Charges against SEALs from ‘outside Naval Special Warfare community’

Christine Koch, a member of the Facebook group supporting the Navy SEALs who captured Ahmed Hashim Abed, added this graphic to the page in memoriam to US Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch, 82nd Airborne Division, 1-508 PIR 4th Combat Brigade Team. Cpl. Koch was killed in action March 3, 2008, in Sabari, Afghanistan.The Facebook group Support the Navy SEALs Who Captured Ahmed Hashim Abed has grown to more than 111,000 members from a general public angry about charges against 3 SEALs and the detention of a suspected terrorist. The Facebook group page is a clearinghouse for information about the cases of SEALs Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas and Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe. Recently a letter was posted in an effort to clear up hearsay about the case. The letter came from Jack Lynch, President of the UDT-SEAL Association. Lynch said, “The charges or accusations against our Navy SEALs were not made from within our SEAL community. They came from outside our Naval Special Warfare community.”

The evolution of the case has been a nightmare for the three SEALs facing various charges related to an alleged punch in the stomach by McCabe. Lynch said, “Now this is me speaking. I do know from a very reliable investigation source that someone in the Navy’s Master-at-Arms community made these accusations, and the integrity of the chain of custody of the prisoner is at question.”

An account not written by Lynch but posted on the group page said three other SEALs are being cited as witnesses: the platoon commander, his second-in-command and a hospital corpsman, all of whom went on the mission.” They refuse to testify unless they are granted immunity. The account said, “Their attorney, Charles Gittins, told The [Washington] Times that an NCIS investigator read them their rights amid suspicions of a cover-up. Mr. Gittins said the three had no role in any effort to conceal details of the incident, but since they were read their rights, they want Gen. Cleveland to grant them immunity before testifying. They did not see anyone strike Abed,” he said.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Charles Cleveland heads the special operations component within U.S. Central Command.

Ironically the capture of Abed, the suspected terrorist, was fairly tame. Abed was asleep when the SEALs approached the house he was staying at. He was so startled he didn’t have time to grab the gun that was beneath his pillow. The account posted said Abed was “subdued after a brief scuffle.”

Huertas and Keefe will be tried in April; McCabe’s trial is set for May. McCabe is the only SEAL accused of actually punching the terrorist suspect. Huertas and Keefe face various charges including allegedly covering up the incident.

The SEALs chose a court martial rather than a Captain’s Mast said Lynch because, “They didn’t want to be judged by those outside of our SEAL community.”

A defense fund has been established at Maritime Tactical Security. Travel costs and legal costs will likely place a severe burden on these men and their families. A notice at MTS said, “Any funds remaining at the conclusion of the case will be donated to SEALs who have been injured and/or permanently disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan and the families of SEALs who were killed in combat.”

Attorneys for McCabe issued a statement on Sunday about the government's cancellation of  interviewing Abed for his deposition.

Lynch said, “Our Naval Special Warfare Community senior leadership is determined to protect our SEALs from these accusations or charges. Be assured they are extremely committed in supporting our SEALs’ efforts in proving their innocence.” (By Kay B. Day)

[Disclosure: The editor has advocated openly for the SEALs and believes in their innocence, based on the facts that have been publicly released.]