Category Archives: Government and Religion

“Terror Plot” Soldier Naser Abdo Defiant, Weinstein Equivocates

US Army PFC Naser Abdo, arrested last week on charges he was planning to blow up a restaurant and kill Soldiers near Fort Hood, Texas, was defiant at his court appearance.

Abdo…refused to stand up during Friday’s hearing when everyone in the court was asked to rise for the judge.

As he was being led out of the courtroom, he yelled out “Iraq 2006” and the name of the 14-year-old Iraqi girl who was raped and murdered in 2006 by a U.S. soldier. He then shouted: “Nidal Hasan Fort Hood 2009.”

Organizations that had previously supported Abdo in his objector application have now disavowed him:

“If any of these allegations are true, any sort of violence toward anyone goes completely against what a conscientious objector believes,” said Jose Vasquez, executive director of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Another group, Read more

US Army Private Naser Abdo Arrested in Terror Plot

Private First Class Naser Abdo has reportedly been arrested by Texas police near Fort Hood, Texas.  Abdo wasn’t assigned to Fort Hood; he was assigned to Fort Campbell in Kentucky.  The Army said Abdo was AWOL from Fort Campbell.

Local police indicated they had interrupted a “terror plot” in their arrest of PFC Abdo.  He was reportedly found with guns, gunpowder, and the makings of a backpack bomb.  The arrest was made possible by a tip from local gundealer Guns Galore.  Clerk Greg Ebert said the staff of the store was concerned because Abdo was purchasing large quantities of gunpowder — while asking questions about how to use it.  Guns Galore is reportedly the same store where Maj Nidal Malik Hasan purchased his firearm.

According to AP reports, Abdo has admitted to planning an attack at Read more

Fort Carson Supports Native American Spiritualism

USAFA has its “Falcon Circle,” and just down the street Fort Carson has its unique religious “chapel” as well.

As previously noted, the Turkey Creek ranch US Army facility of Fort Carson has been used for some years to support the religious freedom of men and women in the US military of all kinds. The kind of worship?  A native American sweat lodge.

Michael Hackwith is the local spiritual leader and leads the group in Read more

Air Force General Lorenz on “Necessary” Prayer

US Air Force General Stephen R. Lorenz recently retired as the head of Air Education and Training Command.  (He is also a former Commandant of the US Air Force Academy.)  He frequently wrote commentaries alliteratively entitled “Lorenz on Leadership.”  On July 19th, the Air Force published his most recent article, in which he recounted a Chaplain’s run-in over pre-mission prayer:

As the troops were preparing to board the helicopters to an FOB that had recently been under attack, several Soldiers asked the chaplain if he could lead them in a prayer. A lieutenant colonel happened to be with the group and the chaplain, who was a captain, thought as a common courtesy he would ask the senior officer for permission to say a prayer for the troops about to enter combat. The lieutenant colonel replied to the chaplain that, “It would not be necessary” and walked away. The chaplain followed this senior officer’s guidance and did not lead the men in a prayer.

General Lorenz took the Lieutenant Colonel to task:  Read more

ADF: Government Believes DADT Repeal is Risky?

Daniel Blomberg at the Alliance Defense Fund has an interesting article over the negative impact of DADT repeal implied even by those championing it:

If this change is risky enough that even the President scrambles to prevent it from happening “too quickly,” the Secretary of Defense who championed it focuses on limiting damage wrought by it, and most combat troops anticipate harm from it, why are we forcing it on our service men and women at all?

If you recall, some were asking how DADT repeal would improve the US military’s effectiveness.  Blomberg points out it seems most say they’re doing what they can to “mitigate” the negative.

Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Arraigned, Changes Lawyers

US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, accused in the Fort Hood massacre in 2009, has been arraigned for military trial.  His civilian lawyer, retired Colonel John Galligan, reportedly “took a leave of absence” from the case.  FoxNews implied his departure might have been related to his lack of security clearance.  Galligan has been vocal about Hasan’s “mistreatment” to date:

“I have consistently argued that Major Hasan has not been treated fairly. I maintain that belief,” Galligan said Wednesday.

Col. Gregory Gross, the military chief circuit judge, scheduled the trial for 5 March 2012 in response to the defense’s request for a delay.

By that date, the baby killed in the rampage would have been about 2 years old.

Arkansas “Jihadist” Case Ends with Sudden Plea Deal

The defense had begun to lay its case earlier this week for Carlos Bledsoe, otherwise known as Abdulhakim Muhammad, accused of murdering a Soldier in an attack on a recruiting center in Arkansas.

The case was suddenly halted earlier this week when Muhammad agreed to a plea deal — guilty, life without parole.

Muhammad’s lawyer had originally told the jury their job was easy:  His client did it.

“This isn’t about whodunit or who didn’t do it,” said Patrick Benca, a lawyer for Abdulhakim Muhammad. “Mr. Muhammad was the one that had his finger on the trigger.”

The prosecution used that to their advantage:  Read more

DADT: Obama Certifies Repeal, Critiques, and Questions

Below:

  • President Obama has certified appeal; September 20th marks DADT end
  • ADF “stands ready to defend” servicemembers with faith, service conflict
  • Pakistan protests US support for homosexuals, even with DADT repealed
  • Washington Times notes “smoking gun,” Executive Branch misled Congress
  • Mixon says military “not ready” for DADT repeal, critics silenced
  • US military now used to “attack” Defense of Marriage Act
  • Multiple-marriage group seeks same respect as homosexuals

Read more

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