Quite a few people have asked about UAP’s interest in SSG Bales’s case. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about SSG Bales and his case.
As a starting point, it must be understood that, unlike those who deliberately enter schools in America armed with the intent/desire to kill children, SSG Bales did not. SSG Bales, while serving in a combat zone, went into known enemy safe houses with the intent to kill enemy combatants… and did.
While it is true, he did kill some children, which is horrible, that was not SSG Bales’ intent/desire.
Moreover, SSG Bales deeply regrets the fact that children were killed, especially since he has two children of his own who he very much loves and adores… and who very much love their Daddy right back.
As a matter of fact, SSG Bales wife and family also love SSG Bales so much so that they moved close to Ft Leavenworth so SSG Bales could maintain his nurturing and fully involved (as much as he can) relationship with his very well adjusted, polite, and intelligent children (yes, I have met them, they are awesome!).
Unlike mass murderers in the United States who are assessed for their “mens rea” i.e. whether they had the mental awareness of what they were doing at the time, SSG Bales, who was ordered to take Mephloquine (a.k.a. larium) an anti-malaria drug which we now know has extremely negative psychotic side-effect, has probably been contributing to all the cases of PTSD and suicides, and as is no longer issued to our warriors for just that reason, was never assessed as having impacted SSG Bales mental state one way or the other..
As a matter of fact the Court was never even made aware of the fact that SSG Bales, who prior to this had served honorably through multiple previous combat tours, was on a drug which could have caused acute paranoia and subsequently motivated him to take the initiative to kill enemy combatants on his own.
Here are a few additional facts of which most are unaware.
The US Government never conducted any forensics, i.e., there were no autopsies nor checking of the biometrics (fingerprints and DNA) by the US Government to confirm exactly who or how many were actually killed. The US Government simply took the word of the Afghans.
SSG Bales was pressured by both the US Government and his own attorney to accept a plea and admit to facts which were inaccurate in order to avoid a death sentence.
The US Government flew in “impact witnesses” from Afghanistan for the sentencing portion of SSG Bales’ trial. This in and of itself is not problematic. The problem is… we know, for a fact, that those who were flown in were not simple “farmers” as the prosecution claimed. They were/are enemy combatants! Their DNA and fingerprints were identified on IEDs which had been used previously to kill American servicemen.
Not only were these enemy combatants flown to the US but, after arriving in America, they were put on Delta Airlines with US citizens, put up in hotels, taken out to eat, and provided an opportunity to enjoy Sea World.
So, with all this said, UAP would like justice served and for SSG Bales to have at least the same Rights we afford those accused of crimes here in America. We want the prosecutorial misconduct, which is evident in each and every “war crimes” case, to be addressed as well as a complete review of SSG Bales’ case to identify all the ways in which his Rights were violated.
And, if it is determined, after a proper psycological screening and review of the facts, that SSG Bales did not have the appropriate “mens rea” at the time of the incident, due to the effects of mephloquine, he should be placed in a mental hospital for evaluation… as we would do with any other US citizen.
A US citizen who commits a mass murder in the States, and is found to be mentally unstable, is not placed in prison for life. Why are we not evaluating this Warrior, who swore to support and defend our Rights, in the same manner?
Finally, think about the following:
The US Warriors flying the Enola Gay who dropped a Nuclear Bomb on Hiroshima during WWII, which unintentionally killed thousands of children, were not accused of murder by our Government.
The US Warriors who fire-bombed Dresden Germany during WWII, which unintentionally killed thousands of children were not accused of murder by our Government.
The US Warriors who dropped bombs on the Haska Meyna wedding party in Afghanistan which unintentionally killed 47 (39 women and children) to take out an insurgent “target of opportunity” were not accused of murder by our Government.
The US Warriors on the ground and flying drones who engage and kill scores of our enemies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and elsewhere… who also unintentionally kill others including women and children, which we refer to as “collateral damage,” are not accused of murder by our Government.
So, why was the US Government so quick to accuse SSG Bales of murder for going after enemy combatants and unintentionally killing children. And why was our Government so unwilling to review all the facts, investigate the details, and pressure SSG Bales to confess to an inaccurate accounting of the events?
While we may never know the actual reason, it is possible that one reason may very well be the fact that the US Government was trying to establish a partnership with the Government of Afghanistan for a way ahead, which included a Status of Forces Agreement which focuses primarily on how we address crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.
And while dealing with the pressure to conclude these agreements in 2012, several incidents happened which were creating challenges for the negotiations, to include, 1. the video of US Marine urinating on dead Taliban enemy combatants, 2. Guards at a detention center in Bahgram Afghanistan burning Qurans the enemy prisoners were using to pass notes, 3. Photos of soldiers posing with dead enemy combatants making the front page of the Los Angeles Times, ec…AND SSG Bales killing children whiled taking out some enemy combatants.
With all this going on and more as a backdrop, it was highly unlikely SSG Bales was going to receive a fair trial. The deck was stacked against him.
As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until after SSG Bales was convicted and sentenced to life in prison that the Status of Forces agreement was signed between President Obama and President Karzai.
At the end of the day, it is not for us associated with UAP to determine guilt or innocence of any of our Warriors. We simply fight to ensure our Warriors are afforded their Rights and the truth prevails.
Semper Fi,Bull
CEO, United American Patriots (UAP,Inc.)
