Trump says Navy SEAL charged with war crimes will be moved to 'less restrictive confinement'

President Trump Donald John TrumpDems hammer Nielsen over border crisis Ocasio-Cortez responds to 'AOC sucks' chant: Trump just wants another woman to 'vilify' Conservative outlet complains about lack of Trump shout-out at rally MORE on Saturday said Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with multiple war crimes, will soon be moved to "less restrictive confinement."

"In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court," Trump tweeted. "Process should move quickly!"

In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court. Process should move quickly! @foxandfriends @RepRalphNorman — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2019

Rep. Ralph Norman Ralph Warren NormanTrump says Navy SEAL charged with war crimes will be moved to 'less restrictive confinement' House conservatives ask Trump to declassify documents underlying Mueller investigation South Carolina New Members 2019 MORE (R-S.C.), who has advocated for Gallagher's release from pretrial confinement, tweeted Friday that he had spoken with Trump on the phone, thanking Trump for his decision to move Gallagher.

"This morning, I spoke with President @realDonaldTrump by phone about Navy SEAL #EddieGallagher," he wrote. "I want to thank the President for deciding to move Chief Ghallager to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court."

This morning, I spoke with President @realDonaldTrump by phone about Navy SEAL #EddieGallagher. And I want to thank the President for deciding to move Chief Ghallager to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court. (1/4) — Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) March 29, 2019

Norman added in another tweet that Gallagher should be treated as a "decorated soldier who still has the presumption of innocence" until his trial.

Norman tweeted a day before that a group of 40 lawmakers had signed a letter to Rear Adm. Yancy B. Lindsey urging him to re-evaluate Gallagher’s confinement.

"We ask that you weigh this decision given the terrible message Chief Gallagher’s confinement sends to our warfighters that they can be confined behind bars away from their family, legal defense and community for nine months before their day in court," the letter said.

"To confine any service member for that duration of time, regardless of authority to do so, sends a chilling message to those who fight for our freedoms," it continued.

I'm confident Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will soon have a fair trial.

Until then, I question whether highly restrictive pre-trial confinement is warranted for a decorated soldier who is still presumed innocent, or if a less restrictive form of custody is more appropriate. pic.twitter.com/uQ6TtHpcwv — Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) March 28, 2019

Gallagher, a decorated 19-year Navy veteran, is facing multiple charges of war crimes. He is accused of committing premeditated murder and shooting at unarmed Iraqi civilians, according to a charge sheet obtained by CNN.

He is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly attempting to "discourage members of his platoon from reporting his actions while in Iraq," CNN reported in November.

A Navy official last month told Task & Purpose, a website focused on military and veterans affairs, that the judge in Gallagher's trial had delayed his court-martial for three months at his attorneys' request.

MarkHoppusFaceCream on March 30th, 2019 at 17:25 UTC »

Assuming an accurate depiction was made from the prosecution during his Article 32 hearing, this was going on for awhile. I don't know if this dude just got not right in the head at some point, but shooting unarmed civilians, particularly that girl and old man, is beyond insane. And killing a prisoner who is also a patient? Jesus. If this stuff is accurate I have no problem with him being incarcerated pretty much forever. No amount of service to country begins to offset this.

Since he was the senior enlisted guy, where were his officers? There should have been at least one O-3 and one O-2 responsible. If we were talking one event and his officers responded to that and fixed it, that's one thing. But there's a list of things that allegedly happened. Unless his officers were getting shut down from above, they let this crap roll.

ellowotdoweaverethen on March 30th, 2019 at 15:49 UTC »

If anyone wants to read more on the culture of warcrimes within the SEALs this article does a great job: https://theintercept.com/2017/01/10/the-crimes-of-seal-team-6/

Neo2199 on March 30th, 2019 at 13:55 UTC »

President Trump on Saturday said Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who has been charged with multiple war crimes will soon be moved to "less restrictive confinement."

"In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court," Trump tweeted. "Process should move quickly!"

Gallagher, a decorated 19-year Navy veteran, is facing multiple charges of war crimes. He is accused of committing premeditated murder and shooting at unarmed Iraqi civilians, according to a charge sheet obtained by CNN.

He is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly attempting to "discourage members of his platoon from reporting his actions while in Iraq," CNN reported in November.

A Navy official last month told Task & Purpose, a website focused on military and veterans affairs, that the judge in Gallagher's trial had delayed his court-martial for three months at his attorneys' request.

Edit: More details from a prior report by The New York Times:

In a two-day preliminary hearing at Naval Base San Diego that concluded Thursday, prosecutors presented accounts from several other SEALs in Chief Gallagher’s platoon describing his behavior as reckless and bloodthirsty. They said he fired into civilian crowds, gunned down a girl walking along a riverbank and an old man carrying a water jug, and threatened to kill fellow SEALs if they reported his actions.

Some platoon members were so distraught by the chief’s actions, investigators said, that they tampered with his sniper rifle to make it less accurate, and fired warning shots to scare away civilians before the chief had a chance to shoot them.

“They said they spent more time protecting civilians than they did fighting ISIS,” Special Agent Joe Warpinski of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service told the military court.

The main incident:

In May 2017, Iraqi forces captured an enemy fighter who had been wounded in an airstrike. Video images show the bleeding fighter, who was thought to be between 12 and 17, being brought to the SEAL platoon on the hood of a truck, and Chief Gallagher and others cutting away his clothing to give medical aid.

Photos of the fighter viewed by The New York Times appeared to show that medics had put tubes used to treat a collapsed lung in his side and cut an emergency airway in his throat.

Navy investigators said that one SEAL medic was kneeling over the fighter’s head, treating him, when Chief Gallagher walked up and, without saying a word, took out a handmade knife and stabbed the teenager several times in the neck and side.

Investigators said two other SEALs gave similar accounts.

Members of the platoon then posed for photos with Chief Gallagher as he held the teenager’s head up by the hair with one hand, and held his knife in the other. Photos show Chief Gallagher then raising his right hand to perform a re-enlistment ceremony over the dead body, while another SEAL member holds an American flag.

Soon after the episode, investigators said, Chief Gallagher texted a photo of the body to a fellow SEAL member with the message, “I got him with my hunting knife.”