If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my children may have peace.
By Eliana Benador
It’s easy when others do the hard job. At the most, it is their families who feel it. And, what about the rest of the population? Is oblivion acceptable? Go tell that to those families. Again, after all, the sacrifice is not only done by those who are at the fronts, risking their lives, but it is also shouldered by parents, husbands, wives, babies, little children, teenagers, who are left behind.
True, some may argue that “it is their job, what they are paid for.” The counter-argument to which is that “they could have chosen any other job.”
Be it as it may, yet another American marine is facing military discharge for “mistakenly sending a threat warning to colleagues from his personal email account, unclassified.” Veiled behind that assessment, lies the main reason why Maj. Jason Brezler, a Marine Corps reservist and New York City firefighter had committed that involuntary infraction.
Maj. Brezler had tried to warn his fellow marines of an insider threat in August 2012, about an Afghan police chief, Sarwar Jan — known to be linked to the Taliban, and also a child predator.
But, surprise, Brezler’s warning went ignored, and, seventeen days later, three Marines were killed by one of the Afghan police chief’s alleged child victims.
Now facing a board of inquiry — the equivalent of an administrative hearing in the military — for warning his fellow Marines, the highly decorated Major Brezler though, now stands accused of passing classified information -inadvertently- through unclassified channels because he allegedly used his personal yahoo email account to pass on the warning.
However, prior to the military hearing that began Tuesday, the marine has started to receive strong support from several members of Congress speaking up in his defense.
“It really does seem to be a witch hunt,” said Kevin Carroll, an attorney working on Brezler’s case.
Six members of Congress who also served in the Marine Corps wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Dec. 13 asking a string of questions about why Brezler was facing potential punishment, and expressing “concern” about the board of inquiry.
“Brezler did not know the information was classified at the time he sent the email,” the lawmakers wrote, adding that the military determined at the time “no harm to national security” had been done.
But, that’s not the point. Brezler tried to save the marines, he knew something was going to happen and tried to warn them –but his warning was ignored and 17 days later, three marines were murdered
The marine who was the recipient of Brezler’s information about the Afghan police chief is the son-in-law of a former top-ranking officer in the Marines.
Last summer, Brezler received an urgent request for information from his fellow Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. They wanted background information about the senior Afghan police official, Sarwar Jan, who was routinely allowed on base as part of the U.S. strategy to train local security forces before the 2014 withdrawal.
Brezler immediately responded with information about Jan’s derogatory background, including the allegations of sexual abuse.
No evidence of immediate action was taken by the recipient of Maj. Brezler’s email, and seventeen days later, one of Jan’s assistants opened fire on the Marines. The victims included Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, the most senior enlisted soldier for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Griffin, 45, of Riverton, Wyo., was a Bronze Star recipient who first enlisted in the Army in 1988.
Asked for comment, a spokesman at the Marine Corps Reserve headquarters in New Orleans where the hearing was taking place told Fox News he couldn’t comment on specific allegations — but added that a military investigation found Brezler mishandled classified information when he sent the warning on his personal email account.
After 17 months the families of the victims have had no report on the execution of the marines. And the current hearing is partially closed to the families of the victims
Justice continues to be twisted and turned in America.
U.S. Marines continue to be cowardly massacred by the enemy -facilitated by the American government, and their faith tested by the indifference of the American people.
God bless America
Copyright ©Eliana Benador
Eliana Benador is a global strategist, a political operative and a human rights activist. She has been the founder of Benador Associates. She has represented dissidents abroad from Iraq, Iran, the Copts and others. Her blog is Eliana’s Choice. You may follow her on Twitter, join her fan page on Facebook and you may find her also on LinkedIn.