Mereja

Author: Beth Sullivan

  • Rep: Navy SEALs Shouldn’t Have Been Tried

    Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) says although he is happy with the acquittals of two Navy SEALs, the men should never have been tried in the first place.

    During an appearance on America’s News Headquarters on Saturday, the congressman said “They risked their lives to capture the terrorist and for them to be court-martialed and accused of what they’ve been accused of bothers me. In addition it sends a terrible message to the men and women in the field in Afghanistan and Iraq, who are risking their lives every day. Do they have to use kid gloves when they go after the terrorists who have done horrible things? I don’t think so.”

    Burton went on to say, “The very idea of a most-wanted terrorist sitting in a court room and testifying against our elite soldiers is absolutely disgusting… And in my opinion, after risking their lives they probably deserve medals instead of being tried in a court-martial.”

    On Friday, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe was cleared of wrongdoing in the alleged beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the brutal killings of four American contractors. That verdict came one day after Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas was found not guilty. The third Navy SEAL, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, faces trial on May 3rd in Nofolk, Virginia. McCabe is the only one accused of assault.

    Alleged mistreatment by American troops has become a sensitive subject since the detainee abuse scandal of Abu Ghraib. On Wednesday, the Iraqi prisoner Ahmed Hashim Abed testified that a hood was pulled over his head, he was hit from behind and punched in the stomach.  But Burton argues the claim of abuse is straight out of al Qaeda’s playbook.

    The congressman said, “The al Qaeda manual says very clearly if you are captured, say you were tortured or mistreated and that will resonate with the American people, especially the left.”

    Burton has been an advocate for the SEALs since the beginning. Last year, he sent a letter to Major General Charles Cleveland, Commander of Special Operations Command Central, asking for all charges against the SEALs to be dropped.  40 Members of Congress added their signatures to the letter which was also sent to Defense Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullin and President Obama.

  • Gov. Perry: I’m Focused on Texas, Not 2012

    Texas Governor Rick Perry tells Fox News he is not running for president in 2012. During an appearance on America’s News Headquarters, the republican governor, who is running for re-election this November, responded to fresh criticism from his democratic opponent Bill White that Perry is more focused on a 2012 presidential run than the needs of his home state saying, “My name is not on the straw poll. I have no interest in the presidential election personally.”

    Perry’s speech at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference Friday night had some national media pundits talking about Perry for president in 2012. White’s campaign spokesperson Katy Bacon capitalized on that press — and released a statement that read, “Bill White spent his day meeting with Farm Bureau leadership and the Chamber of Commerce in Waco. Rick Perry spent his day campaigning in Louisiana, talking about Washington.”

    Governor Perry fired back on Fox News and said he’s the one looking out for Texas, not White. Perry said his presence at the conference, held in New Orleans, was a recruiting trip. The governor says he’s trying to recruit Louisiana businesses to move to Texas. Perry added, “I’m for the Texas way of doing business.”