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| Iraq |
| American troops in shackles |
| 2006-06-14 |
| Michelle Malkin Did you know there are seven young Marines and a Navy Corpsman sitting in a military brig right now in leg and wrist shackles — despite the fact that they've not been charged with any crime? The men are in solitary confinement, locked in 8'x8' cells at San Diego's Camp Pendleton, as investigators probe an April 26 incident involving the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. They are behind bars 23 hours a day; family members can only see them through inch-thick Plexiglass. Military blabbermouths have told the press that the service members are suspected of kidnapping and shooting a man in the Iraqi town of Hamandiya. The Iraqi man's family reportedly came forward seeking payment for his death as media hysteria set in over the separate alleged atrocity in Haditha. These men — our men — may be innocent. They may be guilty. Charges may or may not be filed this week. But this much is certain: The media leaks and the Murtha-fication of the case are already taking a heavy toll on the troops and their families. The headlines have already convicted them: "Iraqi's slaying planned by Marines, official says" and "Marines Planned to Kill Iraqi Civilian, Then Planted Evidence". The national media ignored a protest by supporters outside Camp Pendletonover the weekend. "I want the Marines to know that they are not forgotten, that people are out here thinking of them," said one attendee. The father of one of the men in custody, Pfc. John J. Jodka, worried: "It appears to me that this is the reaction of some senior people to show 'We're in charge, we're cleaning up our act." Not a peep heard yet from the American Civil Liberties Union. The website of the self-anointed crusaders for individual rights contains hundreds of articles on the rights of al Qaeda suspects and an indignant press release on the suicides of Guantanamo Bay detainees. But no mention of the Camp Pendleton 8. For their part, human rights groups were too busy shedding tears for the Gitmo terrorist suicide squad and lionizing them as "heroes" in the words of William Goodman of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Editorial cartoonists have been preoccupied desecrating the Marine Corps logo and tarring troops as baby-killers. A clarion voice stepped into the fray this week to push back against the global rush to judgment against our troops. Ilario Pantano, a Desert Storm vet-turned Wall Street banker and new media entrepreneur-turned reenlisted Marine from Hell's Kitchen, launched his gripping book "Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" this week, which recounts his harrowing ordeal as a Marine smeared and cleared. Last spring, he faced the death penalty for defending himself and his men in the heat of battle and killing two Iraqi insurgents. He was accused then, as Marines are being accused now, of wantonly executing Iraqis to send a message. His family and friends' defense of Pantano was met, as those of Marines are being met now, with incredulity or apathy. There were no pleas to withhold judgment against Pantano from the New York Times then. No Oprah sitdowns now with the wives and children of accused troops. As an agitated, condescending Ann Curry of NBC's Today Show tried to paint Pantano Monday as a callous thug, he replied with quiet dignity: "I don't think it's helpful to national security to have this kind of self-flagellation before the facts are actually disclosed." Innocent until proven guilty? Justice for all? Benefit of the doubt? These are apparently foreign concepts when it comes to Americans in uniform being held on American soil. Perhaps if they proclaimed themselves "conscientious objectors" and converted to Islam they might start getting some sympathy. Much more on Michelle's blog. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 Happened to be listening to Sean this afternoon (in the car at that time) and this father he had on his show tonight, just called in to Sean. Producer was smart enough to take the call. Point being, Sean has Cheney on his radio show tomorrow, and promised this father, he would bring this up to our VP -- why are these kids being treated like this? And Cheney just might make a difference with this. Here's hopin'. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2006-06-14 23:56 |
| #8 One of the Marine's father - Terry Pennington was on H/C tonight. Pretty much bitch slapped alan colmes around. The only time you put someone in solitare is after they've been charged for a real serious felony, have multiple UA's, drug conviction, or are a no-shit flight risk. I doubt these guys fall into any of that category though I've not seen the evidence either way. This is prolly more Iraqi stories. That's their new way of hamstringing our forces - claim war crimes and watch the msm & now the politicos in uniform along w/that fat disgusting pos jackie murtha dance like finger puppets. I trust the Corps though above all else and the right thing will prolly be done soon along w/a formal apology if something was dicked up. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-14 23:36 |
| #7 They would be treated better if they were illegal combatants sawing off the heads of civilians and babies. Innocence until proven guilty only applies to terrorists according to the ACLU and MSM. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-06-14 23:07 |
| #6 Unfortunately, one of the core charges against these servicemen is that they willfully plagiarized or falsified military combat reports to cover-up an alleged act(s) of alleged cruelty/atrocity to alleged Iraqi civilians. Their Mil-Civie atty(s) must present convincing physical evidence of innocence or potential "non-felony guilt/accessory" iff they are to receive better treatment, i.e. remain in jail until court(s) martial but with no shackles. THe Mil Courts will follow the UCMJ and Fed-Mil caselaw, NOT the MSM - the sooner the lawyers present the evidences of no-guilt or non-felony guilt, the faster the shackles can come off. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-06-14 21:56 |
| #5 Michael Savage is fired up on this like flies on sh*t. He has been having people on like one of the wives and a defense attorney for one of the Marines. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-06-14 21:21 |
| #4 there were 150 protesters outside Pendleton's South gate last saturday, and they're doing the same this Saturday. Roger Hedgecock on KOGO600 AM (streams at 3PM PST) has taken up the cause locally. These men should NOT be treated to solitary and shackles before charges are applied. Gitmo Arabs get better treatment. Raise the pressure. Call your Representatives |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-14 20:53 |
| #3 OK, that sent my blood pressure into quadruple digits. The best thing these young men could do would be to convert to Islam for the duration. Then they could bitch about desecration of their Q'urans, etc. Human Rights Watch would be on the case in a New York second. |
| Posted by: Matt 2006-06-14 20:36 |
| #2 Not a peep heard yet from the American Civil Liberties Union. Nor will there be. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-06-14 17:12 |
| #1 Must be in the Wen Ho Lee wing of the facility. |
| Posted by: Churong Thang9876 2006-06-14 15:13 |