Sunday, October 11, 2015

"It's called the rose garden effect"

"Army officer recommends US soldier Bowe Bergdahl be spared prison"
Defence lawyer Eugene Fidell said Lt. Col. Mark Visger has decided Bergdahl's case should go to a military system similar to civilian courts that handle misdemeanor charges. It limits the maximum punishment to reduction of rank, a bad conduct discharge and a short jail term, though that isn't being sought, Mr Fidell said.
Paul Boyce, a spokesman for the US Army's Force Command, released a statement Saturday that didn't confirm Visger's decision.
"As legal action is ongoing, we continue to maintain careful respect for the military-judicial process, the rights of the accused, and ensuring the case's fairness and impartiality," Boyce said.
Meanwhile Obama's new buddies in Iran say a verdict has been reached on a Washington Post reporter they accuse of spying.
An Iranian judiciary spokesman said Sunday that a verdict has been reached in the espionage case of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, though he offered no details and it was uncertain what the verdict is and whether there is a sentence.
“The ruling on this case has been issued,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said in a regularly scheduled televised news conference. “There is still the possibility of this ruling being appealed, and it is not final.”
Rezaian, The Post’s Tehran correspondent, has become a symbol of the lack of press freedom in Iran since he was arrested July 22, 2014. His closed-door trial on espionage and related charges ended two months ago, and the delay in a verdict has never been explained.
The Post has vehemently disputed the allegation that Rezaian was a spy.

3 comments:

ricpic said...

Weren't two soldiers sent out to look for Bergdahl after he deserted killed? Guess that doesn't count for much.

William said...

Obama did Bergdahl more harm than good with that Rose Garden ceremony. Bergdahl is not a deserter or traitor in the usual definition of those terms. His decision to go wandering among the Taliban is just too stupid for words. My first thought was that he was a borderline schizo who had an episode. On the other hand, he is far from a hero. He doesn't deserve promotion, back pay and all the Rose Garden hoopla......I think the White House paid too high a price for his release, but it was a defensible decision. What was indefensible was the Rose Garden ceremony to celebrate his release. That was just wrong. I would not, however, want my annoyance at Obama's stupidity to bleed over into malice towards Bergdahl. Bergdahl paid a price for his stupidity during his captivity with the Taliban.

edutcher said...

Like the general who ordered the Rangers to pass 2 women.

William said...

Bergdahl paid a price for his stupidity during his captivity with the Taliban.

Yeah, he was the little boy.