Honor and Betrayal
This is the story of the three Navy SEALs that were prosecuted for the alleged mistreatment of the "Butcher of Fallujah". This waste of human skin, responsible for the killing and mutilation of four Blackwater security agents and then hanging two of them from the bridge crossing the Euphrates river, claimed to authorities that he was mistreated while in the custody of the U.S. Military.
Now, due to the series of "mistreatment" propaganda by the news media at that time, the U.S. Military took the ball and ran with it trying to destroy the lives and careers of these decorated special operators to make an example of them without even knowing the facts and trusting the testimony of a known terrorist and murderer over their own people. Well, that's not 100% true... a low-level E-4 Master at Arms who concocted his entire version of the story in a lame attempt to save his own career was also involved.
Now, in the AL QAEDA FIELD OPERATIONS MANUAL, it clearly states that someone who is captured by the Americans should always and every time, complain of mistreatment and abuse as a priority. This books goes into a step by step account of the capture, alleged mistreatment and trial of the three SEALs... along with how the military brass (and higher) had these guys in their cross-hairs the entire time and were hell-bent on putting them away for a good long time.
In true U.S. Navy SEAL fashion, these guys never gave up... they never gave in... and they fought tooth and nail until the very end. They never relented under HEAVY HOURLY, DAILY, questioning and badgering that, at time, made them question their own decisions. They fought every day to return to the same military and government that turned their back on them. Now, did it sour them for their futures in Special Operations? Of course! How could they perform their jobs effectively when every time they would take on a mission, they had the thoughts of possible prosecution for what they're doing in the back of their minds? It would and could hinder their split second decision making process and cost their lives or the lives of their brothers (Even though in reality, they were implicitly innocent!).
What a moral hit to the team members as well. Every member of the military in fact.
This was a GREAT read. I referred it to an attorney friend of mine who I know would positively enjoy the courtroom action. It will make you take a second look at the chain of command though and ask yourself... "Why bother?". Again, here were Highly decorated Special Operators that the military had invested millions of dollars in to train and equip... the best of the best... trained over and over again to follow orders and not lie to their superiors (or each other) just as a way of life to promote and maintain trust in the teams, being systematically attacked by their OWN government in an effort to make and example and destroy them on the word of an E-4 Master at Arms and a Terrorist.
Next Review...
NO TRUE GLORY: A frontline account of the Battle for Fallujah.
This is the story of the three Navy SEALs that were prosecuted for the alleged mistreatment of the "Butcher of Fallujah". This waste of human skin, responsible for the killing and mutilation of four Blackwater security agents and then hanging two of them from the bridge crossing the Euphrates river, claimed to authorities that he was mistreated while in the custody of the U.S. Military.
Now, due to the series of "mistreatment" propaganda by the news media at that time, the U.S. Military took the ball and ran with it trying to destroy the lives and careers of these decorated special operators to make an example of them without even knowing the facts and trusting the testimony of a known terrorist and murderer over their own people. Well, that's not 100% true... a low-level E-4 Master at Arms who concocted his entire version of the story in a lame attempt to save his own career was also involved.
Now, in the AL QAEDA FIELD OPERATIONS MANUAL, it clearly states that someone who is captured by the Americans should always and every time, complain of mistreatment and abuse as a priority. This books goes into a step by step account of the capture, alleged mistreatment and trial of the three SEALs... along with how the military brass (and higher) had these guys in their cross-hairs the entire time and were hell-bent on putting them away for a good long time.
In true U.S. Navy SEAL fashion, these guys never gave up... they never gave in... and they fought tooth and nail until the very end. They never relented under HEAVY HOURLY, DAILY, questioning and badgering that, at time, made them question their own decisions. They fought every day to return to the same military and government that turned their back on them. Now, did it sour them for their futures in Special Operations? Of course! How could they perform their jobs effectively when every time they would take on a mission, they had the thoughts of possible prosecution for what they're doing in the back of their minds? It would and could hinder their split second decision making process and cost their lives or the lives of their brothers (Even though in reality, they were implicitly innocent!).
What a moral hit to the team members as well. Every member of the military in fact.
This was a GREAT read. I referred it to an attorney friend of mine who I know would positively enjoy the courtroom action. It will make you take a second look at the chain of command though and ask yourself... "Why bother?". Again, here were Highly decorated Special Operators that the military had invested millions of dollars in to train and equip... the best of the best... trained over and over again to follow orders and not lie to their superiors (or each other) just as a way of life to promote and maintain trust in the teams, being systematically attacked by their OWN government in an effort to make and example and destroy them on the word of an E-4 Master at Arms and a Terrorist.
Next Review...
NO TRUE GLORY: A frontline account of the Battle for Fallujah.
