July 2, 2019

"Decorated Navy SEAL team leader Eddie Gallagher was found not guilty of premeditated murder in the death of an ISIS prisoner in Iraq."

"While Gallagher was serving Mosul in 2017, Navy prosecutors said he killed a young ISIS fighter who was being treated by US medics, posed for photos next to his corpse and then pressured other SEALs not to report him. He was also accused of shooting at noncombatants. In total, the chief special warfare operator faced seven criminal counts. He was found not guilty of all but one charge, posing for a photo with a human casualty. He faces a maximum sentence of four months when he is sentenced later Tuesday, although he has already served 201 days."

CNN reports.

48 comments:

Big Mike said...

Every once in a while the Navy brass picks someone to make an example of, just to show they can. This time they didn't succeed. Good.

YoungHegelian said...

I imagine it became kinda difficult for the prosecution when the medic got on the stand & admitted to mercy-killing the wounded prisoner by asphyxiation in order to prevent the prisoner from being tortured to death by Iraqi militia forces. Also kinda sucks for the prosecution since they had granted the medic immunity in return for his testimony.

It's hard to move past reasonable doubt when one of the prosecution's main witnesses admits on the stand that he himself killed the prisoner.

Ken B said...

YoungHegelian
Jailhouse snitches!

Michael K said...

Yeay! The last of the Obama ROEs.

Command influence was all over this case. Also, I think there was some subordinate revenge. The same occurred in the Iraq war with Lt Pantano.

He wrote a book about it. I hjave it somewhere. His accuser was a sergeant he had punished.

Michael K said...

It's hard to move past reasonable doubt when one of the prosecution's main witnesses admits on the stand that he himself killed the prisoner.

Obviously, the case should have been dismissed at that point.

Jupiter said...

"Obviously, the case should have been dismissed at that point."

The judge might have granted a motion to dismiss if it came from the prosecution. It appears the prosecution thought the witness was lying.

Bay Area Guy said...

The photo was ill-advised, but we need guys like this in our special forces to fight the bad guys.

mockturtle said...

It was, IMO, ignoble of the medic to come forward and testify only after he was guaranteed immunity.

Chris Lopes said...

"It was, IMO, ignoble of the medic to come forward and testify only after he was guaranteed immunity."

For what it's worth, he may have violated the terms of the immunity deal. That's usually how it works when a prosecutor's witness says something the prosecutor didn't expect.

Robert Cook said...

Gallagher sounds like a real psychopathic piece of shit. Too bad he didn't get life in prison. Too many of his ilk are joining police forces now, hence the wave of police murders across the land. They, too, usually escape punishment for their crimes.

"The photo was ill-advised, but we need guys like this in our special forces to fight the bad guys."

What a condemnation of America.

Jupiter said...

Robert Cook said...
"Gallagher sounds like a real psychopathic piece of shit. Too bad he didn't get life in prison."

C'Mon, Cookie, you know you want him dead. Go ahead and say so.

Do you have a job, Cookie?

Michael K said...

Gallagher sounds like a real psychopathic piece of shit.<

As opposed to your hero Fidel. God what a piece you are !

AllenS said...

I wasn't in the Navy, but in the Army as a paratrooper, and I say to you: Airborne, Gallagher!

cronus titan said...

THis case was thin from the beginning, and relied upon testimony from people with an ax to grid with Gallagher. THe Navy badly over-reacted to the photo, which was awful and the most recent in a line of bad photos. THe Navy wanted to deflect attention by showing Congress and the media that they would run over sailors in the pictures. In the end, it was a bad photo and . . . that was it.

THe fact that the medic testified the way he did shows the prosecutors ere either idiots or fools. Probably fools.

Jupiter said...

"The lead prosecutor was removed from the case in May after he was caught improperly attaching tracking software to email messages sent to defense lawyers, leaving his replacement with just a few weeks to catch up before trial."

Hmmm. Yeah, that could be a prob.

Drago said...

Robert "October Surprise" Cook: "Too many of his ilk are joining police forces now, hence the wave of police murders across the land."

1) How many former Navy SEALs serve in Law Enforcement

2) How many police shootings involve former Navy SEALs as the police shooter?

n.n said...

Accusing someone of being Pro-Choice is extremely odious and noxious. The prosecutors and others who brought the false allegations need to be held accountable for spreading a blood libel.

cronus titan said...

Jupiter, the prosecutor denied they were spying on the defense. They argued that they attached the spying software to identify who was talking to the press because the defense was making the prosecutor look foolish in the media. That is what they were concerned about -- not the case, just how they looked.

Those prosecutors have a brilliant future in the FBI and DoJ.

narciso said...

Well David Iglesias was the model for Daniel jaffee in a few good men, and he went on to us attorney for Albuquerque where he refused to charge bill Richardson on corruption charges

Big Mike said...

The photo was ill-advised, but we need guys like this in our special forces to fight the bad guys.

@Bay Area Guy, amen. William T. Sherman pointed out that "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it," while Abraham Lincoln sarcastically asked whether he should prosecute the war using "elder squirts, charged with rose water." It takes hard men to win a war, and if you aren't in it to win it, then stay out.

Big Mike said...

(Sorry if that makes Cookie wet his Depends.)

Vance said...

Doesn't Cook love Cuba, Castro, and Che? Anyone who belongs to a movement that idolizes Che Guevara, like all leftists do, has zero room to talk about someone else "posing" with a dead terrorist that hates America.

But then, that's the entire point isn't it? Che is a hero because he killed people in the name of communism and anti-Americanism. This dead terrorist is cut from the same mold, and the left cannot stand to see anti-American terrorists hampered or killed. It's why they still mourn Osama bin Laden.

Swede said...

That medic wasn't lying.

The Iraqis are extremely cruel to their prisoners. Bribes from family members are generally the only thing keeping a prisoner's existence from being pure hell.

My last tour we were responsible for stopping smuggling in Northwest Iraq. Mostly Yezidi territory on the Syrian border. They smuggled booze and cigarettes into Syria. We caught quite of few.

We actually spoke with the leading smuggler family and told them not to ever smuggle weapons, drugs, cash, or bomb making materiel. If we caught them doing it, we wouldn't stop going after them until they were all in prison. He grabbed his nearest kid, a blonde girl, and swore on her head that they don't smuggle those things.

In the year of that tour, my platoon caught over 60 smugglers. Not one of them ever had that kind of contraband. We let them go instead of turning them over to the Iraqi authorities. They were always very grateful. Everybody knew what would happen if the Border Police or Iraqi Army got a hold of them.

ceowens said...

https://binged.it/2RTNLWj

Michael K said...

Navy badly over-reacted to the photo, which was awful and the most recent in a line of bad photos. THe Navy wanted to deflect attention by showing Congress and the media that they would run over sailors in the pictures. In the end, it was a bad photo and . . . that was it.

This was "Tailhook Two" except they didn't need Pat Schroeder this time. The pussy admirals whose navy keeps running into things and getting captured by Iranians should shut the fuck up. They are the ones who ordered the LCS ships that can't get out of port without breaking down. I just hope no war starts while these incompetents are in control.

traditionalguy said...

Let's face it. When a group of men encounters a strong Gallagher type the brave ones are just happy to have him on their side. But the weak and fearful ones start immediately seeking an opening to get rid of him because they sense that all their tricks and plots will be exposed by a man like Gallagher. Their careers must be shortened because they are too good.

narciso said...

I remember the marcinko tales of the rogue warrior there was this perfumed prince that he looked down upon as opposed to ace Lyons who was his patron

traditionalguy said...

NB : Killing the enemy trying to kill you is the sole purpose of a war. If you want to be nice to them, then make peace.

mockturtle said...

Big Mike quotes: William T. Sherman pointed out that "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it," while Abraham Lincoln sarcastically asked whether he should prosecute the war using "elder squirts, charged with rose water." It takes hard men to win a war, and if you aren't in it to win it, then stay out.

And Lord Kitchener said, “War is a stern game and he who would play it successfully should not be over-troubled with the bowels of compassion.”

narciso said...

And he led forces from Sudan to the Boer war he drowned on the way to gallipoli

Achilles said...

Robert Cook said...
Gallagher sounds like a real psychopathic piece of shit. Too bad he didn't get life in prison. Too many of his ilk are joining police forces now, hence the wave of police murders across the land. They, too, usually escape punishment for their crimes.

"The photo was ill-advised, but we need guys like this in our special forces to fight the bad guys."

What a condemnation of America.



A socialist said this.

We think the same about pieces of shit like you Cook. Go take your murderous ideology and fuck off.

You don't deserve the freedom you were born with but want to take away from us.

Achilles said...

Big Mike said...
Every once in a while the Navy brass picks someone to make an example of, just to show they can. This time they didn't succeed. Good.


If the shit hits the fan and the armed forces get involved in an ad hoc manner the first group of people that will be hunted down by the rank and file are the Obama flag officers. Or VA headquarters.

Both are hated.

Robert Cook said...

War is murder. Which is why we should never start or join a war that isn’t necessary. None of the wars we are engaged in have a valid or legal basis or purpose. We’re carrying on murder, torture and terror without a sliver of justification.

Francisco D said...

War is murder. Which is why we should never start or join a war that isn’t necessary. None of the wars we are engaged in have a valid or legal basis or purpose. We’re carrying on murder, torture and terror without a sliver of justification.

Cookie,

I strongly suspect that you delegate to yourself the authority to determine if a war is necessary.

If you sanction the war, then murder, torture and terror is OK?

President-Mom-Jeans said...

As the 4th of July comes, it always a good time to reflect on what a rotten piece of shit Robert Cook is with his comments about an American hero. Eat shit and kill yourself, you unrepentant Stalinist douchebag. Gallagher is worth a million of you worthless commie fucks. Being thrown from a helicopter would be too good for you.

Michael K said...

War is murder. Which is why we should never start or join a war that isn’t necessary<

Are you still around. I would have thought you would be on a plane to Cuba or Venezuela.

What's the matter with you ? Did your parents put you up for adoption ? Did no one choose you ?

Why do you hate this country ?

Robert Cook said...

Cookie,

“I strongly suspect that you delegate to yourself the authority to determine if a war is necessary.”


War is only justified for self defense. None of our present wars are (and few of our past wars were) necessary for self defense purposes. They’re not “keeping us free,” claims to the contrary notwithstanding.

”If you sanction the war, then murder, torture and terror is OK?”

No, they’re never ok. Which is why we should never engage in war unless there is no other choice.

Robert Cook said...

“...an American hero.”

Heroes don’t stab captive teenagers in the neck. Psychopathic murderers do.

narciso said...

The jury though otherwise a boy named Omar khadr from a family of infamous Egyptian jihadis threw a grenade at Christopher speer, an army medic, after a stint at Gitmo, prime minister Trudeau freed him and played a 10 million dollar settlement to him

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Gallagher is an infinitely better person that you are, Cooktard, as communists are not human beings. No one will mourn your death, and the world will be a better place when you join your heroes Castro, Chavez, Stalin, etc in hell. It's okay if you skip the eat shit part, and get right to the productive part.

Achilles said...

Robert Cook said...
“...an American hero.”

Heroes don’t stab captive teenagers in the neck. Psychopathic murderers do.


That captive "teenager" was actively participating in genocide. It was a near certainty that he had raped captive yahzidi/christian women. He was certainly a murderer himself or tried to be.

Cook approves of genocide and murderers as long as they are trying to kill us and eliminate/rape christians and other enemies of Islam.

We know exactly what you are about.

You leftists continue to make it clear just how much of a threat to our freedom you are every day.

You will not win just like your precious teenager did not win. It is your choice how we get to that point.

Hey Skipper said...

[Robert Cook:] War is only justified for self defense. None of our present wars are (and few of our past wars were) necessary for self defense purposes.

Hmmm. I wonder what would happen if the Strait of Hormuz was to close for, oh, three months.

Lars Porsena said...

Robert Cook said...
Gallagher sounds like a real psychopathic piece of shit. Too bad he didn't get life in prison. Too many of his ilk are joining police forces now, hence the wave of police murders across the land. They, too, usually escape punishment for their crimes.

"The photo was ill-advised, but we need guys like this in our special forces to fight the bad guys."

What a condemnation of America
---------------------------------------

Since the high minded and righteous won't do it, the duty fall to those less than perfect.

Robert Cook said...

"That captive 'teenager' was actively participating in genocide. It was a near certainty that he had raped captive yahzidi/christian women. He was certainly a murderer himself or tried to be."

Assuming your allegations are true, (though I don't know how you know these things about this particular captive's prior actions), was he actively engaged in killing or raping anyone at the time he was killed? Or was he a helpless, wounded captive?

As to the rest of your harangues, here and elsewhere, I think you seriously need psychiatric help. You spew violent hatred over things that exist only in your imagination.

Robert Cook said...

"Since the high minded and righteous won't do it, the duty fall to those less than perfect."

Perhaps, given our history, recent and not so recent, this is not such a good policy.

Hey Skipper said...

So I guess Robert Cook won't bother to tell us the implications of closing the Strait of Hormuz for several months.

Gospace said...

In the past, the photo would have been used as publicity to tell the bad guys what will happen.

In the non-Western world, including Russia, it would still be used for that purpose. Think about it- posing with dead bad guys a crime. WHY?

Scott said...

Given the increasingly widespread availability of cellphone cameras (approaching the point of absolute ubiquity) in most warzones, perhaps the rules about photos (however undesirable they might be, and in whatever poor-taste they certainly are) should be reconsidered.