10/27/2005
FREE JACK IDEMA!
If you’re looking for pieces on Jack Idema and his team, please click on this link for the latest posts.
EMILIO MORENATTI / Associated Press
FREE JACK IDEMA, BRENT BENNETT and ED CARABALLO!
Taking in as much as I possibly could over the past couple of days, I have to weigh in on the Jack Idema story. I blogged about it some time ago, just acknowledging the fact that he’d been arrested in Afghanistan and at the time, there was wide speculation as to his intentions, his connections, what seemed to be wild claims, etc..and when I saw Stephen Spielberg was involved, and Dreamworks, and on and on, I just brushed it aside. Hey. I’m a busy girl, ok? I have my own stuff going on..although..when I look at the SuperPatriots website, I have to say–anything I’ve EVER gone through in my lifetime doesn’t compare in any way remotely to what these guys have been through in the past 2 years. God Bless Jack’s wife, she sure has a pistol on her hands.
I have been authorized to use anything from the SuperPatriots website as I see fit. I just wanted to let you know that going in. This is some of the story that I’ve been able to put together after having spent some time on the phone today with one of Jack’s attorneys, and spending a few days going over news reports, articles, and the Superpatriots.us website.
Barry Farber wrote at Newsmax in “The Case of Keith Idema“…
There are two kinds of journalists writing about Jonathon (Jack) Keith Idema - those who praise him, and those who portray him as an insane, sadistic, renegade ex-Green Beret who led his own private army inside Afghanistan rounding up innocent Afghans and beating them and hanging them upside down in his own private jail in Kabul.
And what’s the difference between those two kinds of journalists? The ones who praise him have been on the Keith Idema story for 10 years. The others have been on the Keith Idema story for about ten minutes! I belong to the first group.
It is the people who know the man that we should be paying attention to–plus the countless guys who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who are behind the Superpatriots.us website. You see, in the beginning, after he was arrested, all kinds of people came out talking about what a criminal he was, a crank, a crackpot, a loose cannon–a guy who grew up on John Wayne movies, who was way over the top and wasn’t working for the US Government. They piled on, without thinking about it–kind of like a bunch of football players in a romp. Only it was malicious and hurtful.
But from where I’m sitting, some of the most incredible part of this story goes back to way before 2004, and should shape the opinion you might have of the man today.
In 1991 when the Soviet Union fell apart there was no happier fall-away piece than Lithuania, which was swallowed whole by the Soviet Union in 1940 and remained anti-Soviet until the Soviets collapsed in 1991. Somebody in Washington did some good thinking. Send some of our people over, make contact with the Lithuanian KGB - who really hated Russia and communism the whole time - and see what we could learn. And they couldn’t have sent a better man than Special Forces Sergeant J. Keith Idema who quickly bonded with the Lithuanians and brought back information that may either save us all or serve us with fair warning of our impending physical obliteration!
(Idema’s admirers claim Keith wowed the Lithuanian KGB guys by out-shooting them at the firing range and out-drinking them in the officers’ club afterwards. I won t let that thought breathe outside of parentheses because the saga of Keith Idema is going to get plenty wild enough without it!)
The next year, 1992, Keith became the star at a Pentagon briefing by delivering the startling news that since the Soviet breakup, weapons-grade nuclear material had been, not leaking, but pouring into the hands of the international terrorist underworld. When a system like communism collapses, whatever you’re sitting on top of becomes your currency. If you’re supervisor of a shoe factory, you trade shoes for food, clothing, whatever. If you re in charge of a potato warehouse, potatoes are your new rubles. And those who were in charge of weapons-grade nuclear material found themselves in an enviable trading position.
Keith described to those at that Pentagon briefing the nuclear backpack or suitcase nuclear bomb, a tactical atomic device that could lay waste to 40 city blocks when detonated, Keith warned that the number of missing units from the former Soviet arsenal was unknowable. The traffic was lucrative to those who controlled that material and their tight Soviet-era control was now out of control.
After the Pentagon briefing two men approached Keith and said, “Great work, Sergeant. We’re FBI and CIA. Give us your sources over there and we’ll continue your great work.”
Nothing doing, Keith told them. He explained that in order to get his information he had to vow he would never share it with either the FBI or the CIA. Don t forget, he told them. The Lithuanians who gave me all this were plugged into the communist intelligence brain. And they know that the CIA and the FBI are riddled with their OWN spies!
The men warned Keith of dire consequences if he did not divulge his sources. Keith did not deliver. They did! Keith was indicted for wire fraud and thrown into federal prison.
So Idema was indicted on, what sounds to me like a frame up. He maintains that if he turned and started working with the corrupt FBI right now, he and his men–Brent, Ed and Zorro–would be free at this very moment. There are all kinds of stories out there about the FBI’s corruption and ineffectiveness, so to me, this is no news. What IS news is how far it really goes.
President Bush said that the war on terror will be a different war, waged on many fronts, some battles will be well known, some battles will be done in secret.
It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.
We will direct every resource at our command — every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war — to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network.
Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.
Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes visible on TV and covert operations secret even in success.
We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place until there is no refuge or no rest.
And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.
“…and covert operations, secret even in success.” It’s my belief that the kind of work that Special Ops, Black Ops, Psyops, Special Forces, Navy Seals, etc.–do–is the kind of work that under normal circumstances, we never hear about. But this case is quite different.
Since Idema, his men and the afghanis with them were arrested in July of 2004 in Afghanistan, there’s been an amazing story unfolding that has been virtually untouched by the press. It would seem that journalists absolutely love to build a man up in order to tear him down…but kicking him while he’s down? That’s a new one to me. Telling the story is one thing, but lies of omission are another. Distorting and defaming? That’s not really all that new…but Idema’s “different than your average bear”…
There has been a plethora of media stories circulating about him, most having waged a smear campaign against him and his guys, even though they’ve been at prison since about July 2004 and haven’t been able to defend themselves. Flogging the Simian has been attacking them regularly -there are over 30 posts on Idema over there. In response, the site Superpatriots went up. The phrase “Superpatriot” was coined by Soj, I gather, and the guys went with it because they thought it was appropos. One Romanian communist’s sarcasm in a weak attempt at humor has been turned into an opportunity for an army to avenge Jack’s honor with a vengeance.
This story is about to hit the fan, big time. And after it has, I’m sure that lots of media pundits will be piling on–just as they piled on when the announcement came out that Idema and his boys were arrested to begin with. One thing that’s interesting; Floggin’ the Simian hasn’t posted anything on this since March of 2005. Coincidence? Just a cursory look at Flogging shows the views of a foreign communist without a clue and the flagrant blatant chilling hatred of America. Not unlike the leftists here, right? I’ve seen it before…although the European variety is far more repugnant.
In the Asia Times online, Ramtanu Maitra wrote a piece on September 29 of 2004 called “Idema Takes a Fall in Afghanistan“.
On September 16, Jonathan Idema was convicted in Afghanistan on charges of torture and other crimes. Idema was arrested after Afghan police found eight men tied up or hanging in his private prison in Kabul. Idema, a former member of the US Special Forces, claimed that he was acting at the behest of sections of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US Defense Department, including deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence General William Boykin.
The conviction of Jonathan “Jack” Idema was a foregone conclusion. To begin with, Idema, a paid mercenary, is dispensable. Second, by all accounts he was - despite denials - assigned to do the job by Boykin, who in turn reports directly to the under secretary of defense for military intelligence, Stephen Cambone. Had the charges been reviewed in depth at a fair trial, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and even Vice President Dick Cheney could have been implicated. While the high-ups condone and protect the methods applied by the lower ranks, but stay aloof from incriminating details, both Boykin and Cambone are certainly more vulnerable.
The only thing I take issue with right there is the term “mercenary”. Jack and his guys don’t fit under the legal description of mercenary, so that makes me bristle. What is becoming more and more clear is the level at which Jack and his men were operating in their terrorist operations — and how the FBI erased the ties to the big wigs who could protect themselves when they took evidence Jack and his men could have used in court to defend themselves. Thanks to one lawyer, some of the evidence was returned to them, but it was mostly evidence that other people came up with that helped them to defend themselves. By all appearances, the American government sent Jack in to do a dirty job, and denied it, covered it up, and sent him to the torture chamber with NDS members acting on behalf of the FBI when the s*** hit the fan.
Now, the story of Jack Idema and what happened to him after his arrest is amazing and untold. Their brutal sadistic torture for 90 days at the hands of former taliban members-NDS- while the FBI was present- is practically unbelievable–as is most of this story. You can read about it over at the SuperPatriots.us site, which includes all kinds of documentation, and the legal cases which have been emerging as a result of the mishandling of their arrest, the kangaroo court case, and their subsequent brutal detention. But a lot of important truths about the Americans helping to put the Taliban back into power in Afghanistan is probably the most important-yet frightening reality.
While we’re concentrating our efforts in Iraq, on the new constitution there, on the purple fingers and Cindy Sheehan, there is another story afoot.
Idema held fast to his loyalties to the Northern Alliance, even though Hamid Karsai (the first “democratically elected” president of Afghanistan) was allowing and appointing “former” Taliban members to crawl back into positions of power. At Wikipedia, it talks about Karsai having been a “former” supporter of the Taliban, who “flipped’ later. What seems to be obvious at this point is — his allegiance to the Taliban persists.
During the first trial, the judge called Idema and his men allies of the “resistance”, which means the Northern Alliance Forces, which clearly describes where the judge was coming from. The “resistance”, to a member of the Taliban, was the Northern Alliance, who’ve been fighting the Soviets, and later, the Taliban, for many years.
There is growing evidence that Jack and his guys were arrested under false circumstances, for false allegations and brought before a kangaroo Taliban court. And one by one, these people are going down.
You haven’t heard, because the media’s not telling it, but this is the truth.
This story, written by Peter Bergen at Rolling Stone Magazine, may not be totally accurate, but it is about the closest there has been of truthtelling so far in this case, and the winds of change are a’comin’.
The strangest thing of all is that Idema, a convicted con man who served four years in federal prison in the mid-Nineties, is telling the truth when he says that his terrorist-hunting operation in Kabul was known both at high levels of the Afghan government and within the murky world of U.S. military intelligence. What’s more, he may indeed have disrupted a plot to assassinate officials in the Afghan government and carry out bombings in Kabul.
So many guys who would have liked to have had a featured role in the book “Hunting for Bin Laden” missed their chance and blame Jack for not having a starring role it….disgruntled players in an unfortunate game of cat and mouse; and when they saw the cat, they ran off like cockroaches exposed to the light.
After Idema’s arrest, Afghan officials told reporters that he’d had only the most casual of contacts with the Afghan government, yet the record shows that he had a wide range of dealings with Afghan cabinet officials, diplomats and army officers. Afghan officials also briefed reporters about the beatings Idema had administered his prisoners, and how he hung them from the ceiling by the feet. These allegations came just a few months after the revelations of the abuses perpetrated by American soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which gave added traction to the notion that Idema was running a freelance bounty-hunting and torture operation. During his trial, Idema’s former prisoners testified that they had been beaten, hooded, given little food and had their heads dunked in a bucket of water to the point that they almost passed out. But none of those witnesses were cross-examined, and Idema and his colleagues denied using anything other than standard, nonviolent interrogation techniques.
These are some of the facts that are emerging.
The men who presided over the proceedings were a “former” Taliban judge and a “former” Taliban prosecutor. They were Judge Bakhtyari, and Prosecutor Mohammed Nahim Dawar, and this is the kind of crap that people suffered in a kangaroo court under the Taliban. First, although there are laws in Afghanistan, nobody pays attention to them, so much of the court proceedings didn’t progress as you would imagine a normal trial would. Evidence was not allowed to be read into the record, other evidence was simply disallowed. Second, everybody got to see the evidence against them but the actual guys, and their lawyers, and Jack, who was defending himself, and third, the Taliban took away their competent interpreter so half the time these guys didn’t understand what was being said in court, and then when they DID get an interpreter, it was a Soviet-trained interpreter, who was weighing in on his own thoughts about how they were guilty and refused to translate, and translated inaccurately, interjecting his own biased statements toward the guilt of the accused. Oh and I guess I should mention that although the guys and their defending attorneys weren’t allowed to see the case file against them, Judge Bakhtyari, and Prosecutor Mohammed Nahim Dawar sold the opportunity to see the evidence files to journalists.
There is so much more to this, it’s difficult to sift through it all. Under the Geneva Conventions, these guys should have POW status, but somehow the government has denied them that.
In the words of John Tiffany,
“The thought that a Taliban Judge, a Taliban Prosecutor, and a former Soviet “Interpreter,” could arrest, try, and convict American counter-terrorist operators without a piece of evidence, with a single witness under the law, and without a shred of due process, is not unfathomable, but criminal and contrary to every assertion of freedom the Afghan government has given the American public to obtain international assistance and support.”
In addition, during the time they’ve been imprisoned, the FBI has been complicit in several crimes, not the least of which is stealing the evidence the men could have used to defend themselves, and standing by (and reportedly laughing) as Idema and his men were beaten and tortured.
They were denied communication with their families and beaten and tortured with FBI representatives present, and then- the FBI stole evidence they could use to defend themselves….leaving them hanging on the edge of a legal precipice.
So think about it; now you’ve got the Taliban Judge ignoring the Afghani “Rule of Law” completely, violating more than 100 of 26 Afghan Law statutes, FBI involvement and complicity, the revelation that Karsai is helping former Taliban members assume positions of power–this is a wowser case…and it’s mind boggling just taking it in, it all of its magnitude. A story out of a Hollywood movie, yet it’s happened, and there is more, so much more.
(Kabul 9/27/2005) Two Top Official Sources used by the Press against Idema and his team have “resigned”
The spokesman Lutfullah Mashal, a former Taliban-linked journalist, and spokesman for Jalali was the man that said terrorists were found hanging upside down and tortured in the Task Force Saber Compound. No physical or photographic evidence has ever been produced to support this, and it is now widely acknowledged that it NEVER happened. Massoud’s Northern Alliance Corps Commanders called for the arrest and prosecution of Mashal for falsely reporting the incident to the international press and called for apologies to Idema and Team. It is now official, the Parliament elections are over and so Jalali and Mashal are history.
The alleged “torture” by Idema and his men never took place:
Judge Sidiq stated that he “was never tortured, hung upside down, doused with water, or even slapped.” In fact, the Taliban Karzai appointee admitted that his ONLY complaint was that Jack and his guys did not allow him to use the bathroom for more than twelve hours and this violated Islamic Law.
He was also stripped of his “judge” status and will now be called “mister Sidiq”.
There were no terrorists hung from the ceiling (the ceilings and walls can barely hang pictures or light fixtures, let alone a man’s weight), and there were no terrorists being held in Idema’s basement…there couldn’t have been…the place had no basement.
Terrorists have no problem with beating you senseless until the orbits of your eyes fill up with blood and you get detached retinas, or beating the bottoms of your feet until they’re swollen like footballs (Islamic torture called “fallaqua” was a favorite method of torture of Udai Hussein), or helping tear both rotator cuffs, but they have a problem when you don’t let them go to the bathroom.
Idema and his men were moved from NDS custody at Saderat, the FBI/NDS facility by the Northern Alliance to better living quarters — to more civilized quarters-at Pulacharke Prison. And who do you suppose are watching out for them? Who do you suppose have helped them to survive 7 assassination attempts?
Well it’s certainly not our friends at the FBI or anyone in the American government, including the American Ambassador Khalilzad or Sandra Ingram, who was the acting Consul, or Mueller.
In March, 2005, all men were declared not guilty of the allegations of torture, but the resulting press conference and release was stopped by Ambassador Khalilzad.
In an amazing turn of events, an Afghani newspaper Voice of the Mujahadeen declared their innocence and demands their release. Massoud’s Northern Alliance is refusing to turn in their weapons or submit to the UN mandated demobilization and are threatening action if Idema isn’t released.
It would seem to me that this Ambassador Khalilzad should go for tap dancing lessons because if that website is any indication, hell is going to rain down on him–it’s just a matter of time.
I have been going over that website and in touch with a few people, but extremely hesitant to post anything about this because that guy and what’s happening scares the literal and figurative shit out of me…but…
I’ve been threatened here before…lawsuits, threats to my life, threats to my family, phone calls, emails…I’ve had it all…and I write under a pseudonym! I can’t imagine what it’d be like for me if I was just hanging it all out there like Michelle Malkin.
I just want to thank Soj for putting so much time and effort into all 30-something blog posts with all of that commie Romanian venom aimed directly at Jack to discredit him. You’re a hateful little bitch–but if you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be learning so much about what’s happening in Afghanistan right now. The hailstorm against terrorism was released by guys like Jack–and what’s happening in Afghanistan right now will be our victory.
Here’s my virtual salute to RDX…
GuuattaD!
May God watch over those guys and protect them so they can make it home safely and to hell with Mike Whitney at Al Jazeera!
My previous brushes with Mike Whitney are here, here, here, here.
More blogs about task force sabre 7.
» Blog Archive linked with Free Jack Idema Blogburst
TMH's Bacon Bits linked with Jack Idema Speaks Out Nov. 1st, Live Online
Big Dog's Weblog linked with Idema Left Out To Dry
October 27th, 2005 at 2:53 pm
“who portray him as an insane, sadistic, renegade ex-Green Beret who led his own private army inside Afghanistan rounding up innocent Afghans and beating them and hanging them upside down in his own private jail in Kabul.”
That is what he did and may he rot in hell for it.
I am not going to quote scripture, but you know what I am talking about.
-Hype
October 27th, 2005 at 3:06 pm
Uh–:shock: no, he didn’t. The victims came forward and admitted it was all a show for the media.
In March, 2005, all men were declared not guilty of the allegations of torture, but the resulting press conference and release was stopped by Ambassador Khalilzad.
Can’t you read?
May you rot in hell for spreading disinformation and lies.
October 27th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
Is Hypersphere your own little troll Cao? Did you raise it yourself from a little baby troll?
October 27th, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Actually, Cao, you might be the first person to be able to wade through the ******** and publish the facts. They were terrorists, they got caught, Idema caught them, and then they lied. Like, here’s a good one: the terrorists were supposed to be hanging upside down in a basement. Problem was there was no basement in the house, I know, I sent a team there to photograph it. Nor has ONE piece of evidence ever been shown against them- Just anonymous sources who have all either dissapeared or been identified, and now fired.
Good job, keep it up, and never let them see you sweat.
October 27th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
Yeah I knew this piece was too long.
I said it here:
Thanks for posting here CSGT, Sir.
I was warned I’m going to get “attacked” when I post this stuff but it’s not like I haven’t been attacked before. That’s why we have The Wide Awakes…as backup/defenders when people are getting attacked by leftist trolls.
No, Ogre, that one just sprang out of nothingness, and apparently went running back to his little rathole.
There is definitely more to come on this…I’m absolutely sick and tired of the leftist bullcrap that hates the military and tries so hard to paint you guys in a bad light.
October 27th, 2005 at 6:38 pm
You go get em ! Finally someone with the balls to start telling the real story. Sorta makes us have renewed faith in bloggers.
Drive on soldier, cause we are all on board the FREE JACK campaign!
And tell your critics to read the book: THEY JUST DON’T GET IT by a retired Colonel, David Hunt, that works for FOX News. Look at page #200, where he quotes an al-Qaida manual which states:
———–
“Missions Required of the Military Organization (al-Qaeda)”
The overthrow of the godless regimes and their replacement with an Islamic regime. Other missions consist of the following:
4. Freeing the brothers who are captured by the enemy.
5. Spreading rumors and writing statements that instigate people against the enemy.
—————-
In plain language, terrorists not only have a reason to lie about their capture, treatment, and make up torture stories, they have a “God given” purpose and directive to do it. Wake up folks. Get a grip. Jack Idema should have killed them.
Afghanistan has a new head of Parliament (the man whose life Idema saved), and is getting a new government. And most of us actually in this battle cannot wait to see what the next few months hold.
You shouldn’t go by Cao, you should go by Tiger. Thanks for supporting the entire military, and most of all the dark operators who everyone always wants to slam as rogue, when maybe it really isn’t that black and white.
October 27th, 2005 at 6:53 pm
There are many, that have borne the burden of this battle since 9/11 on their shoulders, giving all, getting nothing, and losing everything. Men like Jack Idema, after 9/11, when everyone wanted to go, but didn’t, bore the heaviest load, and sacrificed their families, and often their lives so that America could remain free and safe. So far, no attack, although many have been planned, has taken place on American soil since then.
Our nation owes their thanks, their security, and their very blood to men like Jack Idema and God forgive those ******** that don’t appreciate it, or are too stupid to see it. We should stand in awe of those that were on the front lines in the first days of the war when the Pentagon estimated that most would be wiped out to give the regular Army time prepare. Instead, they took the entire country over in 90 days. Jack Idema was on the forefront of that battle, and I know this for a fact. As does ANY general officer or commander in the Northern Alliance which fought and died by our side. Jack Idema might have done everything right, but he did a lot more right then the rest of the world. And you don’t hear him crying. From what I know, he spit blood in the face of the guys that were torturing him. Any doubts? Call the Red Cross in Kabul. They examined terrorists that had NO MARKS. When the finally saw Idema by accident while he was being moved to another area after 40 days, they asked him how he got so beat up and why his uniform was covered in blood and he told them to **** off. He took the real beating and sucked it up. Cao, why don’t you contact Tristen at Kabul Red Cross, he told a dozen journalists about it at a bar in Kabul, and I was there and they thought I was a just a security guard for an NGO (pretty stupid assumption if you ever saw me). Not one journalist printed it. By the way, the Red Cross is not allowed to release that information, so you have to figure that this IRCC fellow must have been pretty upset. That’s a story that isn’t on our website.
Thank you Cao, thank you.
October 27th, 2005 at 9:09 pm
Hmmm. Tiger. Caoilfhionn (key-lin) has a long stupid and sentimental history to go with it–but Tiger would be much easier, wouldn’t it?
Cao is “key” and it’s irish gaelic and–nobody seems to “get it” but Irishmen or Scots like my buddy Kender.
It’s gonna be a long and bumpy ride, guys, so strap yourselves in.
I appreciate the thanks, but look. It’s YOU guys who are making the sacrifices, it’s you guys who are out there breaking your asses watching your buddies go down, taking hits for stuff that’s not your fault, finding beheaded bodies of your friends and civilians strapped into charred carwrecks and cleaning up the mess afterwards, bandaging your faces after getting hit with schrapnel, and moving on to do your work, or helping someone with a bullet wound, or a face injury, or picking up your weapons and going on with the fight after burying some of your team mates. I see it as my job–my duty–my responsibility to see to it that someone’s got your back at home. And I mean all of you.
I’m not sayin’ that I can do this singlehandedly, but for right now, I’m going to do what I can to get this story out on behalf of not only Jack–but all of you guys.
I would hope that if one of my sons was in this situation, that people like you would be there for them, and I would be doing the same thing for them at home. This is about duty, honor, country and loyalty–and old-fashioned values–things that people seem to have forgotten about.
God bless every one of you, I support you–and I mean REALLY SUPPORT YOU–and I support your mission, and I sure as hell understand it better than most people, it looks like.
The war on terror is not going to go away and the best thing we can do is let our guys fight it rather than tie one hand behind their backs with this diplomatic bullcrap.
One guy wrote me telling me:
This pisses me off to no end.
Guns up until all the terrorists are DEAD!
Godspeed.
October 27th, 2005 at 9:12 pm
Your blog is great. Jack is innocent. I’ve been his friend for a long time, and been on this story for a long time. He didn’t commit wire fraud either. Jack is harsh, abrasive, hard to take sometimes, egotistical, full fo himself, suicidally brave, and fun. He is SF to the third power, and we’d be better off if we had a lot more like him.
October 27th, 2005 at 9:34 pm
Amen to THAT.
I loved where he was going down the allegations of jaggin’ off the monkey over there. One of them is
he says
Either he said it or one of the guys said it, but…bwahahahahaha that’s too funny.
I kind of get the idea that he’s abrasive and full of himself by the journalists getting all weirded out by his saying things like “do you have an exit strategy?”
And people call him “*****”.
When this is all over, I’d like to see certain people get an *****, that’s for sure.
Thanks for your support, everyone.
More posts on the way….
October 27th, 2005 at 9:46 pm
Hey HyperSphere01,
Quote some scripture, you’ll be just like those psychos that were quoting Allah right before they crashed into the WTC and killed my brother you punk *****.
Post your name and address. Were you there? Then how do you know he did it? Oh, that’s right, you want to trust the same ******* terrorists that killed 4,000 civilians on 9/11. Man, you are a really smart guy. You stupid ****. This guy would eat your heart if you ever met him in a bar. Too bad we didn’t have a whole army of Jack pitbulls out there, the ******* war would be over you jerk and we wouldn’t have 2,500 more Americans in Arlingon Cemetary.
October 27th, 2005 at 9:57 pm
Just for info- that guy that posted under “Jim Morris” is not some cyber punk. I am pretty sure, although not 100% sure, that it is Major Jim Morris, author of the Vietnam book WAR STORY which I have a first edition of. He has like five purple hearts, five bronze stars, and enough medals to fill a 55 gallon barrel. He is a Special Forces Officer and I have read several articles in military magazines by him. So you have to ask why a guy like that puts his rep on the line with a public posting. CAO- work this story, there is some definite wild stuff behind this.
October 27th, 2005 at 10:20 pm
I was nervous to put this up…now I know I’ve done the right thing.
Thanks to all of you guys.
God bless you…!
October 27th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Known Idema since 1978. I retired from SOCOM and served 35 years in the army, most in Special Forces. I would die for him. Almost have a few times because of his **** you attitude. Almost 30 years and nothing has changed. He’s 50 years old and has been fighting and killing terrorists long before it was fashionable.
This is not a kid playing “mercenary” this is a highly trained, and highly experienced operator who got hung out to dry in the 80’s in Central America and came back to assist a revolution in the Soviet Union in 1991, then got hung out to dry again, then retired, then went back to war in 2001 and sacrified everything for his country. He spent a year in combat, longer than ANY operator in Afghanistan, and then he went back again and again, and when he finally found Mullah Omar and Hekmatyar, they hung him out to dry again. I would not have done it, but then again I am not him. Most people do not have a clue. I do. I was his intel sergeant in the 80’s. May he one day be recognized for what he is, a true American hero. Lets not forget the men who have stayed with him in prison VOLUNTARILY even after being released. Now what does that tell you about the man?
He once left me behind in 1982 on an operation because I had a wife and kids. He did not expect to return in one piece. He told me I was not needed, the truth was that he didn’t want me to get killed.
In 1980 I watched him knock out the son of the Surgeon General (I think it was the Surgeon General- been 25 years) because the snot nosed major had “insulted” his team commander and said his dad was going get him thrown out of the army. Believe me, he knocked the Major OUT. And the Major deserved it. If you think this is ********, check it out, his name was Terry, Luther Terry.
Someone once told me a story about how he rescued a dog from the street in San Salvador and almost got killed doing it. A dog.
The Associated Press called him every terrible thing possible in 2004, but they forgot to mention that they called him an American Hero in April 2002 for saving 300 women and children- SINGLE-HANDEDLY during an Afghan earthquake and Taliban attack. The Associated Press even published pictures of him rescuing both children and old women. They never told you about that when they wanted to sell papers in 2004 based on him being an accussed torturer.
What blows me away, is that Americans watch Jack Bauer (24) on TV every single week, and love it and cheer. When the real deal shows up you **** you pants. Well he’s the real version. The REAL deal.
He defends those that cannot defend themselves without concern for his safety, career, or life. He choses his country first, sacrifices all, and pays dearly. What do you say about someone like this? For more than a year bloggers have made me sick abusing the freedom of speech with lies, now one person stand up and stands fast.
May God bless you and your family Cao.
De Oppresso Liber,
Thomas R. Bumback
Master Sergeant
US Army Special Forces
(retired)
October 28th, 2005 at 7:21 am
THIS IS A GREAT SIDE! PRO-JACK ALL THE WAY! LET’S PUT OUT THIS FIRE AND GET THESE GUYS HOME!
October 28th, 2005 at 7:46 am
By all means, but let’s give them the support they need in order to come home in VICTORY.
October 28th, 2005 at 9:32 am
It does my heart and soul good to see such Warriors in support of one of their own!
SSgt Yatahey
Former U.S. MARINE Forward Scout/Sniper
2 Tours Viet-Nam / 3rdMarDiv / 27thMarines
Marine SSgt Yatahey
John “HANOI FONDA” Skerry is guilty of war crimes and lying to the people - he should be strung up in a tree; shot at sunrise; kicked in the nuts; and ran out of America along with:
* Cindy Sheehan
* Louis Farrakhan
* Al Sharpton
* Michael Moore
* Stephen Pearcy
* Ted Rall
* Theodore Kennedy
* Frank Church
Git-R-Done!
October 28th, 2005 at 11:32 am
SSGT, you crack me up.
October 28th, 2005 at 1:58 pm
I don’t want to take this sideways, but I don’t have five Hearts, I have four, and two of them were pretty cheap. I also only have four Bronze Stars, though I’m proud that two of them have “V”s attached. But I have written some pretty good books about combat.
And, as for putting my rep on the line, Jack is my friend; we are both SF. That’s the whole story on that.
October 28th, 2005 at 3:26 pm
Jim Morris - pleasure to meet you … I was with a Marine ForceRecon Unit for several years.
Semper Fi!
October 28th, 2005 at 6:50 pm
Sir, (Jim Morris–not Yatahey although I’m fond of you, Yat) I can’t tell you how honored I am that you posted a comment here. Thank you.
October 28th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
Regarding Major Jim Morris– now this is a war hero- the guy comes back on your site and says humbly that he ONLY has FOUR ******* PURPLE HEARTS AND ONLY FOUR BRONZE STARS. And let me tell you, Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars were not cheap in Vietnam for Special Forces soldiers. Americans should kiss the *** of anyone with ONE purple heart. That’s blood shed so Blogs like this can even exist.
Now think about it, this bonafide real deal war hero says HE BACKS IDEMA– what does that tell you? It tells me that Idema IS the real deal. It should tell all the naysayers that Jack Idema is the real deal, and that this is a disgrace to have the US government abandoning this guy.
Well, Special Forces is not abandoning him, especially the people that really know him and have been in the field with him.
Thank you Major Morris. Thank you Cao.
And greetings from an ODA in Afghanistan- the real front lines of this terror war.
October 29th, 2005 at 6:50 am
we’ve known keith “jack” since he was 16…and his mom and dad too….we lived down the street….
you never need to doubt him and his intentions…he’s the best
keep blogging…we’re working here to free him too……….
you go girl!
October 29th, 2005 at 8:02 am
Another blogger without a clue…..
Jonathan Keith Idema is a convicted fraud and even his dad knows it. The reason why other bloggers have stopped writing about Jack is because there is just no news except the **** Jack makes up or the **** that is posted on blogs like this.
By the way Major Jim Morris….. business partner of Jack Idema…… When are you going to stop pissing on your own? Guess lawsuits and money have more meaning to you than honor… I am sure that the Special Forces Association feels the same way you do…..
One last thing Jonathan…. Enjoy jail that is where you belong….and when you come home just maybe there will be a cell waiting for you here…..
October 29th, 2005 at 9:06 am
bwahahaha no news? Why doesn’t a certain blogger blog about her source on the run or paranoid, carrying around his portable hard drive and the fact the he himself is in all kinds of trouble? Since she’s so good at bashing everything American, and the military, why not come forward with this bit of juicy news?
Or the interesting (and sick) interracial love triangle that left her beat up with a headache that her over imaginative conspiracy theorist audience attributes to Jack ?
ROBERT FOGELNEST: The F.B.I. was jealous because he was capturing terrorists, and they did nothing. They wanted him to give up his sources, his informants. He refused to do so. The F.B.I. agents in Afghanistan, went off like loose cannons and didn’t realize the can of worms they were opening. Then the Pentagon says, we need a firewall. We don’t need this scrutiny. It’s a typical government S.N.A.F.U.
You think the incestuous circle jerk of the press has been an impressive example of investigative journalism? bwahahahaha
One of the liars in the press is Mike Whitney, for crying out loud, of Al Jazeera, who I’ve had runins with before.
Another “expert” is someone who’s under investigation for charity fraud with links to a ring of child molesters and pedophiles.
(Much like George Galloway’s “Miriam Appeal”, which is also a fictitious charity organization…and which has paid for the salary of his chauffeur, among other things.)
Another is Joe Cafasso, who’s been exposed as a poser and a fraud but was a supposed “military expert” paid by FOX news.
These are all losers to the -nth degree.
That’s interesting, all of the scumbags I’ve met are on the other side of this.
You can listen to the lying sleazeballs, that’s fine with me. The s**** is about to hit the fan, that’s why it’s been so quiet the past couple of months….these people know it.
October 29th, 2005 at 9:48 am
The only thing people know Jack is that your full of it….
October 29th, 2005 at 10:03 am
Flogging the Simian is another way to say white trash trailer tramp slumming loser in Romania makes up a thousand lies on a blog, and stupid people all over the world assume that this young penniless ******* queen ***** (see the latest news on his/its multiracial love triangle that got him/it beat up and thrown in a ditch) has the inside scoop on one of the biggest and most controversial cases in the War on Terror, more than 10,000 miles away in a country with little or no communications. Is there something wrong with this picture?
Hey Cao, SOJ is an American guy living in Romania (Cluj Napoca) who dedicated 100% of his time to blogging and who lives from donations from his readers. He signs as Soj and his blog - Flogging the Simian - was nomineed on the Southeastern Europe’s best blogs category at AFOE a while ago.
This is the problem with Blogs and and Bloggers that lie and falsify information and destroy lives. Jack Idema was one of them, billed as a criminal instead of a hero, by anti-american bloggers, who led the rest of the blogggers by the nose. If you want the real truth on those American heroes SOJ and most of the other bloggers have painted with fantasy and lies, then check out http://www.superpatriots.us - Proof with PICTURES NOT EMPTY WORDS. For how some blogs lie and decieve us for their own political agenda see: http://www.superpatriots.us/flogginfraud/index.htm Maybe its time all the blogs started printing the real story and helped these three Americans….
October 29th, 2005 at 10:54 am
In the case of Ilario Pantano, I was disgusted that someone doing his duty could be put in such a precarious position–just by killing the bad guys. Are our boys going to be forced to second guess every decision they make for fear they’ll find themselves in front of JAG or CID???? In the case of Gary Linderer, I am appalled that some idiot would try to make his service and that of those he served with, a disgrace when every single one of them is a bona fide hero.
I’ve always taken pride in the fact that bloggers were responsible for setting off the Rathergate scandal, Eathangate, Plamegate and several other big stories which really illustrated for me how far off the media really is. Even Michelle Malkin’s exposure of the photoshopped image of Condi the other day just adds to it. Someone actually said that the alphabet networks are our very own version of Al Jazeera, and I have to agree. Every single time I listen to a media report now, I have a ******** filter on.
Ted Turner and Castro are drinking buddies, for crying out loud, and Ted Turner gives CASTRO the credit for coming up with CNN. I always smile to myself, thinking CNN is actually Castro’s Communist News Network.
I had no idea that Soj was or is a guy. Makes me want to …throw up.
October 29th, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Oh I forgot to say, sir, that my mission is to get the truth about this case out there and all the liars who’ve been piling on to destroy the guy when he’s already sacrificed so much are about to have hell run right over them…
October 30th, 2005 at 6:26 pm
Idema Left Out To Dry
Idema, who was once applauded by the MSM, has since been demonized. He was arrested, tried and convicted of torturing Afghanis in a private jail he was running. I recommend you read all the articles posted over at Cao
October 30th, 2005 at 8:08 pm
Jack Idema Speaks Out Nov. 1st, Live Online
Jonathon (Jack) Keith Idema: Who is he? What’s his story about? How does it impinge on our U.S. national security and covert operations? Is he an American hero, wronged by his own country?
Cao of Cao’s Blog has been relentlessly pursuing this story…
November 1st, 2005 at 5:18 pm
I would just like to say to all those so called do gooders out there that have tried there best to convince the public in the US and here in the UK that jack is some sort of vicious sadistic killer.
Let me tell you now i have been a very good friend of this man for over 15 years now and on many occaisions he has stayed at my home in England.He is and allways will be a true patriot to the country he loves and will allways be a true friend to myself my wife and my children.Jack Idema was doing a job that needed doing its time to let him carry on doing that job.
Big Ken.
November 1st, 2005 at 5:23 pm
Corrections:
1. Jack is the best at what he does. If you need a hunter who will ‘mesh’ with the common solider on any continent, he’s the guy.
2. If you want to come back…just stay close.
3. There was a camera in the White House. Jack didn’t do it alone reguarding the necular isotopes and case. So, taking credit for the ‘pick up’ is not the case…period. You’ve got two other guys who did the leg work. Dat’s da truf dare boys. Knock, Knock…I forgive you.
He wasn’t Cloney…
4. Why isn’t he working? WE NEED someone to sweep those nut case’s and that is what he does best. He can rout them out better than anyone, which is why he was sent.
5. Why is OUR General in the Pentagon turning his back on Jack? I’ve got the ‘War Cross’ you gave me brother…why’s Jack hanging?…
OK, what do you have? The big B not helping, Agency taking early retirements, and quiting, now all this intell reguarding false intell including NSA???…Something just doesn’t fit. Not at all………….
December 20th, 2005 at 11:59 am
:::sad:
I would like to say what a tragedy this entire ordeal has been. I am Jack’s wife and what happend to him and continues to happen had trickeled down to me and his family. I was threatend, arrested, iterrogated for hours, tape-recorded, drugged, harrassed and forced into literal seclusion - I was afraid to even leave my own home to walk my dogs. I was forced to leave my home and begin elsewhere just to get back on track. I walked away from everything.
I know the real story with the FBI and others who try to stop Jack. Jack, Brnet, Zorro and Ez are innocent and are true heros - the truth will prevail one day and when it does many will be shamed and hopefully punished for actions!
December 20th, 2005 at 12:12 pm
Thanks, Viktoria. *virtual hug* I can’t imagine what you and the rest of the family has been through!!! I read about some of it at Superpats and have tried to respect your privacy. Thank you for posting a comment here, please know that we’re fighting to get the truth out because “perception is reality”–and my love to you-Cao.
PS: They will get what’s coming to them. Soon.
PPS: Just want to wish you a Blessed Christmas.
January 3rd, 2006 at 12:16 pm
I hope jack rots in hell. **** him for thinking he can torture people so he can make 25 million dollars. Bet he’s gettinn it up the *** now Taliban style!
January 3rd, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Jody — with a comment like that, I’d love to ram it up your *** for $25M — most likely at least 25K times so you would understand torture.
January 3rd, 2006 at 6:35 pm
January 3rd, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Hi jody. Sgt. Yatahey has a neat idea….but you may like that….it would remind you of those late nights you used to spend with your dad and his drunken friends wouldn’t it?
Sarge? I’d be careful. Can’t tell what kinda’ bugs are floating around in that gals system……apparently she is suffering from advanced STD of some kind, judging by the syphilitically inspired rant she tossed here…..either that or the saggy old ***** has tourettes.
January 3rd, 2006 at 7:30 pm
Amazing how they used to sing “all you need is love” and “flower power”. Those days are gone, I guess. Now they talk sick stuff like “Jody” there…and consider it ‘reasonable discourse’.
January 3rd, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Kender — ya had me ROTFLMAO!
January 4th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Jody, I wonder…do you have the same contempt for the legions of Bin Laden who flew those planes into the WTC? The entire world witnessed live the torture they inflicted. And it continues in the hearts of the families of the lost. Miss Jody, do you have that contempt in your heart for them? Or, do you just reserve your vile for those who sought to bring Bin Laden to justice. And what of that 25 Million? Didn’t one GWBush post a bounty. I dunno why anyone would get their panties in a bunch when the President has made it clear there is a reward. Hell, I wish more people were looking. But Jody, you can spit your venom at a fellow American, who has been deprived of all due process, and help those that wish to kill us. I am a left wing, bleedin’ heart liberal. But the obligation of a liberal is to protect the weakest of the weak. To insure the Consitution remains intact and the Bill of Rights is handed down to the next generation in the same condition I received it. The liberal agenda is to vehemently protect and advocate the rights of the accused as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, with due process and a jury of peers. The liberal agenda is to be willing to fight and bring to justice anyone who threatens those rights. I for one have strong disagreements with the way our Commander in Chief has conducted the War on Terror, but I realize that to bring about change, we must operate on the orthodoxy of or consitution and that is the Bill of Rights. If I must stand side by side with Bill O’Reilly to save American lives and those of our allies, I will do it. Because the liberal agenda means striving for the greater good over personal gain. So dear Jody, I don’t know from what side of the aisle you crawled out from, but something tells me, your really not of any great value to either side. Because, as my Granny always said: “There are three sides to every argument, the right, the wrong and the truth.” The truth will prevail, and Jack, and Brent and Ed will all be freed. But in the meantime, with all due respect for your First Amendment Rights…will you please just shut the **** up. Peace and love Y’all.
January 20th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
[…] This is what the BBC are asking us to accept. Tellingly, though, they don’t also include a summery of Jack Idema’s career before Afghanistan: […]
March 25th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Where’s Jack? How’s he doing? Khalili hasn’t a clue to what’s happened to him. If you know Jack, you should know of Khalili.
May 16th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
He’s absolutely fine. And Khalili doesn’t give a damn about Jack, Khalili has his own problems, as do you, osama.
Khalili is quite simply Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who has been disowned by members of his own party…at leastthat’s what they want people to THINK.
naaaah.
Nice to see some news emerging that actually shows the real picture. Of course, you’d have to be someone other than a terrorist sympathizer, so that leaves the majority of the MSM out of revealing the ‘real picture’.
This I sincerely doubt. They believe ‘war equals deception’. They’ll say just about anything to appear as though they aren’t affiliated with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar at this point, methinks.
That’s like saying Hamas has reformed. Doubt it…Takeyya!
Precisely…
I think this is somewhat new. The pakol is traditionally worn by the Northern Alliance …until our very own State department suggested giving Al Qaeda and the Taliban they’re releasing from Pulacharke pakols. I’d like to meet the person face-to-face who came up with that when these people are
Duhhh…it’s called a policy of appeasement, you dimwhits.
Too bad they didn’t succeed.
This is why I’m saying he doesn’t give a damn about Jack, lol… he has his own problems.
Well of course!
Of course!
This is a statement of moral relevance as Dostum was fighting the soviets and the Taliban. The only way you could possibly make such a statement is if you believe both sides are right, and there is no ‘wrong or right’ side. In which case, why don’t we all join hands and give peace a chance? Pulheez.
But they did so stop with the drama.
And you’re going to believe it? Hey. I’ve got a bridge I can sell ya….real cheap.
Of course he is!
They ALL play games. It’s called ‘war is deception’ and ‘takeyya’!
August 2nd, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Hat’s off to you Jack. We need more like you: Men not afraid to do what needs to be done so we can sleep safe at night. **** all of the people that have abandoned you at your time of need.Believe me, if I could, My team and I would come get you! which leads me to ask… what the ****? why hasn’t anyone already come to get you? you guys in the box need to get something going. Regardless of how you feel, this man and those who followed him are AMERICANS!!!
P.S. Viktoria; Keep your head up babe!
Respectfully,
G.H.
September 6th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
I just found out about jack idema a few days ago and was so pissed that that hero is stuck in a whole somewhere. I to am a purple heart recepiant who served in Iraq and it seems to me the brass forgot that whole never leaving a man behind, they didnt just leave him they betrayed him. My prayers are with him his team and his family. God bless Jack and for God sakes lets get him the **** out of there
October 1st, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Of course the “brass”, as well as civilian government officials right up to the top have left this man, Jack Idema behind. The fact that the government and military are distancing themselves from him and denying any connection is because it looks bad to the rest of the world if the country who is purportedly spreading freedom and democracy is actually condoning violations of the Geneva convention.
October 1st, 2006 at 2:17 pm
Marco, you haven’t read the updates, obviously.
October 1st, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Kabul TV announced tonight that the Supreme Court admitted the men had been innocent all along.
So, Marco, what “Geneva Convention” violations are we left with if the Afghans themselves have declared them innocent?
What “Geneva Convention” violations are we left with if a distinguished official from the UAE has declared them innocent and wrote in a handwritten letter on official stationary that he fully expected their release and exhoneration?
October 1st, 2006 at 4:09 pm
I hear you, Cao. I never claimed to have first hand knowledge of whether or not Idema used torture and thus violated conditions of the Gevena Convention. I just know that if the U.S. government is distancing themselves from a former special service agent who’s services they were utilizing, they must be worried about how his techniques would reflect upon our nation.
October 1st, 2006 at 4:33 pm
If the Afghans declared him innocent, I think that renders the first conviction by the Taleban court moot, don’t you? There are no charges now.
CBS was documenting what they were doing, because they were going to do a story on why Jack’s techniques worked, and how Abu Ghraib was an anamole and not the rule. I’m certain that all of this will come out at some point. CBS bailed not long before they were ‘arrested’ on the trumped up charges, and started trumpeting the media reports everyone else was to cover their asses. And do you know what those charges were?
“Entering the country illegally”
“Making an illegal Arrest without a Warrant”
“Detaining prisoners in a private Facility”
Do you see anything there about torture or his ‘techniques’?
October 1st, 2006 at 4:45 pm
So then what’s your own belief about the real reason he was arrested and why, if there are no legitimate charges, has our government not stepped in?
October 1st, 2006 at 5:04 pm
As I understand it, they did step in - just on the other side of the line. Also as far as I understand it, it seems to have something to do with their choice of which Warlord is in control. Of course, history, current events and politics were never my strong suits.
October 1st, 2006 at 5:06 pm
Oh, I don’t know. Joe Cafasso claims he’s responsible for the whole thing. I’m not sure I believe that, but it’s a theory worth considering.
Why has our government not stepped in? Interesting question. It’s not like there’s no supporters back home who’ve been fighting for the bureacrats to -at the very least -look at it, we just haven’t rattled the right cages. Or that’s what I like to believe.
And…I think people are afraid. They’re afraid to lose their positions, they’re afraid to lose votes, they’re afraid to stand up. AND, I think they’re afraid of our government.
The real reason they were arrested? Well…I think bureacrats tend to follow the leader and not ask questions.
Imagine this scenario. You have a guy who’s a janitor-but who’s got access to computers at the UN, and he generates a wanted poster. He also masquerades as a Lt. Col. (retired). So…He places a phone call and faxes the poster to some contact he has in Kabul and …the ball starts rolling. In spite of the fact that it’s a fraud, the guy who started it is a poser and a fraud…the people on the other end don’t know that. It has a snowballing kind of effect, and one thing leads to another.
Things are passed from one hand to another and the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. And that’s not a difficult thing to fathom, considering the size of government today.
I mean think for a second. They immediately filed a habeas corpus petition and it’s supposed to be answered within 30 days. It hasn’t been answered in over two years. If that happened to a terrorist, the **** would hit the FAN!
There have been over 14 attempts on their lives in that horrible Pulacharke prison; they’ve been left to die. I don’t think just one person is responsible, I think it’s many.
And you should do some research on how Americans suffer drinking Afghan water and what they have to do to counter its effects and consider that the American Embassy has DENIED THEM DRINKING WATER. They’re being charged money to get their mail. They’ve been denied mail, they’ve been denied their attorney/client privileged correspondence, and much, much more.
All of these things taken together are the most awful circumstances I’ve ever encountered, and it’s outrageous. God forbid a terrorists should go without his halal meal, though.
October 1st, 2006 at 5:19 pm
Aaron hit it on the head. I forgot about this part. We made a secret agreement and changed sides. We offered the Taleban an olive branch and turned our backs on the Northern Alliance; the people we fought alongside during the 2001-2002 war.
Jack is loyal to them and will not turn his back on them. It’s one of the reasons he’s still alive because the Northern Alliance controls Pulacharke prison. They were the ones who stepped in and stopped his torture at Saderat. Massoud was murdered with a PA system that was rigged with explosives during an interview. They were planning the same thing for Yanus Qanooni, and Jack foiled the plan. Bin Laden ws behind Massoud’s assassination, he was behind this one, too. The State Department knew about it and tried to stop Jack from stopping it! They were, by doing nothing about it, sanctioning this assassination. They tried to put Jack under Centcomm and he refused. They tried to stop the raids to round up the last terrorists. Jack knew he was in deep ****, but he did it, anyway. There are a bunch of reasons for this, I think. One is–a special forces soldier is a scorched earth mentality kind of person; all or nothing. Incredibly focused on finishing a mission. And the other is–this is a principled man. He does the right thing–not the most convenient thing. He thinks years down the line, not just for this election period.
That is the real reason. Jack was doing, in my opinion, the right thing. He saved the lives of Qanooni, General Fahim and a bunch of others in the Northern Alliance by defying direct orders and foiling the plot, getting the explosives, detonators, even the PA system.
I mean…it’s ridiculous to appease the Taleban, as you can see by the news reports; there’s been an increase in attacks on Americans. Zawahiri’s tape from September 30th announced that they’re winning in Afghanistan, in part, making the assumption that we’re pussies for withdrawing and turning things over to NATO forces. The Vice and Virtue police is back on the streets beating women. The Afghans hate America and want the Soviets back. Newsweek has published covers in foreign countries that we’ve lost Afghanistan; the Taleban is back. And can anyone say that’s a bad assessment? I don’t think so. Can anyone say that the policy of appeasement has won us anything? It has only cost us more money and lives.
The Taleban is our enemy, they’re allied with Al Qaeda and bin Laden. It’s ridiculous to assume that something other than disaster can happen with that kind of agreement, particularly after the 2001-2002 war where we kicked the Taleban’s *** and they retreated to Pakistan, but that’s what happened. The border to Pakistan has been re-opened, terrorists are being ‘forgiven’ and given ‘amnesty’ and released from the prisons.
We’ve experienced more losses at the hands of these terrorists in a matter of a month or two than we did during the entire 2001-2002 war. And why? Because they’re not on the run. We’re not fighting a war of attrition anymore.
The US Government turned its back on our allies; changing horses in midstream in the middle of a war. Jack refused to do it, and he paid the price. The Afghans (at least the ones that aren’t terrorists) know what he has done, and that’s why he’s been treated so well at Pulacharke. But I believe in my heart of hearts that what he was doing was in the best interest of both countries, and he is a hero. Here’s a guy who stands for something and doesn’t waiver, in spite of politics; in spite of what’s ‘politically correct’.
You can’t convince me that what he did was wrong; I think our government was wrong in switching sides and not telling the American people. Whoever came up with the idea to include terrorists in the new government has a screw loose; it’s the equivalent of asking Nazi war criminals to participate in politics in Germany after the Nuremberg trials.
Only in today’s day and age can you have politicians stupid enough to be debating about Geneva Convention rights for terrorists who don’t even recognize the Geneva conventions.
October 1st, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Cao I can see why you and so many Americans think it is “stupid” to respect the Geneva convention. Terrorist groups have dealt us a devastating blow. And naturally many Americans have since been focused on two things: getting revenge, and trying to prevent future attacks. Revenge is a corrupt goal that serves no higher purpose. Preventing future attacks can be approached in many different ways.
Some think we can eventually kill every single last terrorist in the world. Others, including the intelligence agencies that contributed to the NIE, believe our responses have increased the threat of terrorism.
Our president led us to believe that we were attacked because the terrorists “hate our freedom”. And if we believe that, then the issue seems black and white and we are motivated to take any possible measure to defeat our enemy, and no further explanation is needed as to the historical political, economic, and military policies and actions which has led to the attacks against U.S. interests. I understand your rationale to forget any standards of treating our enemy when they honor no such standards toward us. However, I believe that our name, as a nation, has been tarnished.
We had unprecidented world support immediately following the attacks on 9/11. And through one botched policy after the next, we have squandered that good will. Now, please don’t take the common black and white approach and paint me to be a person who is “coddling” the terrorists. I believe first in taking swift and harsh action against those shown to have played a role in the murder of American citizens, no different than American citizens that have murdered innocent citizens abroad. And second, I believe our nation should take a moment to pause during our grieving of the thousands of brothers and sisters we lost on 9/11, and take a critical view of just how in the world we wound up supporting and training Osama bin Laden, and supporting Sadam Hussein, (in addition to many other ruthless terrorists we have befriended throughout history, if we believed they would support our agenda) and make REAL changes that will extricate our nation from the types of international relationships that have allienated nations, resulted in innocent deaths, and contributed to the climate of hatred toward our nation.
Specifically, I tend to believe that our dependence on foreign fuel sorces has lead us to engage in military meddling. Does anybody else think about long-term solutions, or want to try and understand the bigger picture? I would love to go to sleep every night knowing that my nation is one that follows the morally higher ground. And when we speak softly to the rest of the world, and still some would attack us, then we have the moral right to carry the big stick.
October 1st, 2006 at 9:41 pm
I think you’ve missed the point.
The Geneva Conventions were written for soldiers like Jack Idema and Brent Bennett. So here we have it turned inside out; We ignore that the laws were written for guys like Jack and Brent and virtually throw them out. We don’t allow them mail, we don’t allow them attorney-client prvileged correspondence, we don’t allow them water, or even decent food, and we allow terrible torture of our own citizens abroad and turn a blind eye to it. We don’t allow them medical care for the injuries. Ever seen that happen to a terrorist? Last time I checked, terrorists are medically treated alongside the civilians they’ve bombed. Michael Yon has some interesting coverage to that effect at his blog. We bend over backwards to treat the terrorists humanely, but they don’t do it for us, so…I have a big problem with that. I have a big problem with the application of our constitutional laws and protections to people who aren’t even our own citizens. I have a problem with applying the Geneva Conventions to people that don’t abide by those rules of war and don’t even recognize them, and haven’t signed them, and are laughing at our weakness for doing these things.
I find that stupid, and I think you are either intentionally missing the point, or haven’t really been paying that much attention to what I’ve written here.
I’ll read the rest of your comment and respond to that no blood for oil stuff some time tomorrow afternoon.
October 1st, 2006 at 11:04 pm
Well I do apologize if I haven’t hung on every word you’ve written. But I am interested in your thought process because it stimulates my own and keeps my mind open. And I’m sorry if I’ve missed your point, but with all due respect, I have some good points of my own. But I guess you don’t host a blog to hear from others who may not agree. You host it to have a platform for your own perspective and to praise others who agree with you.
But, speaking of not reading certain news or information, I was shocked that you believe that the U.S. has a practice of always allowing detainees medical care for injuries. I assume you are either intentionally ignoring the multiple cases of neglegent homocide and murder that have occurred, or choose to say it is simply an “anomoly”. If you believe the latter, I do not accept this form of moral relativity.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you are not a spiritual man. Or, if you are, you seem to believe that our One Nation Under God has our very own private God that does not pertain to other people. I’m sorry you don’t believe in having policies that protect non U.S. citizens. That is the very same type of thinking that supports continued war and killing across the globe, especially holy wars.
So, again, I can clearly see where you draw the line in terms of which human lives to honor and protect. But in my humble opinion, the way out of this horrible mess that the entire world is in, with so many factions at war against each other, is for mankind to begin raising his level of consciousness, and appealing to the common humanity. Sen. McCain is on board with taking this mindset toward our detainees, and I wonder what he would say about the treatment of Idema.
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:06 am
What I find is irritating is when people are so singularly minded that they ignore my points. They don’t read what I’ve written but go ahead with their POV as though that’s all that matters. If you acknowledge what it is I have to say, I’ll be more willing to listen to what it is YOU have to say. Fair enough?
Instead of speaking in sweeping generalities of the ‘atrocities’ we’ve committed by denying terrorists medical care, please share with me the links on the specifics. You might have ‘points’, but you’re going to have to back them up here.
Reading Michael Yon’s blog, (and several others)-it seems we go out of our way to treat them humanely; and the terrorists’ response to that is we are full of weakness and will loose.
October 2nd, 2006 at 5:28 am
We already lost Afghanistan, even NATO now admits it. We are losing more people per day then the Soviets did at the height of their defeat in Afghanistan. Idema predicted it all, and Green Beret Stanley Harriman certainly considered it; his last dying words in the battle of Shah-i-kot (Operation ANACONDA) were: “I hope this has not been in vain.”
Well, it was. We have been forced to act as police officers not soldiers. We have been guided by the principle of humanitarianism, not warfare, and because of the many Americans are dead, many more will follow, and we ultimately lose the battle.
If all that wasn’t bad enough, guys like Idema and Bennett go to prison for saving lives, while terrorists are released to kill again, and nobody in my fucked up country can see the insanity of it all.
There nothing truer that what General Hal Moore said about why we fight, not for our government or our country, we fight for each other, the men beside us, not you Bush.
The actual reason I put this response up was not for that lengthy observation, but to let you know that Massoud was killed by explosives hidden in a camera’s battery pack by bin Laden assassins. The PA system was what was going to used for Qanouni, the pro-American chief of Parliament, while the murder techniques were similiar, they were not identical.
Massoud was murdered with a PA system that was rigged with explosives during an interview. They were planning the same thing for Yunus Qanooni, and Jack foiled the plan.
I also believe that while Massoud was killed during an interview, Qanouni was to be killed during a speech for his presidency race against Karzai.
I have seen Jack’s actual operations and some of these interrogations on You Tube. There is little doubt from the videos that he did save their lives.
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Cao, I’m glad you made it explicit that I must first acknowledge what you have to say before you will do the same for me. I thought my communications on this blog had shown that. In fact, in #50, I explicitly asked for your POV. You sound like a pretty smart and reasonable guy and I admit that I want to gain some perspective from you, while allowing it to add to and challenge my own perspective. But, whatever.
As I’ve stated before, pointing these out does not in any way imply that the atrocities of our enemies are to be ignored. I simply believe in getting my own behavior in check before I can go out and enforce the behavior of others. The terrorists can laugh and say we are weak as much as they please. I am not willing to engage in unethical behavior just to make the terrorists stop laughing. I am, however, willing to use the rule of law to find terrorists guilty, and give them their just punishment.
Here are a few links re: American abuse of detainees to get you started. Let me know if they show that we are going “out of our way to treat them humanely”.
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/media/2005_alerts/etn_1019_dic.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/news/iraq/cia-coverup-claimed-after-abu-ghraib-death/2005/11/14/1131951100287.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/22/content_402255.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2755-2004Jun24.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/09/iraq/main660239.shtml
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Well actually, those are the rules of blogging, like it or not. This isn’t a discussion forum where people meander from one subject to another. On a blog, a post goes up, comments are generally made about that post. And if they start to drift, or if the commenters change the subject, I would think it’s up to the blogger to either direct the conversation, shut it down, or like Robert Spencer does–just leave people to battle it out without a ‘peep’ after the initial post is put up. But you’re obviously oblivious to the rules and set your own. Interesting.
And that sets my teeth on edge right from the start, but I will read what’s at those links and see what if anything I have to say about it.
Maybe I should do as Glenn Reynolds, Hugh Hewitt and others and just shut down comments.
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Well…show me where the Geneva Conventions apply to terrorists, and maybe we can carry on a conversation. Show me where the terrorists signed the Geneva Conventions and show me how they’ve honored them when the infidel has been in custody.
How many terrorists do we have in custody all totaled? I think the number is somewhere in the neighborhood of 14,000…give or take a few. And you give me examples of a few ‘negligent’ interrogators and jailers. So that percentage is nominal, if you turn that number into a statistic.
In “Federal Government Incents Prisons as Growth Industry” here at Cao’s blog, I talked about a case reminiscent of Abu Ghraib that happened in Utah’s Mountain State Penitentiary in 1997. Lane McCotter was a part of that scandal, and also worked with Karpinski at Abu Ghraib. The same ‘abuses’ you’re talking about happen to American prisoners in American prisons, but isn’t it a sad commentary that Americans mean nothing to ‘human rights’ people and the only people they opine for are the terrorists? They honed those skills on Americans in prison here. But I guess a little fact like that is of no consequence.
I could give a damn about the lives of terrorists; they want to kill us. They certainly could give a damn about us.
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:33 pm
You didn’t go and block my comment, did you? Because my posts obviously relate to the topic, or you would not spend so much time responding as you have.
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:36 pm
You have some really good points to make, and yet you really don’t seem to like hearing others’ points, even if they do relate. I’m sorry for that. Enjoy the rest of your blog, and good luck with your aim. I think your intentions are very good ones.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:46 pm
No, I have other things going on in my life other than sitting on the internet all day. When I get home and on the computer, I check what’s in ‘moderation’ and publish the comments I find among the disgusting trackback spam. Sometimes things slip through and get deleted if I have over 1,000 trackback spams in moderation, and as I’ve said before, I have a lot of words in my filter so if you use naughty words, your comment might get nuked. Such is the way of things here, and I’m sorry if you don’t like it. Don’t let the door hitya where the good lord splitya.
October 2nd, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Geneva conventions are for us to abide by–a document of human ethics.
Can you document that the “terrorists” laugh and “think we are weak” if we abide by ethical precepts?
It just feeds the world’s perception that the US is corrupt and immoral when we lower our ethical standards.
“An eye for an eye makes everybody blind”, said Martin Luther King.
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:03 am
But if you read the text of the Geneva Conventions, it would require that both parties sign them and recognize them. It would be like having a marriage contract that only one person recognizes. I think it takes two parties, under normal conditions, to enter into a ‘contract’, right? But leftists don’t pay attention to what makes sense, or the facts that are relevant.
Terrorists do not adhere to the rules of war. They do not wear uniforms, they do not represent a country, they do not carry their arms in the open, and most importantly, the terrorists themselves do not recognize them or adhere to them. Plus, they flaunt pictures of their torture and desecration of our soldiers and civilians, which is also plainly and clearly in violation of those rules.
So what is the point of only one side being ethical, as you call it?
“We strongly believe that terrorists picked up off the battlefield — who don’t represent a nation, revel in killing the innocent, and refuse to wear uniforms — do not qualify for protections under Geneva,” White House counselor Dan Bartlett said.
Although three republican senators may have reversed this, at least in the public eye, I do not agree with it. We should pay attention to what the verbiage in the Geneva Conventions themselves say; which I’ll dig up and quote at some point.
Very busy, gotta go.
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Anyone who follows a certain code of behavior, whether it is based on Religion, a written agreement, or whatever, knows that one has to decide in their own heart what is right and what is wrong. We don’t decide to follow that code only when it is convenient for us. We do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Our character is not judged when it is easy to do the right thing, it is judged when it is inconvenient to do the right thing. That is when one knows that one is truly following a moral compass.
Your comparison to a marriage agreement is invalid. It is nothing more than a pathetic cop out to say that because others don’t follow the rule of law, we don’t have either.
Enough of painting people in black and white shades of conservative or liberal. These terms only serve to divide us. I’m human. And I have a severe emotional reaction when I hear about people who commit atrocities, such as rape of children. When I seem them in their shackles, I think that our justice system is too nice for them. I have angry images flashing through my mind of cutting their balls off to give them a taste of the pain they have caused. Then, when I settle down and regain my rational thought, I return to my own moral compass. Please don’t act like the monkeys on Fox News and say that those who want to follow guidelines for the treatment of detainees are “liberal” and are “coddling” the terrorists. Every single American wants nothing more than to end terrorist threats against us, and you all know that. Try and tolerate other people having other ideas about how to begin lessening that threat. The approach we have used in the last five years certainly hasn’t helped. In fact it has made things worse. Are we going to “stay the course” or are we going to appeal to a higher sense of right and wrong?
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:42 pm
And where is the documentation that the terrorists laugh and think we are weak when we behave morally.
October 3rd, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Patriot, a contract has to be entered into by two parties. You can’t have an agreement between two parties only be entered into by one, and expect it to be binding, now, can you? You shouldn’t hold one to an agreement and not the other, it simply doesn’t make sense. If terrorists don’t qualify for the geneva conventions and don’t recognize them, the latter of which is the most important point, whatever else you have to say is really moot.
The Geneva Convention Relative To The Treatment Of Prisoners Of War of August 12, 1949, Part I, Article 4, states:
Terrorists don’t recognize the Geneva Conventions, don’t adhere to them, haven’t signed them, and torture and mistreat their kidnapping victims. They pick on people like Margaret Hassan, who was married to an Iraqi and helping the Iraqi people for over 25 years in a humanitarian capacity; yet they disemboweled her and cut off her limbs, probably after having sodomized and raped her, which is a commonplace occurrence. They did horrible things like that to Jessica Lynch, it’s a miracle she lived through it and thank God she didn’t remember it.
Under the Geneva Conventions, soldiers who fight out of uniform or commit atrocities such as, murder prisoners or target and kill noncombatants may be shot by firing squads.
But we’re not really fighting according to the Geneva Conventions, we’re applying law the Lynn Stewart/Michael Ratner/Curt Doebbler way; through terrorist sympathizing lawyers. They use international law to whine and cry for Saddam Hussein, which doesn’t recognize that we have the right to defend ourselves or carry firearms. We’ve gone from a war of attrition to a war of ‘forgiving the Taleban’…you might consider that to be a ‘moral’ excercise, particularly if you don’t recognize WAR as an option. So in response, in cities in Afghanistan where American soldiers were once greeted with flower petals, they are now being greeted with RPG rockets.
Nobody seems to be outraged by any of that behavior; they were raping female prisoners at Pulacharke, too–and hung one of their bodies in a window during one of their revolts.
These crimes Karzai and the American government are apparently willing to overlook or brush under the rug, while holding what our guys do under a microscope. Are these guys the enemy, or not? And if they are, why are we making excuses for them and trying to ‘understand’ them?
Sue, there are a number of examples of this