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Feb. 8, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications

Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank
Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate
Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights?
Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype
Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too
Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license
The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics
Feb. 6, 2013

Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem

Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA
Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran
Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner
Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll
Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker
Feb. 4, 2013

Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel?

David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders
Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted
Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble
David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA
Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do
Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert
Feb. 1, 2013

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption

Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home
Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow
Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years
Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid?
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't
Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO)
The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish
January 30, 2013

Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day'

America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans!
Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown!
Germany remembers Hitler rise to power
Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats
Ballot riles Guinness World Records
The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin
January 28, 2013

Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos

Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback'
Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer
Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating?
David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied
Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends
David Clark Scott Lego Racism?
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south


Jewish World Review March 23, 2011/ 17 Adar II, 5771

Another Military Scandal

By Arnold Ahlert


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Even as America is engaged in its third war in the Middle East, our military is on the verge of enduring its worst scandal since Abu Ghraib. Twelve American soldiers are facing charges that they allegedly belonged to a secret "kill team" which randomly murdered Afghan civilians and collected severed fingers of the victims as trophies. Five of the soldiers are charged with murdering three civilians, while the other seven have been accused of covering up the crime, as well as assaulting another American soldier who revealed the murders as part of a report on other abuses. Pictures of the incident were ostensibly sealed, but German magazine Der Speigel published a portion of the 4000 photos that were reportedly leaked to that publication.

The released photos, taken by a rogue army unit, show two soldiers standing over the body a half-naked and bloodied corpse. Each man grabs the victim's hair to lift his face up, and each poses for a photograph. One of the soldiers is shown to be grinning. A statement released by the Army said such "actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army...The actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing U.S. court-martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."

The accused are part of the 5th Stryker Combat Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. Charging documents in the case reveal that the soldiers involved in the crime had contemplated the the "kill team" idea beginning in December of 2009 when, according to statement given to investigators, Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs, 25, of Billings, Montana became the newest member of the platoon. Described as the ringleader by other defendants, Gibbs allegely bragged that it was easy to get away with "stuff" when he served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004.

Contemplation gave way to action on January 15, when a lone Afghan, Gul Mudin, approached the troops in the village of La Mohammed Kalay. One of the soldiers, Cpl. Jeremy N. Morlock, 22, of Wasilla, Alaska, allegedly tossed a grenade on the ground to create the false impression that the Americans were under attack. At that point, Pfc. Andrew H. Holmes, a 19-year-old from Boise, Idaho, fired on Mudin, and when the grenade exploded, other members of the unit joined in, killing the innocent Afghan civilian.

Thus began what the court documents characterize as a "months-long shooting spree," resulting in two more murders committed by five soldiers in the same Kandahar province between January and May. The subsequent allegations are undeniably gruesome: aside from the severed fingers saved as trophies and the photographing of soldiers posing with corpses, the troops were also accused of hoarding the bones of their victims, including a human skull.

What did the Army know and when did they know it? On Feb. 14, Christopher Winfield, a former Marine from Cape Coral, Florida, had a Facebook exchange with his his son, Adam, a member of the 3rd Platoon in Afghanistan. The younger Winfield revealed what had occurred, adding that other platoon members had threatened him because he disapproved of the slaying, even as they boasted about targeting another victim. "I was just shocked," Christopher Winfield said in a phone interview with the Washington Post. "He was scared for his life at that point." Mr. Winfield attempted to notify several officials, leaving voicemail messages with Army inspector general's 24-hour hotline, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and Army's criminal investigations division. He also spoke to a sergeant on duty at the Fort Lewis command center, who advised him that, unless his son reported his accusations directly to his superiors in Afghanistan, "there was little the Army could do."



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The next killing allegedly occurred on On Feb. 22, when Marach Agha was executed near Forward Operating Base Ramrod. Gibbs, Morlock and Spec. Michael S. Wagnon II of Las Vegas are charged with that murder, and Wagnon is also being charged with having "a skull taken from an Afghan person's corpse." The Third killing occurred on May 2, when Gibbs, Morlock and Adam Winfield--whose father had alerted the Army--are accused of tossing a grenade and then fatally shooting an Afghan cleric, Mullah Adahdad, also near Base Ramrod.

Despite ostensible warnings from Christopher Winfield, the Army is officially reporting that they learned of the killings tangentially, as part of an investigation into hashish use by 3rd Platoon members. The unnamed informant in that investigation was allegedly beaten severely by several members of the platoon, with Sgt. Gibbs waving one of the trophy fingers at him for intimidation purposes.

On Wednesday, one of the soldiers involved, Jeffrey Morlock, decided to plead guilty to murder charges."My client is admitting on the record to three counts of murder, plus one count of conspiracy to commit assault and battery and one count of illegal drug use," said Morlock's lawyer Geoffrey Nathan. Morlock is hoping his testimony will result in a shorter prison term. The four other soldiers accused of murder and conspiracy have denied the charges, and Adam Winfield's lawyer, Eric S. Montalvo, who claimed his client was ordered to shoot but fired high and missed, wonders why he is being charged at all, since his father attempted alert officials about the plot. A military judge has ruled that Winfield can present evidence at his court martial that he tried to expose the plot.

In addition to the coverup, the other seven soldiers are charged with mutilation of corpses, drug abuse, and the possession of images of human casualties--which were allegedly "passed around like trading cards," according to the Wall Street Journal.

The trial is taking place in Seattle and is likely to generate a firestorm of worldwide protests reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib debacle. Already many organizations in and around Kabul who employ foreign staff are in lockdown mode, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in contact with officials in Kabul to mitigate the damage, with administration officials reminding Afghan leaders that these soldiers are being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Regardless of these and other subsequent efforts, it is almost certain that the crime will be a propaganda bonanza for America's enemies, who will undoubtedly use them as both a recruiting tool, and to reinforce the prevailing meme in the Arab world that America is at war with all of Islam--which is precisely what Muammar Gadaffi accused coalition forces of as attacks against Libya continue. How this story will affect the ongoing mission there is anyone's guess. But once again, a small number of American soldiers has done enormous damage to our entire military's international reputation. That such damage is in "stark contrast to the discipline, professionalism and respect that have characterized our Soldiers'performance during nearly 10 years of sustained operations," as an Army statement put it, is unlikely to mitigate the repercussions that will ensue.

If, as it has been said, timing is everything, the timing of this story couldn't be worse.

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Previously:


03/21/11:
Barry, Joe, Helen and Wisconsin Teachers
03/16/11: The Inevitable Viability of Conservatism
03/14/11: Progressives in Their Own Words
03/09/11: $61 Billion in Cuts --- Vs. $223 Billion in One Month of Spending
03/07/11: Bean Bag B.S.
03/02/11: A ‘Green’ Catastrophe in the Making
02/28/11: Ain't Noting Like the Real Thing
02/23/11: Progressive Rot vs. the ROTC
02/21/11: Wisconsin: Progressivism in All its Ugly Glory
02/18/11: News reporters --- or Narrative Shapers?
02/16/11: The Presidents Budget Proposal: An Obamination of Progressive Profligacy
02/14/11: Only Another 9/11 Will Alter the Illegal Immigration Status Quo
02/10/11: Is O'Reilly losing his touch or is he just irresponsible?
02/07/11: Tossing Britain Under the Bus
02/03/11: Starving the World In Order to Save It
01/31/11: Walking the Middle East Tightrope
01/27/11: Small-scale Terrorist Attacks: Big Strategy?
01/24/11: Jeffery Immelt: A Crony Capitalist In Charge of Job Creation
01/20/11: An ‘Intimate’ Prime-time Interview
01/17/11: Progressives: Always Angry, Newly Desperate
01/12/11: Twain vs. the Totalitarians
01/10/11: Politically Correct Passports?
01/05/11: Showdown at the Fiscal Corral
01/03/11: Reading the Constitution Aloud is a Good Start
12/30/10: Getting Our Moral Mojo Back
12/27/10: PC Airport Safety is an Oxymoron
12/23/10: Getting America Back On Track
12/20/10: A Collectivist Coalition of Convenience
12/15/10: The President Who Wasn't There
12/13/10: Tech-No!
12/08/10: A Lethal Military, Inclusive or Not
12/06/10: The ‘Unexpected’ Consequences of Progressivism
12/01/10: Leakers and Losers
11/29/10: ‘We Won’, Part One
11/22/10: Keep Your Hands Off My Constitution
11/17/10: Grope and Change
11/14/10: Taking Back Our Country, One School At a Time
11/11/10: Checks (and Balances), Please
11/08/10: Curtain Up, Progressives Down
11/04/10: Last Chance, Republicans
11/01/10: By Their Own Words Shall Ye Know Them
10/28/10: Progressive Determination to Undermine American Elections
10/25/10: Shock, but more importantly, action: De-Unionize Public Schools now
10/20/10: Multiculturalism? Check, Please
10/18/10: Healthcare: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ vs. The Constitution
10/11/10: Vote for Restoring the Rule of Law in November
10/11/10: Dems: Running From Clarity
10/07/10: Hypersensitive Hogwash
10/04/10: ‘Comprehensive’ Con Artists
09/29/10: Why Dems Are Going Down in November
09/27/10: The Unholiest of Unholy Alliances
09/22/10: Two Words for Republicans to Remember: ‘I Won’
09/20/10: Purging ‘Me First’ Politicians
09/17/10: No More ‘Lesser of Two Evils’
09/15/10: ‘Recovery’ Arms Race
09/13/10: ‘Bigots’ in the Majority --- Again?
09/09/10: Giving Voters Something to Vote For
09/07/10: Irresponsible Dems, Incomprehensible Bills
09/02/10: War Weary Americans vs. Implacable Islamists
08/31/10: A ‘Dream’ Debased
08/25/10: American ‘Bigots’ Versus Media Propagandists
08/23/10: Recovery Bummer
08/19/10: An Unholy Alliance of Radicals
08/16/10: You've Lost America, Mr. President
08/13/10: The Twin Towers of Progressive Disconnect
08/11/10: A Far Better ‘National Discussion’
08/09/10: It's ‘Only’ One Dead Nun
08/06/10: Incremental Tyranny
08/04/10: Ground Zero Mosque: Context Counts
08/02/10: The Arizona Ruling: a Gift for November
07/29/10: The United Cities of America
07/26/10: JournoList: ‘Coordinated’ Ideological Bankruptcy
07/20/10: Go For Broke Or Get Out of the Way
07/14/10: You're a Liberal/Progressive if You Believe…
07/12/10: $33-an-hour--For Sleeping On the Job
07/08/10: Extortionist Government
07/06/10: ‘Commerce Clause’ Totalitarians
07/01/10: Another Public School Travesty in MA
06/30/10: Calling YOUR Bluff, Mr. President
06/28/10: A Trifecta of Progressive Corruption
06/23/10: Plug the Darn Hole --- In Our Border
06/21/10: Our Empty-Suit-in-Chief
06/16/10: Betraying Our Children
06/14/10: Who Gets the Benefit of the Doubt?
06/07/10: Politically Correct Warfare
06/01/10: Bill Maher's ‘Black’ President
05/25/10: A Mosque At Ground Zero
05/23/10: Libs Stand Tall --- For Mexico
05/19/10: The 'Unintended Consequences' of Liberalism
05/17/10: 'Los' Suns: Stuck on Stupido
05/12/10: Union Audacity: Yes We Will!
05/10/10: Greeks, Leaks and and Double-Speak
05/05/10: Twelve Million Illegals --- or Thirty?
05/02/10: Republicans: Playing Not to Lose Doesn't Cut It
04/28/10: Arizona: Progressivism's Waterloo?
04/26/10: Son of Amnesty
04/22/10: Mortgages and Moral Meltdowns
04/20/10: Bashing Christians — Or Gays?
04/15/10: Personal Integri-‘tea’
04/12/10: Fools, Tools and Ghouls
04/08/10: (Tea) Party On
04/05/10: The Triumph of Mediocrity
04/02/10: Two For the Road
03/29/10: The Innate Immorality of Liberalism
03/24/10: The Art of War
03/22/10: I Want My Country Back
03/18/10: A Perpetual Process
03/17/10: American Exhibitionists
03/15/10: A Light Bulb Moment of Clarity
03/10/10: Little Things Mean A Lot
02/03/10: Budgetary Fork in the Road
02/01/10: Liberal Economic Illiteracy
01/27/10: ‘Roe-ing and Wade-ing’ Back to Reason
01/25/10: Arrogance When Up, Denial When Down
01/20/10: Connecting the Educational Dots
01/19/10: The Next Tea Party?
01/15/10: The Myth That Keeps on Giving
01/13/10: Airport Security Begins Away From the Airport
01/11/10: Secrets and Lies
01/08/10: Embracing Bigotry — or Rejecting Bullying?
01/06/10: Hanging by an Ideological Thread
01/04/10: Our ‘Wonderama’ Bureaucracy
12/30/09: A Day Off
12/28/09: Dangerous Myths
12/25/09: I, Me, Mine
12/23/09: A Very Harry Christmas
12/21/09: My Opinon
12/18/09: The Party of Repeal
12/15/09: Privileged Exemption
11/30/09: ‘Settled’ Science and Unsettled Children
11/30/09: American Sharia Law
11/23/09:The Trial (Travesty) of the Century
11/04/09: American Vampires and Their Political Enablers
11/01/09: ‘Opting Out’ of Insanity?
10/28/09: Cell Phones Cause Brain Cancer. Brain Required
10/26/09: Communism: Nazism With Better PR
10/21/09: Just Asking
10/16/09: Cost Projections vs. Actual Costs, or Hope and Change vs. Reality
10/14/09: News you can use …
10/07/09: Incremental Insidiousness
10/05/09: MIA: Common Sense and Common Decency
09/30/09: Iran: Bad Options and Unpreparedness
09/21/09: Crying Racism: the Last Refuge of Scoundrels
09/11/09: 9/11 Cannot Be Sanitized
09/08/09: ‘Truthers’ and Consequences
09/01/09: A ‘Paper Trail’ Challenge for the Mainstream Media
08/31/09: Drowning in Amorality
08/26/09: The Republican Recovery Program

© 2010, Arnold Ahlert

Insight (Our Columnists)

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