Comments on: Law of the Navy

By: Joe in N. Calif

Joe in N. Calif — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:11:59 +0000

I don;t know what, if any good this will do but this was called to my attention:

http://www.indianadan.com/savetheseals

By: ellie

ellie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:11:08 +0000

Again, you talk as if you know exactly what happened. YOU DON’T. Are you saying that if these guys caught this guy, put him into custody and THEN punched him for whatever reason that that is okay? – that there should be no military control of that sort of action? Again, I’m not saying that they did that, but if they did are you fine with it? Because that is what they are being accused of — and of lying about it as well. And while the only thing that their defense lawyers have talked about is that the bad guy made an accusation against them (I am well aware of Al Q’s tactics w/r/t interrogation and accusations of torture) that doesn’t mean that there is not more evidence that the military has against them. The military is restrained by legal rules in what information it can provide to the public w/r/t an ongoing legal action – the defense lawyer is not restrained in what he or she can say. And let me help you fathom my position on this. First of all, I’m very respectful of and supportive of SEALs — I happen to be married to one. But as a Navy veteran myself, I am also very respectful of the requirement for the military to keep something which is called “good order and discipline”. IF these guys did what they were accused of — if the hit a prisoner AFTER he was in custody (not in the process of capturing him) no matter how bad of a scumbag he was — and if they then lied about it up the chain of command, they deserve some sort of reprimand. If that kind of behavior is allowed to go without any punishment, it will become rampant and we will have the kind of situation that led us to the Abu Ghraib abuses. These guys were offered NJP, they’ve decided to take it up a notch. Now, if they are completely innocent – didn’t do anything they are accused of and this is some sort of bizarre witch hunt based simply on the statement of a terrorist prisoner, then they are wise to chose courts -martial to be totally exonerated and in that case I certainly hope they are. The difference between you and me and so many of the people losing their minds over this is that I admit that I don’t know all the facts and that there is a possibility that these guys, however heroic they certainly were in capturing this guy, might have gone over the line after the fact. You refuse to allow for that possibility and chose instead to attack anyone involved in bringing these charges which, I remind you again, are not just JAGS and AF folks — they are special operators of all the services up the chain of command who have read and seen evidence and investigations that you and I and the thousands of folks commenting on this have not been privy to. It is very unfortunate that so many people are reacting to this in the way that they are rather than waiting to see what the facts are.

By: Rumbear

Rumbear — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:32:44 +0000

Something keeps bouncing thru my feeble brain. If we are trying KSM in New York as an enemy why not have these SEALS tried there too. Are they not worthy of the same rights and representation as our enemy? Just asking. Smarter folks than me will have the answer.

By: Snake Eater

Snake Eater — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:24:49 +0000

Keeping it simple…from my point of view its a citizen who engages in seditious and or treasonous acts directed against the interests of the United States. Best

By: AW1 Tim

AW1 Tim — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:23:46 +0000

I have considered that, and reject in toto your comments. This situation should never have occurred, period.

To place these three SEALs into such a position shows plainly that there was a failure of leadership in their command, and that of a level that should warrant a CNO-level investigation.

AQ’s own manual, available to any who want to read it, instructs anyone captured to complain of assault, torture, abuse, etc, and use our own justice system against us.

I have enough hatred for the enemy to last a thousand lifetimes. In this situation, I am more than willing to spare a little towards those who practice lawfare vice warfare, and who, through this well-publicized situation, are diving direct aid and comfort to our nation’s enemies.

I simply cannot fathom the mindset of anyone like yourself who would defend the actions of these brave SEAL’s accusers.

Stop this trial NOW. Return these men to duty with clean service records. Put the word out to the JAG community to back off. That’s not only my position, but the position of more than a hundred Navy enlisted men I have spoken with over the past 3 days.

The Navy has brought this upon themselves, and they have a serious morale problem vis-a-vis this situation brewing.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:23:10 +0000

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 12/08/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.