The Lisbon Reporter

WELCOME TO THE LISBON REPORTER. In an effort to keep our community informed of what is going on at local and Federal levels of government, we decided to create this on-line newspaper. It is our hope that this on-line newspaper will help you stay informed so that you can get involved and take action for the benefit of our ENTIRE community. Thank you for visiting and please check back frequently for information about what is happening in LISBON/LISBON FALLS, MAINE USA

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Support Our Heritage, Support Our Troops, Support These SEALs

"In the Crosshairs

Mike Piccione, Editor

Hey Gunners,

Navy SEALs as you read last week are getting a Court Martial for being too rough on a terrorist. Ahmed Hashim Abed is believed to have planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush that resulted in the murder of four Americans. Our Navy SEALs captured this terrorist scum and Abed is claiming he was unjustly roughed up. Now this terrorist is using our court system to go after the SEALs. Our weekly video is about the case if you need to get updated.

Please sign this petition to drop all charges against the Navy SEAL Three and we will deliver it to the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Click here to sign the petition; already over 18,000 have signed."

Here is the letter that will be sent:

HUMAN EVENTS PETITION TO FREE THE SEALs

Hon. Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense Current Petition Signature Count: 29,699
The Pentagon
Washington, DC

Dear Secretary Gates:

We, the editors and staff of HUMAN EVENTS, and the many Americans who have attached their signatures to this petition, hereby request your personal intervention to dismiss the charges against Navy SEAL operators SO2 Jonathan Keefe, SO1 Julio Huertas and SO2 Matthew McCabe.

These three men are charged with abusing a terrorist they captured in a daring nighttime raid on or about 1 September 2009. On that night, they -- as part of a platoon from SEAL Team 10 -- captured and detained Ahmed Hashim Abed, one of the most barbaric and dangerous terrorists in Iraq. The terrorist -- in a move that is literally right out of the al-Queda training manual -- complained of abuse, apparently alleging he was struck in the stomach.

We had hoped that the SEALs’ commanders would dispose of this matter at the lowest level -- with a scolding and perhaps a few hundred pushups -- for anyone actually guilty of inflicting an inconvenience on this bloody-handed barbarian. But on 29 September 2009, Gen. David H. Petraeus signed a letter authorizing MGen. Charles T. Cleveland to dispose of the allegations of misconduct. In that letter, Gen. Petraeus said that MGen. Cleveland could, "...dispose of these matters in any manner you deem appropriate. This includes the authority to convene courts-martial at any level up to and including General Courts-Martial and to refer charges concerning these individuals to any court-martial."

The three now face special courts-martial next month. We believe their commanders -- including General Petraeus -- have failed you, the SEALs and the American people by not preventing the matter from going this far.

You are the person next in line above General Petraeus in the chain of command. You can, legally under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, intervene to dismiss the charges against the three SEALs and direct that they be restored to duty.

We respectfully request that you do so forthwith. For this matter to continue -- and to place the honor and fighting future of these three men at stake -- is manifestly a gross injustice.

Respectfully submitted,

Current Petition Signature Count: 29,699