Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

[TGO David]

They should have just killed him and been done with it.

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist - Iraq | War | Map - FOXNews.com

one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

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 SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs — two officers and an enlisted sailor — have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.

FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.

The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.

"I gave the detainee a glance over and then left," the SEAL wrote. "I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health."

Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, spokeswoman for the special operations component of U.S. Central Command, confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com that three SEALs have been charged in connection with the capture of a detainee. She said their court martial is scheduled for January.

United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.

The source said intelligence briefings provided to the SEALs stated that "Objective Amber" planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush, and "they had been tracking this guy for some time."

The Fallujah atrocity came to symbolize the brutality of the enemy in Iraq and the degree to which a homegrown insurgency was extending its grip over Iraq.

The four Blackwater agents were transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph.

Intelligence sources identified Abed as the ringleader, but he had evaded capture until September.

The military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse highlighted in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The Navy charged four SEALs with abuse in 2004 in connection with detainee treatment.

[Magiccarpetrides]

what a crock of sh*t...I can't believe this is even happening.

[poak]

Let's keep F'n over the guys getting the job done, that's the ticket.

So sick of this BS.

[Guest jackdm3]

Mark Harmon is going to straighten all of this out.

[E4 No More]

Mark Harmon is going to straighten all of this out.

Naw, Admiral Chegwidden outranks him, and won't let it get that far.

[Smith]

No words can describe my disgust. Give them the medal they deserve and a parade.

[Guest mustangdave]

GD...I don't wanna "sea lawyer" this...another friggin "show trial" for Obama. SOB...ok sailors...sound off

[Guest db99wj]

Wow. Next will see murder charges being brought up against our soldiers, when someone is killed in combat.

Reeeeediculous.

[TripleDigitRide]

Disgusting!

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

But HE RESISTED!

[memphismason]

They should have just killed him and been done with it.

+1000000000000000000000000

[Guest SUNTZU]

As soon as it was translated that he had the bloody lip to prove it, I'd a hit him again and say I can't see it for all the blood. **** that noise.

[hipower]

+1000000000000000000000000

AMEN BROTHER!!!

If you can't do the job for the PC BS, what hope is there?

[trblmkr13]

I was brainwashed into thinking mission accomplishment was the 1st Priority of Military leadership, I never realized it was to trump up charges on hard chargers who get the job done.

[Guest H0TSH0T]

well i guess the saying if you know what a navy seal does, means they failed there mission. holds water, but the should have cut his head off like they do our boys.

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Edited November 24, 2009 by H0TSH0T

[Guest bkelm18]

^^^ Slightly unnecessary....

[Guest jackdm3]

^^^ Slightly unnecessary....

Which part: the failed Navy or the cut off head?

[Guest H0TSH0T]

Which part: the failed Navy or the cut off head?

i deleted the nick burg vid. of him getting the head lopped off by the muss.

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

We all tiptoe around here, and I can understand that and abide.

Let me just say that I encourage our boys to do whatever they think is necessary to win this war. I have nothing but the highest respect for them. If a time came for me to fight and die for them, I would only want to know when and where. Somebody has to watch their backs at home. The sons and daughters of America.

There are little panty waisted, limp wristed, narrow assed, whiney little girly men here at home trying to emasculate the very country our military are fighting for, trying to make their own home hostile to them. It makes me want to freaking vomit.

I wish I could volunteer to take the place of the seals in the courtroom and let them get on with their business. I wish I could do something.

Edited November 24, 2009 by TurboniumOxide

[Guest HexHead]

what a crock of sh*t...I can't believe this is even happening.

We've lost our f*cking minds in this country.

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

We've lost our f*cking minds in this country.

It's not US brother, it's THEM. The people responsible for this sit in Washington.

[Angus]

We've lost our f*cking minds in this country.

Lets make sure we don't lose our country as well...this is complete and utter DOUCHEBAGGERY!!!!

These boys ahould be pounding beers and high-fiving each other...

I thought the BB add had me pissed...damnit!!!

[Guest HexHead]

It's not US brother, it's THEM. The people responsible for this sit in Washington.

No, it's not just them. It's the people that keep sending them there. The idiots we have in Washington are only there because they WIN their elections. These are the same people that write the comments to the Tennessean articles praising us losing our HCP rights regarding restaurants. The same people that put 0bama in the White House and donate to organizations like moveon.org.

[timcalhoun]

Down is up and up is down. This is becoming beyond concerning to me.

[BrandonTN]

Sounds like what Marcus Luttrell was talking about in The Lone Survivor. According to his book, many of the US troops fear the US liberal media more than the Taliban.