Special Forces' Jason Amerine: a Whistleblower Thrown Under the Bus?
- Thread starter Marauder06
- Start date
Did he give the info while testifying before Congress, or just pass the data?
Does Rep Hunter have a need to know?
Does Rep Hunter have a need to know?
Disagree with this author.
Military Officers entrusted with classified information have the obligation to protect that information in accordance with applicable regulations – period. Whether this guy is a brand-new PV2 or a decorated SF veteran makes no difference in his obligations. If he violated those rules I think he must face the consequences.
I am very suspect of his claims of whistleblower protection.
First, whistleblower status does not alleviate you from your responsibilities to protect classified material.
Second, it seems apparent he views his participation in feeding information to Congressman Hunter on SSG Bergdahl negotiations/hostage release as both his ‘right as an American’ and protected under whistleblower status. Both claims are demonstrably false. Communications between servicemembers and Congress are governed through a number of regulations I’m sure the prosecution will make abundantly clear but for anyone familiar with the ‘congressionals’ that come down in almost every unit you know – servicemembers can communicate misconduct, generating an investigation, and they can testify when called upon. They do not get to serve as under-cover political operatives – which sounds like what LTC Amerine was doing.
I’m sure LTC Amerine sincerely believes the Obama administration and the President have mishandled a number of national security issues including those surrounding SSG Bergdahl. He may even be correct. What he does not get to do, like the rest of us, is decide policy himself or leverage his position of access and trust as a member of the military to work on partisan policy – as he has clearly done. We are the executors of policy – not the policy makers. If the orders are not illegal it is our duty to carry them out to the best of our ability.
I’d encourage those sympathetic to LTC Amerine to flip the scenario. LTC Patton disagrees with the Bush administration’s drone policy. He is working on critical aspects of the policy in the Pentagon so starts going to Congressman Kucinich to feed him as many details as possible. Congressman Kucinich and his allies use the information to craft legislation to damage or end the policy – but also leverage the information for partisan attacks and hearings aimed to embarrass the administration. Still think he’s a whistleblower?
If it turns out LTC Amerine’s pay is being withheld as retribution the parties responsible should be prosecuted – their actions are criminal. I suspect the flag he is under, due to the investigation, coinciding with his approved retirement date are playing havoc with the personnel system and that is the cause of the pay issue – not retribution.
Military Officers entrusted with classified information have the obligation to protect that information in accordance with applicable regulations – period. Whether this guy is a brand-new PV2 or a decorated SF veteran makes no difference in his obligations. If he violated those rules I think he must face the consequences.
I am very suspect of his claims of whistleblower protection.
First, whistleblower status does not alleviate you from your responsibilities to protect classified material.
Second, it seems apparent he views his participation in feeding information to Congressman Hunter on SSG Bergdahl negotiations/hostage release as both his ‘right as an American’ and protected under whistleblower status. Both claims are demonstrably false. Communications between servicemembers and Congress are governed through a number of regulations I’m sure the prosecution will make abundantly clear but for anyone familiar with the ‘congressionals’ that come down in almost every unit you know – servicemembers can communicate misconduct, generating an investigation, and they can testify when called upon. They do not get to serve as under-cover political operatives – which sounds like what LTC Amerine was doing.
I’m sure LTC Amerine sincerely believes the Obama administration and the President have mishandled a number of national security issues including those surrounding SSG Bergdahl. He may even be correct. What he does not get to do, like the rest of us, is decide policy himself or leverage his position of access and trust as a member of the military to work on partisan policy – as he has clearly done. We are the executors of policy – not the policy makers. If the orders are not illegal it is our duty to carry them out to the best of our ability.
I’d encourage those sympathetic to LTC Amerine to flip the scenario. LTC Patton disagrees with the Bush administration’s drone policy. He is working on critical aspects of the policy in the Pentagon so starts going to Congressman Kucinich to feed him as many details as possible. Congressman Kucinich and his allies use the information to craft legislation to damage or end the policy – but also leverage the information for partisan attacks and hearings aimed to embarrass the administration. Still think he’s a whistleblower?
If it turns out LTC Amerine’s pay is being withheld as retribution the parties responsible should be prosecuted – their actions are criminal. I suspect the flag he is under, due to the investigation, coinciding with his approved retirement date are playing havoc with the personnel system and that is the cause of the pay issue – not retribution.
Brill
SOF Support
I've read other accounts and I don't see why the FBI was involved. Rep Hunter is on the Armed Services committee as well as the sub on Intel, so he has NTK.
http://hunter.house.gov/press-relea...ren-weinstein-near-afghanistanpakistan-border
When did the FBI become the Executive Branch's secret police? Here's yet another sample of CID guilty verdict without evidence.
http://wapo.st/1KTKsDN
http://hunter.house.gov/press-relea...ren-weinstein-near-afghanistanpakistan-border
When did the FBI become the Executive Branch's secret police? Here's yet another sample of CID guilty verdict without evidence.
http://wapo.st/1KTKsDN
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Several years ago I worked for an organization that, among other things, investigated certain types of unauthorized disclosures/leaks of classified information. One of the tasks I was most daunted by was trying to investigate disclosures in various books. I thought, and said as much, that it must be impossible to find the sources for all the classified material in Naylor, Bowden, and other journalistic vice memoir style books with all their research, careful cover by the author, and the wide variety of non-classified sources. A veteran investigator told me something that proved very true - 'Nope, it's the easiest thing in the world. Read the book a second time and look for the unsung 'heroes' - the guys that according to the narrative always knew the right answer, were prescient about how things should have been done, and never seemed to be recognized fully. Nine times out of ten we look at those one or two guys hard, and they've got dozens of direct connections to the author.'
Makes me take the press releases and commentary with a grain of salt.
Makes me take the press releases and commentary with a grain of salt.
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I think LTC Amerine was wrong. There are multiple reasons, but dissemination of classified material is the biggest.
Oh, he has ballz the size of watermelons, but not the brains to match.
Brill
SOF Support
I hate to revive an older discussion but Id rather not start a redundant thread on this.
I came across this while looking at some other stuff and then came here to search for context.
In his testimony he states the information wasn't classified and he also claims the administration wasnt properly informed of what was going on. I think its also interesting how the FBI retaliates.
I came across this while looking at some other stuff and then came here to search for context.
In his testimony he states the information wasn't classified and he also claims the administration wasnt properly informed of what was going on. I think its also interesting how the FBI retaliates.
Red Flag 1
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TLDR20
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It is ongoing.
He just retired.
