's sacking cleared way for Pentagon to rewrite rules
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Guardian Unlimited Special Report
"Brigadier General Rick Baccus was removed from his post in October 2002, apparently after frustrating military intelligence officers by granting detainees such privileges as distributing copies of the Koran and adjusting meal times for Ramadan."
Plea deal possible in first prison abuse court-martial
Hearings this week may spotlight following-orders defense
By Kevin Drew
CNN
"Spc. Jeremy Sivits' special court-martial, the military equivalent of a misdemeanor civilian court, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Baghdad (5 a.m. ET)."
How the court-martial system works
Difference between military and civil justice systems
By Pete Williams - Correspondent
NBC News - posted at MSNBC.com
"But despite the similarities, the military justice system has key differences from the civilian system."
Guantanamo Detainee Reviews Begin Soon
The Associated Press (Newsday.com)
"In the reviews, a panel of three officers will decide whether prisoners, if released, would remain a threat to the United States, the official said, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity."
Fla. soldier faces court-martial for desertion in Iraq
WATE TV (Knoxville, TN)
"Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia faces up to a year in prison for desertion if convicted. He goes on trial Wednesday at Fort Stewart in Georgia."
Six sailors disciplined in accident that killed carrier crewman
The Associated Press - TheLedger.com (FL)
"Neither the names of the sailors, including noncommissioned officers and officers, nor the specific punishments were made public under military privacy procedures, said Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde, the ship's public affairs officer. The Navy also didn't say what the sailors did."
Soldier accused of stabbing S. Korean civilian
By Joseph Giordono
Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — "At least three U.S. soldiers are under U.S. 'control' and five others are being investigated in connection with a series of incidents this weekend in South Korea."
Linguist: Air Force investigators overzealous in Al Halabi case
By Kim Curtis
Associated Press Writer (HeraldTribune.com, FL)
"Suzan Sultan, 26, a former Arabic linguist who left the military in December, called the Air Force's efforts at gathering evidence "unorganized, at best," and said investigators only wanted to hear what fit into their preconception of Al Halabi's guilt."
Former Marine goes on trial in Tampa for mother, baby's deaths
By Vickie Chachere
Associated Press Writer (in theLedger.com, FL)
"Coleman, 25, faces the death penalty in a trial now under way. Jury selection began Monday, and testimony is expected to start this week."
Jury selection set to begin today in rape court-martial
By Eric Steinkopff
Jacksonville Daily News Staff (NC)
Master Sgt. Norman A. Hoffman, 41, of 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune is charged with three counts of raping a child under the age of 16..."
OSI manufacturing evidence...
Skepticism on spy case is reported
A former investigator says her questioning of the evidence was ignored by military.
By Sam Stanton and Denny Walsh
Sacramento Bee Staff Writers
"Military investigators repeatedly ignored warnings that they were overstating their evidence against espionage suspect Ahmad I. Al Halabi, instead pushing forward at all costs to prove the Travis airman was "a little fish" in an al-Qaida ring based at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."
Furor over AFA scandal affected by media, politics, experts say
By Pam Zubeck
The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Reprinted in the Bradenton Herald (FL)
"Questions linger 17 months later. Was the furor warranted?"
Marine misses court date while in Iraq
By Darrell Todd Maurina
Clovis News Journal Staff Writer (NM)
School for scandal
By John B. Roberts II
The Washington Times
"...if my reading of Gen. Custer's on-the-record statements is correct, it is the first indication of a command-level decision to incorporate the coercive interrogation techniques used at Guantanamo into standard military intelligence procedures."
Arindain gets life in prison in airman's death
By Jessica Langdon
The Times Record News (Wichita Falls,TX)
"[Military Judge, Col. Mary E.] Boone weighed the options overnight, and announced her decision first thing Monday, after six days of general court-martial proceedings."
1st court-martial in Iraq prison abuse to start
By Deborah Barfield Berry
Newsday.com Washington Bureau
"I can't think of a more important set of courts-martial," said Eugene Fidell, president of the Washington-based National Institute of Military Justice, citing "the extraordinary volatile climate in which these cases are going to play out domestically and internationally."
JAG Hunter bullet: Remember Cpl. Gary Shafto. Shafto died at Fort Leavenworth under very dark and secret circumstances 14 March 2002. Independent examination is demanded!
In U.S. Prison Abuse Trials, Justice Is Uncertain
By Alan Elsner - Reuters
"It appears the abuse of prisoners in the United States is not of much concern to the public and therefore of little concern to politicians..."
Global impact of the courts-martial
The abuse trials of US soldiers in Baghdad starting Wednesday will provide an example of justice, but will carry their own risks.
By Howard LaFranchi
Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor
"I'm just afraid that there's this idea that by holding a military show trial where someone cops a plea we can solve our problems, and we can't..."
Monday, May 17, 2004
Rumsfeld, Myers Meet with U.S. Military at Abu Ghraib Prison
Comunicados de Prensa - Spain
"At the now infamous prison, [JCS Chairman, Gen. Richard] Myers expressed his confidence in the viability of the U.S. military justice system because, he said, it has demonstrated its ability to achieve justice over a long period of time."
Unlawful Command Influence
Condemnation of Abuse Impedes Fair Trials for Soldiers, Lawyer Says
By Jim Landers - The Dallas Morning News (posted at MENAFN.com)
"...command influence has become an issue in whether the seven accused soldiers can receive a fair trial."
Guantanamo inmates claim Iraq-style abuse
By Shaun Waterman - United Press International (Washington Times)
"Eight soldiers had been punished by being demoted or given less serious administrative punishment for offenses ranging from humiliating detainees to physical assault, Adm. Albert T. "Tom" Church..."
Marine facing civilian murder charges
Trial Of Marine In Deaths Of Mom, Tot Begins Today
By Joshua B. Good - The Tampa Tribune (FL)
"Coleman, 25, a Marine sergeant who was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of killing Devonte and the baby's mother, Jessica Lynn Hine, 19..."
The ordeal of Chaplain Yee
By Laura Parker - USA TODAY
"There apparently was no evidence. If they had the goods, they would have prosecuted."
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Five U.S. soldiers arrested in South Korea
UPI - Washington Times
"U.S. military officials expressed their regret and promised to investigate the incident."
JAG Hunter bullet: It appears "Victoria's Secret" is finally coming out...
Knowledge of abuse may go higher
Acts may have grown out of approved tactics
By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washingtonpost.com (posted at MSNBC.msn.com)
"Although at least four Army lawyers were assigned to the military intelligence brigade and its offices at Abu Ghraib, whether they played a meaningful role in trying to block abuses remains unclear."
Report: Rumsfeld OK'd Rough Interrogations in Iraq
Voice of America News
"A published report about conditions in Iraq's U.S.-run prisons contends that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld himself authorized harsh interrogations of detainees in Iraq, but Pentagon officials are strongly denying the account."
Soldier who fled `oil-driven' war faces court-martial
The Associated Press in AccessNorthGeorgia.com
"Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, 28, of the Florida National Guard could go to prison for a year and receive a bad conduct discharge if convicted by a military jury of officers and enlisted soldiers."
Courts wary of unchecked power
IN DETAINEE CASES, GOVERNMENT'S `TRUST US' ARGUMENT DAMAGED BY ABUSES
By Frank Davies
Knight Ridder - San Jose Mercury News (CA)
"The Supreme Court will rule by the end of June on the cases of the Guantánamo detainees and the separate cases of Jose Padilla and Yasser Esam Hamdi..."
Joint Chiefs leader tells VMI grads that 'there's never been a more important time to serve'
By Calvin R. Trice
Virginia Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
"Myers said he is confident in the effectiveness in the military-justice system. The truth will emerge, those accused will get due process, and those guilty will be properly punished..."
Long gray line of courts-martial
By Siobhan McDonough
Associated Press (in the Washington Times)
"Through the years, members of America's armed forces have been court-martialed for bolting from the Battle of the Bulge, failing to zigzag a ship to evade submarine attack, misplacing secrets that ended up in a Moscow newspaper and all manner of sexual misconduct."
Cannon airman convicted of rape, indecent assault
The Clovis News Journal (NM)
"In addition to 18 years in a military prison, Loyd’s rank will be reduced to the lowest enlisted rank of Airman Basic and he will receive a dishonorable discharge from the Air Force."
Marines facing felony larceny charges.
Four charged in Jacksonville motorcycle thefts
By Roselee Papandrea
Jacksonville Daily News Staff (NC)
"Spivey was charged with felony larceny, attempted larceny and possession of stolen goods/property, flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle, resisting a public officer, driving while license revoked, reckless driving to endanger, exceeding posted speed limit, failing to heed to a siren and failing to stop at a stop sign/flashing red light."
JAG Hunter bullet: Public exposure of the military justice system, as we're about to experience, last occurred over a half-century ago. So pay real close attention.
Courts-martial offer the public a rare glimpse of military justice
By John Hendren
Los Angeles Times (reprinted in the Sun-Sentinel.com, FL)
"The main thing in common between the coming military courts-martial in Iraq and high-profile civilian trials, such as those of celebrities and athletes, is likely to be the avalanche of publicity."
JAG Hunter bullet: TJAGS knew and kept the secrets. Silent approval is approval.
Advice Rejected
JAG Lawyers Say Political Appointees Ignored Their Warnings on Prisoner Treatment
By Jake Tapper and Clayton Sandell - ABC News
""If we — 'we' being the uniformed lawyers — had been listened to, and what we said put into practice, then these abuses would not have occurred," said Rear Admiral Don Guter (ret.)..."
JAG Hunter bullet: Unless and until generals and admirals appear on courts-martial dockets with regularity commensurate with their professional and criminal misconduct, all we have here is repetition of the BIG LIE!
Ex-JAG: Courts-martial will produce fair outcome
By Michael Collins - Record-Searchlight - Redding, CA
With military justice on display while the whole world is watching, "I think that can't help but serve our cause internationally as well as here at home," St. Amand said.
JAG Hunter bullet: It's widely reported and confirmed by Army TJAG Romig last week in testimony before Congress: Senior JAGs knew and approved the interrogation tactics at U.S. military run detention centers.
Experts: JAG cut out of loop
By John Riley - Newsday.com Staff Writer
"...Judge Advocate Gen. Thomas Romig said last week he was not aware of any reduced role for military lawyers."
US guards 'filmed beatings' at terror camp
Senator urges action as Briton reveals Guantanamo abuse
By David Rose and Gaby Hinsliff - The Observer International
"Lieutenant Colonel Leon Sumpter, the Guantanamo Joint Task Force spokesman, confirmed this last night, saying all [Extreme Reaction Force] actions were filmed so they could be 'reviewed' by senior officers."
Defending America feedback.
Letter to Colonel David Hackworth
"This was not done by accident, it was a planned, systematic way to break down the [prisoners'] will to resist any interrogation..."
Found at: Colonel Hackworth's Homepage
Pentagon Denies Report's Rumsfeld Claims
The Associated Press and Yahoo News
"Last year, Rumsfeld and Stephen Cambone, his undersecretary for intelligence, expanded the scope of the Pentagon's program and brought its methods to Abu Ghraib, Hersh wrote."
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Cover story
"...Pentagon lawyers had vetted [interrogation guidelines] before they were implemented."
Inside the Iraq Prison Scandal
Evidence suggests command foul-ups and, maybe, collusion
By Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes and Edward T. Pound
U.S. News & World Report
"...there is growing evidence that some degree of culpability may reside further up the chain of command."
A big legal mess, too
Courts-martial have begun. But what were the rules on interrogation at Abu Ghraib?
By Angie Cannon and Chitra Ragavan
U.S. News & World Report
"...military personnel are obliged not to carry out illegal orders."
JAG Hunter bullet: The real war...DoD v. CIA. Classic Rumsfeld..."Give no ground!" I give SECDEF six weeks before he's forced to resign or fired.
THE GRAY ZONE
By Seymour M. Hersh - The New Yorker
How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib.
"...the operation stemmed from Rumsfeld’s long-standing desire to wrest control of America’s clandestine and paramilitary operations from the C.I.A."
Command sergeant major court-martialed...general retires...TYPICAL!!
Minnesota Guardsman in Bosnia pleads guilty to misconduct
The Associated Press (in the Grand Forks Herald - ND)
"[Sgt. Maj.] Rannenberg was tried while the state was investigating retired Maj. Gen. Eugene Andreotti on sexual harassment allegations that had forced him to resign last summer after 15 years as the state's top military official."
Opinion
Loyalty, obedience may be factors in Iraq prison scandal
By Tom Wharton - Salt Lake Tribune Columnist
"My favorite class was military ethics."
Petal man in 25-year fight over Navy career
By Ryan Clark - The Clarion-Ledger (MS)
"It was 25 years ago that he was discharged from the Navy, after what he calls abuse. He says he was discharged because the Navy didn't want him to reveal facts about the widespread drug use aboard his ship."
Inside the Ring
By Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough
The Washington Times
"Elaine Donnelly, who leads the Center for Military Readiness, has fought the Pentagon's decision in the 1990s to put women in combat roles."
JAG Hunter bullet: Focusing on the scope and operation of our military's punitive justice is precisely what's called for!
Rumsfeld Plans Focus on Courts-Martial
By Robert Burns - Associated Press Military Writer (in Newsday.com)
"[SECDEF] Rumsfeld is trying to focus the public spotlight on the upcoming courts-martial of lower-level soldiers implicated in the abuse, even as lawmakers ask if anyone up the chain of command is culpable."
Former British Detainees Allege Torture at Guantanamo Prison
Voice of America News
"Two British Muslims released in March after two years of detention at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, say they had been subjected to the same acts of torture as Iraqis at a prison in Baghdad."
The durable myth...more JAG propaganda
JAG vet confident in system
By Michael Collins - Kentucky Post Washington Bureau
The court-martial process is so open and fair, he said, that, were he ever to run afoul of the law, he would want to be tried in a military court. "I just have confidence that whatever the outcome is going to be a fair outcome."
The Docket (a partial listing of pending courts-martial)
(Name, home, trial date)
Ryan G. Anderson (WA – trial date to be determined)
Javal Davis, Sgt. (MD – TBD)
Ivan Frederick, Staff Sgt. (VA – trial date TBD)
Charles Graner, Cpl.
Ackbar Hasan, Sgt.
Howard P. Kim, Cadet (trial date TBD)
Douglas Meester, Cadet 3rd class (FL - 7 June 04)
Harry Schmidt, Maj. (IL – trial date TBD)
Jeremy C. Sivits, Specialist (PA – 19 May 04)
Fourth U.S. Soldier to Face Abuse Court Martial
Reuters
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - "Corporal Charles Graner will be the fourth U.S. soldier to be court-martialed over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners when he faces seven charges including maltreatment, adultery and cruelty, the U.S. military said."
Friday, May 14, 2004
Fort Lewis court-martial
Conrad judge key witness in terrorism case
By Karen Ogden - Great Falls Tribune Regional Editor (MT)
"Rossmiller told the court Wednesday that she is a member of 7-Seas Global Intelligence, an organization that tracks terrorist activity and forwards leads to authorities."
The NCIS and local law enforcement...a very bad combination
Child porn inquiry includes 130 in S.D.
Seizure at church part of global case
By Onell R. Soto - San Diego Union Tribune Staff Writer
"...work is being done locally by the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes postal inspectors and agents from customs, the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service."
JAG Hunter bullet: Too bad "TJAGs" aren't as concerned about lack of protection for our own soldiers and sailors.
Lack of Protection
Long before Abu Ghraib, U.S. senior officers warned of prisoner abuse.
Joe Conason - in the Memphis Flyer
(Mr. Conason writes for the New York Observer and Salon)
"senior officers" in the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), the military's legal division..."expressed apprehension over how their political appointee bosses were handling the torture issue."
JAG Hunter bullet: Ah...the obvious answer to this rather predictable outcome is to keep men and women apart. We can survive without this brand of "joint" service.
Pentagon panel says military’s assault policies are confusing
By Dale Eisman - The Virginian-Pilot
"...more than 100 women serving in the Middle East since Sept. 11, 2001, have said they were sexually assaulted during their tours of duty."
Rumsfeld pays surprise visit to Iraq prison
Says abusers `will be brought to justice'
By Thom Shanker - New York Times (reprinted in the Houston Chronicle)
"[JCS Chairman] Myers said opinion around the world, and especially in the Arab nations, could best be satisfied by allowing the military justice system to run its course."
Thursday, May 13, 2004
The durable myth...Court-martial similar to civilian court process
U.S. military prosecution, step by step
CNN.com
Hearing concludes for soldier accused of trying to aid terrorists
By Melanthia Mitchell - Associated Press (at kgw.com)
"It is clear that Specialist Anderson believed he was dealing and communicating with an enemy of the United States," said Maj. Chris Jenks.
MPs' lawyers are well-experienced with high-profile military cases
By Robert Weller - Associated Press Writer
"Spinner knows how to play hardball: During the Flinn case, he sent the Air Force secretary a list of officers he claimed had engaged in comparable misconduct but avoided court-martial."
Rumsfeld, in Iraq, vows no cover-up
Thom Shanker
New York Times (reprinted in the International Herald Tribune)
"The people who engaged in abuses will be brought to justice. The world will see how a free system, a democratic system, functions and operates - transparently, with no cover-up."
Court-Martial Recommended For Soldier Accused In Terrorist Plot
Anderson Could Face Death Penalty
The Associated Press (KSAT TV - ABC San Antonio, TX)
"Spc. Ryan Anderson is accused of offering details on U.S. troop strength and tactics to two undercover military officials posing as al-Qaida operatives."
pg. 136 (paperback published 2000)
JAG Hunter here: Writing today, four years down the road, Gen. Horner could edit his comments (I opine) to state what's now photographically obvious; the feeble ones turned to drugs or sex...or both.
"Discipline along with pride had fallen by the wayside, so the good [soldiers] walked and the feeble ones turned to drugs. We had become a Communist nation within the very organization that was to protect our nation from the threat of communism."
Lt.Gen. Chuck Horner USAF (Ret.)
Co-author - Every Man A Tiger
Remember soldiers Gary Shafto, Jerry Tilton, and Marine Kevin Holt
AWOL Soldier Arrested In Kidnapping
KWTX TV (CBS - Waco, TX)
"Police said Angel Garrett had served divorce papers on her husband at the end of April, when his unit was scheduled to leave Fort Hood for Iraq. Police did not know to which unit Garrett was assigned."
Legislators view images of 'sadistic' prison abuse
As the military ordered more courts-martial stemming from abuse in Iraq, lawmakers saw unreleased Abu Ghraib photos.
St. Petersburg Times, from wire services (FL)
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said he thought "some people are overreacting."
JAG Hunter bullet: Memo to General Myers - There are those of us who know differently.
Rumsfeld Makes a Surprise Visit to Baghdad
By Thom Shanker - New York Times
"General Myers said he believed that opinion around the world, and especially in the Arab world, can best be satisfied by allowing the military justice system to run its course..."
More from the ICRC
Red Cross Report Criticizes Guantanamo Prison
By Charles Aldinger - Reuters
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - "The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued a new report criticizing the imprisonment of hundreds of suspects at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a Pentagon official said on Thursday."
Opinion
Rough interrogation tactics have been policy since the Afghanistan invasion
By Daniel Sneider in Penn State's CenterDaily.com
(Daniel Sneider is foreign affairs columnist for the San Jose Mercury News)
"...it is essential that the guard force be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees."
A spy case stunner
Judge orders airman's release as he awaits trial
By Sam Stanton and Denny Walsh -- Sacramento Bee Staff Writers (CA)
"The box was opened, nobody was wearing gloves, numerous OSI agents were handling the documents," Rehkopf said. "They were handling them while drinking beer, and then they said, 'Oops, we've got to do this properly.' So they repacked the box and started over."
JAG Hunter jeopardy: The answer is - An all-volunteer military left to itself.
The question: How did these people get into the Army?
LEASH GAL'S SEX PIX
By Vincent Morris and Deborah Orin - New York Post
"I don't know how these people got into our Army," said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.)..."
Homicide ruled out in death of sailor on USS Gary
By Greg Tyler - Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
"A Navy official familiar with the circumstances said the gunshot wound might have been self-inflicted."
Two accused in auto-parts theft face new charges
By Greg Tyler and Chiyomi Sumida
Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
"Cpl. Todd M. Heaney, 25, of Marine Aircraft Logistics Squadron 12, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Charles Ian Bucton, attached to Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, pleaded guilty on March 30 in Yamaguchi District Court to stealing automotive parts from local businesses in September."
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Judge Brand's ruling #1...
Marco cadet will face jury on rape charges
By Billy Bruce - Naples Daily News Staff Writer (FL)
"On May 7, Air Force Judge Barbara Brand ruled against defense motions that Meester's case only went to trial because of pressure placed on academy commanders by Air Force Secretary James Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper."
Judge Brand's ruling #2...
JAGs accused of evidence tampering...MJ Brand admonishes JAG prosecutors..."I'll tell you this court is very upset about how discovery is happening, or not happening..."
Accused U.S. Guantanamo Spy Airman Freed from Jail
By Barbara Grady - Reuters
"[Military] Judge Col. Barbara Brand said she made her decision based on new evidence after the Air Force translator's lawyer charged that prosecutors had tampered with evidence and obstructed justice."
JAG Hunter bullet #1: Author McCutcheon needs to read the 2001 Cox Commission Report, and Ed Pound's 16 Dec. 2002 U.S. News & World Report cover investigative report. Military trials are run by military commanders! We're not talking about a justice system, but rather a system that dispenses discipline so as "to maintain good order."
JAG Hunter bullet #2: Flag officers and DoD civilians running U.S. military trials are the same flag officers and U.S. DoD civilians running military prisons.
Courts-Martial Differ From Civilian Trials
By Chuck McCutcheon - Newhouse News Service
"It's highly unlikely you would get more than a rare individual who would be willing to subvert justice to make their commander happy."
JAG Hunter bullet: An Army of One?
Hearing begins for soldier accused of trying to aid terrorists
By Melanthia Mitchell - Associated Press Writer
in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"While I love my country, I think the leaders have taken this horrible road," Anderson said on the video. "I have no belief in what the American Army has asked me to do. They have sent me to die."
JAG Hunter bullet: What hearing?
Report: Army Court-Martial Details Abuse
The Associated Press at Newsday.com
"A hearing officer, Maj. Charles W. Ransome, later recommended that the c