Justice For First Lieutenant Michael Behenna

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Jerry111

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Our website, RadiantCross.org is holding a Memorial Weekend fundraiser for US Army Ranger First Lieutenant Michael Behenna, unjustly convicted of “murdering a known Al Qaeda operative in Iraq.

Lieutenant Behenna’s case is typical of the many political prosecutions of our soldiers and marines on “war crimes” charges instituted under the Bush and Obama administrations. Behenna’s conviction is especially egregious. The prosecution’s key forensic witness had informed the prosecution, before trial, that forensic evidence conclusively proved that Lieutenant Behenna had acted in self defense.

Prosecutors dismissed the witness and concealed the forensic evidence from the defense until after Lieutenant Behenna was convicted. He is now serving a 15 year sentence in Leavenworth.

As happens in all of these cases, Michael’s family has been devastated by legal fees. In order to assist the family in pursuit of appeals, over the Memorial Day weekend we are donating 50% of the proceeds of all Radiant Cross product sales to the Defend Michael Fund.

Information on the fundraiser and complete details of the case can be found at wwwradiantcross.org.

Over this Memorial Weekend, as America honors the men and women who have given their lives to defend our freedoms, we need to remind America not only of Lieutenant Michael Behenna’s plight, but also of the many other soldiers and marines who are facing, or have faced, similar political prosecutions.

With our presidents and military commanders abandoning our valiant men and women in the field for purely political purposes, our troops are going to need us more than ever. Please read Michael’s story, donate as able and contact your congressional representatives to request congressional intervention and justice for First Lieutenant Michael Behenna.

Our Lord holds a special love for those persecuted and convicted unjustly. Whether you donate through RadiantCross.org or through the Defend Michael website, please help to remedy this terrible injustice to an American hero.

Pray for our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and for all who gave their lives for our country.

http://www.radiantcross.org/images/rc_icon50.jpg
 
In April 2008, LT Michael Behenna was leading his unit on patrol. An explosion ripped about the convoy, killing two of his men. About three weeks later, in May, he and his unit apprehended a suspect who was found with an RPK light machine gun, bags of ammunition and a passport with Syrian visa stamps.

The suspect was taken in for questioning, but two weeks later, intelligence officers decided they didn’t have enough information to keep the suspect and ordered him returned home. LT Behenna and his men were given that task.

Along the way, Behenna apparently decided to interrogate the prisoner by gunpoint. After threats to kill him didn’t get a response, he shot the prisoner in the chest and head. Then he set off an incendiary grenade underneath the head of the dead man.

Behenna was charged with premeditated murder, but convicted of unpremeditated murder. He had plead not guilty, with self defense as his justification, alleging that the prisoner reached for his gun.

LT Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but the sentence has been reduced twice. He currently has a 15 year sentence, with annual reviews for clemency promised.

newsok.com/edmond-army-officer-gets-sentence-reduced/article/3433881

latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-killing13-2009sep13,0,6346810.story?page=4
 
Dale

Thanks for the reply

In our article Saving Lieutenant Behenna, we include the “evidence” you cite. It was given by a Sergeant Hal Warner who made a plea deal after being threatened with the same 25 years as originally given to Lieutenant Behenna.

Warner, however, could not say he actually witnessed Lieutenant Behenna shoot the Al Qaeda operative, Ali Mansur.

Warner’s testimony would have been refuted by the testimony of the prosecution’s own forensic expert, Dr Herbert MacDonnell, who has investigated and testified in such high profile cases as Dr Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and OJ Simpson.

Prior to trial, Dr MacDonnell demonstrated to the prosecution team how Ali Mansur must have been standing and reaching for Lieutenant Behenna’s gun when he was shot.

As said in our post, when their own expert’s evidence refuted the charges, prosecutors removed Dr MacDonnell from the witness list and withheld his evidence from the defense.

We didn’t just fall off of a turnip truck Dale. This was one of a number of political prosecutions zealously pursued beyond any sense of justice, military or otherwise, for the sole purpose of appeasing liberal war critics and the “Arab street”.

There is a lot more to the story than press summaries based upon info released by military prosecutors. Please visit the Defend Michael website to learn more. We hope you will end in joining our efforts to remedy this terrible injustice perpetrated on an American hero and his family

Jerry
 
Dale,

As a journalism student and a former Navy ROTC student, I learned along time ago that neither side is telling the truth. They are telling the truth that will highlight their point of view. When was the last time you saw a news report about the hundreds of schools being opened? Or the thousands of Iraqi police and army troops completing their training?

Now when was the last time you saw a story about one of our troops being killed?

The truth is always somewhere inbetween the government and the media.

And Jerri, if Dr. MacDonnell’s evidence is so obvious then I have to ask why it hasn’t exhonerated 1LT Behenna either at his initial trial or during the appeals process? Obviously his defense knows about it know, so I’m just curious why it either hasn’t been used or has not been accepted by the judge.
 
Hi Bryan

As we said, Lieutenant Behenna’s defense team did not receive the exculpatory evidence until after Lieutenant Behenna began serving his sentence.

As in civilian cases, the prosecution is required under rules of discovery to turn over such evidence to the defense immediately. Somehow, the prosecution’s discovery notification, and an e-mail from Dr MacDonnell to the Behenna defense team, was lost in limbo until after the trial.

Once a conviction is obtained, the only remedy is appeal. A military tribunal was supposed to hear Lieutenant Behenna’s appeal on April 21, but Army prosecutors requested a postponement. The appeal is now scheduled to be heard on July 21.

We’re praying
 
Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut kimmie. We’ve checked that one also
  1. The prosecution’s star forensic witness was the expert who substantiated Lieutenant’s Behenna account
  2. As far as we know, no forensic expert substantiated the prosecution’s version of the shooting. Even if one did, with conflicting expert testimony, shouldn’t the doubt be granted to an Army Ranger, ranked among the top 20% of all army officers, over a known Al Qaeda terrorist?
Why the prosecution’s bitter determination to convict a man with Lieutenant Behenna’s exemplary record? The evidence falls far short of beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jerry
 
Ops!

Obvious blunder in my last reply. The Al Qaeda terrorist in question was not able to testify. Yet the question still stands as to why, with expert testimony to support Lieutenant Behenna’s version of events, he would not receive the the benefit of the doubt.

Can someone please advise a newbie on how to edit posts?

Thanks
 
Jerry111 said:
Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut kimmie. We’ve checked that one also
  1. The prosecution’s star forensic witness was the expert who substantiated Lieutenant’s Behenna account
  2. As far as we know, no forensic expert substantiated the prosecution’s version of the shooting. Even if one did, with conflicting expert testimony, shouldn’t the doubt be granted to an Army Ranger, ranked among the top 20% of all army officers, over a known Al Qaeda terrorist?
Why the prosecution’s bitter determination to convict a man with Lieutenant Behenna’s exemplary record? The evidence falls far short of beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jerry
Click to expand...
You are very welcome.🙂

I’m a kid and my Big Brother is a Marine Colonel …soooo…this case is scary, to me.

The bullet** traversed side ways through the mans chest - without hitting the arm ** and followed on to hit concrete and flattened after exit.
If I understand the path correctly…

[The prosecution states the man was seated. ]

Shooting from standing… into a seated person…would leave a downward trajectory through the body…

Not a somewhat level - side to side trajectory.

I believe this was the first shot fired not the second.
 
Jerry111 said:
Ops!

Can someone please advise a newbie on how to edit posts?

Thanks
Click to expand...
After you post…you will be redirected to your new post…read it over…at the bottom will be an edit button but only for twenty minutes ]🙂
 
Thanks kimmie

My wife and I will say a prayer for your brother. Thank him for us for his service
 
Jerry111 said:
Thanks kimmie

My wife and I will say a prayer for your brother. Thank him for us for his service
Click to expand...
You are welcome…and Thank you for your prayers.

I have to ask…

Does it seem somewhat political in nature?..I mean Lt’s Mom and Dad are pretty prominent…could…???
 
Jerry111 said:
Hi Bryan

As we said, Lieutenant Behenna’s defense team did not receive the exculpatory evidence until after Lieutenant Behenna began serving his sentence.

As in civilian cases, the prosecution is required under rules of discovery to turn over such evidence to the defense immediately. Somehow, the prosecution’s discovery notification, and an e-mail from Dr MacDonnell to the Behenna defense team, was lost in limbo until after the trial.

Once a conviction is obtained, the only remedy is appeal. A military tribunal was supposed to hear Lieutenant Behenna’s appeal on April 21, but Army prosecutors requested a postponement. The appeal is now scheduled to be heard on July 21.

We’re praying
Click to expand...
Thanks for responding Jerry. I hope everything eventually works out because as someone who has many friends in the armed forces it scares me that this kind of thing happens just for the PR war.
 
Thanks to everyone that viewed and responded, even those who have a different opinion of the Behenna case. And much thanks to those who donated through RadiantCross.org, or directly through the Defend Michael website. We’re leaving the fundraiser page up through tomorrow night.

Our purpose was not to attempt to adjudicate the case online. Examining as much of the evidence as we could, we simply came to the conclusion that Lieutenant Behenna’s case was politically motivated, similar to the Haditha “massacre” and the Navy Seals charged with “brutalizing” an enemy combatant. Our hope was to help raise money and awareness for Lieutenant Behenna’s appeals.

Thanks to Catholic Answers for a well organized and well moderated forum. I expect most of my future posts will revolve around questions on our “one holy, Catholic and apostolic Church”

Jerry111
 
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