Justice By Accident, Unconscionably Delayed
Feb 10th, 2010 | 24 responses
A Reuters photographer was freed today, by the U.S. military, after 17 months of imprisonment, in Iraq, without charge, and without being allowed to see the evidence against him because it was “classified.”
Unfortunately, the photographer, whose name is Ibrahim Jassam Mohammed, was also arrested and kept in detention all this time by the U.S. military, and he was released now only because of the formal prisoner exchange required by the security agreement signed by Iraq and the United States at the end of the Bush administration, which cedes sovereignty, in stages, to the Iraqi government.
He was not seized in the midst of combat on the battlefield. He was seized when the U.S. military broke down the door of Mohammed’s home and forced him into custody with no explanation.
I am going to quote a brief snip — one of the more moving parts of this article — and then urge you to read the rest here:
In Mahmudiya, friends and relatives crowded into Jassam’s small family home, greeting him with hugs, tears and sweets.”I still cannot believe my son is next to me,” said his mother, Fadhila Alwan. “Thanks be to God. I cannot speak. I will keep him in my arms for days but I will not be able to get enough of him.”
My daughter flashed across my mind when I read those words. She always does when I read this kind of thing. I just instantly, and with no conscious intent, put myself in the skin of the mother in any story like this.
Would that the military officers who ordered Mohammed to be arrested and thrown into a legal black hole for almost a year and a half could have gone through a similar mental process.
24 Responses to “Justice By Accident, Unconscionably Delayed”
On the bright side, at least he wasn't an American Citizen and he wasn't tortured… (We hope).
Kathy,
This part of the story struck me.
“Jassam is one of several Iraqi journalists working for foreign news organizations who have been detained by the U.S. military, often for months at a time, since the 2003 U.S. invasion. None has ever been charged…”
Aren't we supposed to be teaching the Iraqi's the vaues of democracy and justice?
There is no place to go to get away from this shit. It is so embarrassing to be a citizen of the United States when this kind of stuff is going on. The Dixie Chicks were right.
<blockquiote>There is no place to go to get away from this shit. It is so embarrassing to be a citizen of the United States when this kind of stuff is going on. The Dixie Chicks were right
I agree with you and previous commenters that this kind of “s**t” should not per permitted to occur.
However, I will not be embarrassed of my country or to be a U.S. citizen, as these and similar actions while sanctioned and carried out by a few individuals or groups (sometimes at the highest levels of our government), are generally not supported by the majority of Americans.
What I am embarrassed about is that such a majority of Americans (including myuslef), at the end of the day, permit such to occur.
What should we do Kathy, court marshal some officers and destroy some careers over the event? Will that save our reputation, make this man whole again, or, restore his mother’s…..lol…..loss?
I concur with your last sentence. Is that a C-121 Super Connie in the Pic ?
Good eye, chief, an EC-121 AEW&C super constellation, on which I spent many,many hours in my young days.
Dorian
Aren't we supposed to be teaching the Iraqi's the vaues of democracy and justice?
Yeah, that sweet, innocent notion died a long time ago, didn't it?
ABSOLUTELY!!!
If a couple of officers get to see their careers go down the tube, the next officers who are put in the same situation will think twice before tossing someone in the slammer for no good reason…
I disagree. I say burn the journalist, save the soldiers. Our military officers are not responsible for providing constitution protections to foreigners on the battlefield or anywhere for that matter.
Barrier? Arg? Lajes? Obviously air crew. What rating?
Those military officers are representing our country and our Constitution. If they can't act responsibly, then we need to get people out there that can.
Flying out of Otis Air Force Base with the 551st AEW&C squadron, in those days as a crew member, flying 12-13 hour missions along the East Coast looking for for Soviet air-breathing bombers and submarines.
You seem curious/knowledgeable…any connections?
Been to the commissary at Otis a few times when I was at NAS South Weymouth. 9 yrs GCA maint tech.
Alot of the senior Air Controlmen had flown in blimps or Connies for ASW.
So…how do you figure that they didn't act responsibly?
Ya hold a guy for 17 months w/o charging him. That's being irresponsible. Somebody in the chain of command should be going to jail for that.
I probably owe you many safe approaches and landings back on Cape Cod in blinding snow storms…and almost out of fuel.
Thanks oaechief
Dorian
Sorry to mislead. I was U.S. Navy for 21 years, 9 of which were at Navy GCAs or RATCCs. I was three and a half years at GCA #48 at NAS So. Weymouth.
Still, thank you for your service, Chief, and for contributing to the safe landing of many military aircraft in many places.
Dorian
“Aren't we supposed to be teaching the Iraqi's the vaues of democracy and justice?”
Wasn't it soon after the new Iraqi authorities were formed that they were subject to accusations of torture?
Gee, where did they learn that?
It is war chief, not jailing a football game rabble-rouser. A mistake could have cost an American life or lives. We do not owe these people anything resembling the U.S. Constitutional Bill of Rights. We invaded to remove a dictator. Those Iraqis that oppose us are the enemy. Differentiating between them is probably the most difficult task one can have in these wars. Many nation’s militaries would simply shoot them rather than worry about their innocence. We held them in detention until their loyalties are determined and if safe, we release them. It is far more than their kind has ever done for ours in the reciprocal. Lets not condemn our military officers until we know the facts, which IMO include their side of the story, before we wreck careers.
I for one become very irate at military abuse, especially with regard to civilian/military relations. We the civilians constitutionally hold power over the military in several ways, directly and indirectly. If we are to expect a higher degree of professionalism from our military, then we should set the example as citizens. However, we also need to show or respect for their service by at least giving them the benefit of the doubt. Especially when they are risking their lives in our service.
I would like to echo Dorian in thanking you for your service Chief. I have taken many a vector from military air traffic controllers. I appreciated each and every one. Tally-ho, chief.
It's not a “war.” it is bullshit plain and simple. There is an old story attributed to Samuel Clemons, pen name Mark Twain, that goes like this: He was having a discussion with a fella and he asked the guy, “If I call the tail on that mule a leg, how many legs would that mule have?” The fella answered, “Five.” To which Clemons replied, “No, he would still have four legs, because calling a tail a leg, does not make it a leg.”
Bush's mistake has cost us about 5000 American service members lives not to mention the millions of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and who knows where else.
If we continue to “look forward” we will never know the facts. At least in the UK they are willing to review past actions and bring thr former prime minister in for six hours of questioning.
What happened on 11 Sep 2001 was a criminal act. Not an act of war. If it had been handled as a criminal act and investigated as such, we would have had a resolution and we would not have invaded Iraq.
Yeah ok…..but it's not the people in the military's fault for the invasion of Iraq. They have no say in political decisions. Taking it out on them would be like canceling your retirement pay simply because the invasion was ordered.
That Reuters photog was not held on some mere majors or captains say so. He was held because someone near the top of the food chain said so. Like some Deputy Assistant Sec Def.