The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: Gazoo on March 15, 2014, 03:38:18 pm
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By Adam Kemp
Published: March 14, 2014
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Former U.S. Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna stepped out of a van Friday morning just outside the walls of the U.S. Discplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, having just served five years for killing an Iraqi.
His longtime girlfriend, Shannon Wahl, sprinted towards him, nearly knocking Behenna over.
Dressed in an orange hoodie, his head shaved and sporting a short, trimmed beard, Behenna was soon surrounded by his family. They hugged, gathered in a small circle and prayed before quickly leaving. They stopped a short distance later at a community center, where Behenna sat down for an exclusive interview with The Oklahoman.
“It's overwhelming; I can't put into words what today means,” Behenna said. “I can’t wait to get home.”
Behenna, 30, is returning to Edmond, Okla., with his family in hopes of picking up his life where he left off.
Behenna won parole Feb. 12 after serving a third of a 15-year sentence, convicted in 2009 of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone.
On May 16, 2008, just a few weeks after an improvised bomb attack killed two members of Behenna’s seven-man platoon known as Mad Dog 5, Behenna killed known al-Qaida operative Ali Mansur while questioning him.
Behenna claimed self-defense, saying Mansur threw a chunk of concrete at him before reaching for Behenna’s gun. But military officials ruled against Behenna, stating that he was the one in the position of power as he questioned Mansur with a gun pointed at him, therefore sacrificing his claim to self-defense.
Originally sentenced to 25 years, the U.S. Army Clemency and Parole Board reduced Behenna's sentence to 15 years in January of 2010.
This was first year Behenna was eligible for parole.
In January, members of Behenna’s family appeared again before the clemency and parole board, presenting a 400-page report that included job offers and recommendations for Behenna and a letter written by him that included his regrets.
“I’ve had five years to think about these events, not just the death of my soldiers, but the death of Mr. Mansur,” Behenna wrote. “I regret taking another human being’s life. I regret that Mr. Mansur’s children will grow up without a father.”
Behenna’s parents, Scott and Vicki, have worked tirelessly during the past five years to have their son freed.
Together, the couple took on second careers as their son’s advocates; writing letters and emails, making phone calls, granting media interviews and marching Capitol Hill in Washington to talk with politicians about why their son should not be in prison.
While ecstatic to have her son released from prison, Vicki Behenna said he has mixed feelings about leaving his fellow soldiers in Leavenworth who were in the same situation as him.
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/michael-behenna-ex-officer-leaves-leavenworth-after-serving-5-years-1.272809 (http://www.stripes.com/news/us/michael-behenna-ex-officer-leaves-leavenworth-after-serving-5-years-1.272809)
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I am sorry that he had to go through this ordeal and am infuriated that the whole thing happened to him, to begin with.
It's especially infuriating that our elected officials and their bureaucratic minions are free to cause all manner of unlawful acts against our country and pay no price at all.
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Behenna killed known al-Qaida operative Ali Mansur
“I’ve had five years to think about these events, not just the death of my soldiers, but the death of Mr. Mansur,” Behenna wrote. “I regret taking another human being’s life. I regret that Mr. Mansur’s children will grow up without a father.”
Why is a member of the United States Military apologizing for killing a terrorist in self defense?
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"He was sacrificed to the court of political correctness."
http://weaselzippers.us/179432-michael-behenna-is-released-from-u-s-disciplinary-barracks/ (http://weaselzippers.us/179432-michael-behenna-is-released-from-u-s-disciplinary-barracks/)
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(http://pamelageller.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Screen-Shot-2014-03-14-at-3.15.07-PM.png)
http://pamelageller.com/2014/03/photos-1st-lieutenant-michael-behenna-finally-freed-leavenworth-prison.html/ (http://pamelageller.com/2014/03/photos-1st-lieutenant-michael-behenna-finally-freed-leavenworth-prison.html/)
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How many others are there because of Obama's BS ROE's?
While ecstatic to have her son released from prison, Vicki Behenna said he has mixed feelings about leaving his fellow soldiers in Leavenworth who were in the same situation as him.
“It’s the ultimate bittersweet feeling for him,” she said. “He is happy to be out but he really feels for his guys he’s leaving behind because he knows there’s a chance he’ll never speak with them again.”
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Why is a member of the United States Military apologizing for killing a terrorist in self defense?
Five years in Leavenworth (unjustly) can have a deleterious effect on a person.
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Why is a member of the United States Military apologizing for killing a terrorist in self defense?
how else was he going to get parole? tell the truth?
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how else was he going to get parole? tell the truth?
"Heil, Obama! Heil, Obama! Heil, Obama! Seig Heil!"
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"Heil, Obama! Heil, Obama! Heil, Obama! Seig Heil!"
like I said, he'd never get parole if he told the truth! :silly:
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like I said, he'd never get parole if he told the truth! :silly:
Damned right.
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He was Dishonorably Discharged?
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I would assume he was. That's normally part of the sentence from most court-martials. And he was convicted of substantively a felony.
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So he's lost all benefits, Social Security, loans, hospitals?
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So he's lost all benefits, Social Security, loans, hospitals?
Yes, one would assume.
They had an expert witness that did not get to testify.
Apparently the case of the gov. against him said he killed the AQ terrorist in cold blood and not in self-defense.
http://www.defendmichael.com/?page_id=16 (http://www.defendmichael.com/?page_id=16)
WTF has Obama done regarding the ROE that make an AQ terrorists' death shown as murder, in a war?
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http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/search?q=behenna (http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/search?q=behenna)
http://bobmccarty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Michael-Behenna-Story-by-Carrie-Fatigante-12-05-2009.pdf (http://bobmccarty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Michael-Behenna-Story-by-Carrie-Fatigante-12-05-2009.pdf)
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I will bet anybody on the forum that Mr. Behenna isn't going to die of old age.
With odds, I'd even say he won't 'see' the 2016 elections.
Others, it seems, are forgetting Mr. Obama's 'Disposition Matrix" aka "Star Chamber". Not me.
....ask the families of a dozen or so Navy SEALS if you don't believe me. :whistle:
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I will bet anybody on the forum that Mr. Behenna isn't going to die of old age.
With odds, I'd even say he won't 'see' the 2016 elections.
Others, it seems, are forgetting Mr. Obama's 'Disposition Matrix" aka "Star Chamber". Not me.
....ask the families of a dozen or so Navy SEALS if you don't believe me. :whistle:
I don't think they'd bother to go that far; it's much easier, and more effective, to simply make someone's life a living hell.
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I don't think they'd bother to go that far; it's much easier, and more effective, to simply make someone's life a living hell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPil7onoIpc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPil7onoIpc)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3s4dAaEYLY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3s4dAaEYLY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdm1sZKZ8k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdm1sZKZ8k)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuZZSMIKRw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuZZSMIKRw)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPil7onoIpc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPil7onoIpc)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3s4dAaEYLY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3s4dAaEYLY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdm1sZKZ8k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdm1sZKZ8k)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuZZSMIKRw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuZZSMIKRw)
they weren't killed by some government assassin, which is what you would have to do for the poor gent in question. Were he to be in a war zone again, it would probably be more expedient to leave him unexpectedly in the lurch and let the enemy kill him, but within the US? I really don't think so.
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There are many more instances too .....recently TWO SEALS were found dead on a ship in Louisiana...together.
We don't know their mission resumes....but it wouldn't be a stretch to learn they served in the Asian or Middle Eastern theater.
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There are many more instances too .....recently TWO SEALS were found dead on a ship in Louisiana...together.
We don't know their mission resumes....but it wouldn't be a stretch to learn they served in the Asian or Middle Eastern theater.
as you wish
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they weren't killed by some government assassin, which is what you would have to do for the poor gent in question. Were he to be in a war zone again, it would probably be more expedient to leave him unexpectedly in the lurch and let the enemy kill him, but within the US? I really don't think so.
Somehow we are missing an in between story/ or thought here. I don't know what it is exactly but overall in general; the Obama admin has ticked off a lot of military. :beer:
I just now saw a reply in here that this man may not live into old age. Now I see what you mean and agree with your theory.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwR19a9_b_w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwR19a9_b_w)
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I just got the chance to watch the entire West video I posted. I cannot even fathom the idea of 10 people in Leavenworth over the same reasons as the service member in the threads article.