For the Fallujah SEALs:
The case against a Navy SEAL accused of not protecting an alleged Iraqi terrorist took a major turn Friday when a military judge ordered that five key defense witnesses be granted immunity to testify on his behalf…
Huertas faces court martial for dereliction of duty, impeding an investigation and making a false official statement. A member of SEAL Team 10 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, he was one of the commandos who captured Ahmed Hashim Abed in Fallujah in early September. A sailor guarding the detainee claimed to see one SEAL punch Abed while Huertas and a third SEAL watched.
Four other SEALs and a Navy corpsman who were present on the day of the alleged incident, including the detachment commander, dispute the guard’s claims. Because they’d been told they also faced prosecution, they requested immunity before testifying in the case. Army Maj. Gen. C.T. Cleveland, the head of Special Operations Command Central, denied their requests in February.
The optics on this case totally suck: Heroic sailors hauled before a CM for allegedly handling a murderer roughly. And maybe telling stories about it after.
With defense witnesses now free to testify without fear of persecution prosecution, the legal case is starting to look pretty shaky too.
Goat rope.
Assuming the case is abated, are there likely to be any “unofficial” repercussions for these warriors? Any “less than excellent” reports left in their evaluations to haunt them the rest of their careers? How PC is SF leadership?
Good news.
If I were them, the second I was cleared I would head straight to base personnel and put in my papers. Just call me a cynical realist based on looonnng observation from near and far…No use in wasting one second’s worth of time on getting started on a new career in life…
“Life is not fair”
————-JFK
PS: But I would also track and keep an updated list of every sorry-ass miserable bastard involved in screwing me so that when I’m diagnosed with incurable terminal cancer the SOBs won’t hear me coming over the noise of the lawn-mower as they are mowing the front lawn in retirement in Sarasota as I put a slug in the base of their skull from behind.
VX- +1
Finally a little voice of reason in a sea of insanity.
Kris,
Based on the position of your comment, I have to ask “Who, the judge? or VX’s immediately prior to yours?” I’m voting VX.
Juvat: I confess it was in response to the article. But I did chuckle at VX’s and thought – yup, what he said.
Heard some noise a while back about the foolishness of demanding a court martial.
Didn’t hear it from any Seals.
Perhaps “Fortuna audaces juvat”.
If my swiss cheese memory hasn’t lost too much latin that should be pretty close to “fortune favors the bold”.
I wouldn’t worry that much about careers if the lads get off. Victory over seemingly overwhelming odds has some cache’ in certain circles.
Which ones? Five words. Budweisers who control command advancements.