Carter: U.S., partners need to stay in Iraq after IS defeat
Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the American military, along with its international partners, will need to remain in Iraq even after the expected defeat of the Islamic State group.
Carter said Dec. 3 the U.S. and its coalition partners must, in his words, “endure and remain engaged militarily” to counter attempts by IS to relocate or reinvent itself.
He did not provide specifics on how long he believes the U.S. military should remain in Iraq or in what numbers.
Carter also congratulated retired Marine Gen. James Mattis on his selection to be President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary.
He spoke at the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. AP
Bergdahl seeks pardon from Obama to avert desertion trial
U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the former prisoner of war who’s accused of endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan, is asking President Barack Obama to pardon him before leaving office.
White House and Justice Department officials Dec. 3 said Bergdahl had submitted copies of the clemency request seeking leniency. If granted by Obama, it would allow Bergdahl to avert a court-martial trial scheduled for April where he faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years. The Obama administration’s decision in May 2014 to exchange him for five Taliban prisoners being held at the U.S prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, touched off a firestorm of criticism, with some Republicans accusing Obama of jeopardizing the safety of a nation for a deserter. Lawmakers expressed outrage that the Obama administration did not give Congress a 30-day notice about transferring the detainees to Qatar, as required by law.
President-elect Donald Trump was particularly critical of the prisoner deal during the presidential campaign, describing Bergdahl as a “no-good traitor, who should have been executed.” Trump has at times held up an imaginary rifle as if he were taking aim at Bergdahl and declared at a Las Vegas rally in October that “Thirty years ago, he would have been shot.”
Bergdahl’s lead defense lawyer, Eugene Fidell, declined to comment Dec. 3. Fidell previously described Trump’s comments as prejudicial, threatening “my client’s right to a fair trial.”
Bergdahl’s disappearance and the possibility that he might face light punishment angered many in the military, given that his fellow soldiers took considerable risks to search for him. Bergdahl has said he walked off his post because he wanted to cause an alarm and draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit.
His request to Obama was confirmed by White House and Justice Department officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter by name.
The New York Times first reported Bergdahl’s request for a pardon. AP
PTSD Anonymous offers peer support for vets
A new peer-to-peer support program for combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in Wisconsin applies the 12-step framework of Alcoholic Anonymous to help heal military trauma.
PTSD Anonymous was launched more than a month ago and has grown from three or four veterans to 12 to 15 people who gather Wednesday nights at Kronenwetter town hall.
Ron Worthey is a veteran and one of the organizers. He says he’s found the fastest way to heal PTSD is to work with other veterans. He says the meetings don’t replace professional counseling, but offer a sympathetic ear from someone who understands the effects of military and combat-related trauma.
PTSD Anonymous was established in Washington state in 2008, but fell by the wayside. Worthey and others are reviving the concept in Wisconsin. AP
Ex-Defense Department employee sentenced to 6 years
A retired Department of Defense contracting supervisor has been sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes from a Malaysian businessman nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who is at the center of the Navy’s worst corruption case.
Paul Simpkins was sentenced Dec. 2 in federal court in San Diego. He pleaded guilty in June to steering multi-million dollar Navy contracts to Leonard Glenn Francis in exchange for money, the services of prostitutes and other bribes.
Francis has pleaded guilty to fraud that helped his ship supply company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, bilk the Navy out of nearly $35 million.
Simpkins was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, forfeit $450,000 in criminal proceeds and pay $450,000 in restitution to the Navy.
A total of 16 people have been charged in the case. AP