Trump pardons ex-Army lieutenant convicted of killing suspected Al Qaeda terrorist in 2009

[R.Caerbannog]

From what I've read about the case, I think he might have deserved to spend some time behind bars, and his guys were right to come out against him.

Initially, I thought the same thing. One of my friends in college, who was in Afghanistan at the time, had a different take. The gist of what I understood was that the 'people' shot were Taliban FO's. Our conversation ended with him saying, "What's more dangerous, a man with a rifle or a man with a radio?".

Food for thought.

Maybe he deserved to rot?

Nope. The men killed were enemy FO's, openly calling rounds on our guys, who were then dumb enough to run a blockade by the same guys they attacked.

 

[Marauder06]

Initially, I thought the same thing. One of my friends in college, who was in Afghanistan at the time, had a different take. The gist of what I understood was that the 'people' shot were Taliban FO's. Our conversation ended with him saying, "What's more dangerous, a man with a rifle or a man with a radio?".

Food for thought.


Nope. The men killed were enemy FO's, openly calling rounds on our guys, who were then dumb enough to run a blockade by the same guys they attacked.

That's certainly the defense's argument, but I don't think the totality of the evidence bears that out.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Nope. The men killed were enemy FO's, openly calling rounds on our guys, who were then dumb enough to run a blockade by the same guys they attacked.

I ask the “maybe he deserved prison” question not because I could even begin to have an educated opinion on the case, but more because there is likely much we are not being told; not to mention that Trump has a history of making controversial military related pardons.

Trump issues pardons in war crimes cases, despite Pentagon opposition to the move

Add to that his willingness to overturn decisions for nothing more than military fanboy public support.

Trump Reverses Navy Decision to Oust Edward Gallagher From SEALs (Published 2019)

 

[Marauder06]

I ask the “maybe he deserved prison” question not because I could even begin to have an educated opinion on the case, but more because there is likely much we are not being told; not to mention that Trump has a history of making controversial military related pardons.

Trump issues pardons in war crimes cases, despite Pentagon opposition to the move

Add to that his willingness to overturn decisions for nothing more than military fanboy public support.

Trump Reverses Navy Decision to Oust Edward Gallagher From SEALs (Published 2019)

I'm not a fan of Executive Branch pardons in general, especially pre-emptive ones. T

 

[R.Caerbannog]

That's certainly the defense's argument, but I don't think the totality of the evidence bears that out.

I guess brother. Other than what my friend told me and the experiences I've had in Iraq I'd have to side with Lorence. Seeing the duplicity of men who tousle their newborn in the air, while hiding a cache of explosives and maps, has made me skeptical of the claims of uninvolved civilians.

I ask the “maybe he deserved prison” question not because I could even begin to have an educated opinion on the case, but more because there is likely much we are not being told; not to mention that Trump has a history of making controversial military related pardons.

Trump issues pardons in war crimes cases, despite Pentagon opposition to the move

Add to that his willingness to overturn decisions for nothing more than military fanboy public support.

Trump Reverses Navy Decision to Oust Edward Gallagher From SEALs (Published 2019)

Have you ever heard the saying, "if you don't bend, you will eventually break"? Counter insurgencies are historically very hard to deal with, especially when the men who walk the halls of DC ask the impossible of you. In many cases, the realities on the ground are different to what the DC politicos forecast.

The higher echelons cannot have a zero defect mentality towards the ground guys, while tying warfighters hands with policy made on feelings or the political equivalent of the good idea fairy. This happens enough and your men become apathetic, demoralized, and disillusioned.

- Example of this lunacy: Word from higher up telling Joes to shoot to wound, when being engaged by hostile forces.
- Another example: Letting grown Afghan/Iraqi men abuse kids, cause it's part of their culture.

Add on: To clarify, I think these pardons have served as a sort of pressure release. Though if I'm being forthright, I think a lot of the guys caught up in this have been railroaded over actions that no one would've batted an eye to 50 years ago. Apologies if I'm coming off harshly, not trying to be confrontational.