Evil and toxic. No wonder old man Trump admires him so greatly.
160
My prediction: Gallager will make the news again. Next time it will be a road rage incident, domestic violence or assaulting someone in a bar who looked at him sideways. Justice will prevail, a little late perhaps, but it will.
161
Relative to Trump and Gallagher...it appears that the old saying applies: "It takes one to know one." Just as Trump blatantly praises Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jon Ung, and others of his ilk.
95
So clearly, Gallagher is either too mentally unstable to deal with war, or he's a psychopath. Either way, he is a deeply disturbed person who has no business whatsoever serving in uniform or having access to weapons or being in control of other people. To me, his pardon by Trump -- like KY Gov. Bevin's pardons in heinous, violent crimes -- reflect not only an appeal to the most deplorable of the "deplorables" of the GOP base but to reflect Trump and Bevin's own violent, psychopathic desires. Otherwise, why on earth pardon and worse --praise such people? This is simply unacceptable.
GOP -- Look at what horror you have wrought.
147
The US Navy was correct to discipline this sailor. The sailor should have been reduced in rank from E-7 to E-6. (2) The sailor should have lost his SEAL Trident. (3) The sailor should have lost his Chief Petty Officer anchors. The US Navy can do without sailors like this one. This sailor's action's are dishonorable as are the actions of the individual who intervened to protect him.
FCC(SW)/USN/CPO/Ret
136
The best way to prevent American soldiers killing people is not to put them in places where they are given powerful weapons and told to kill people.
33
I would not be surprised if Eddie resorts to violence in civilian life. We can only hope the wheels of Justice will roll more smoothly and hold him to account. Just sayin’.
66
When six Navy Seals came forward to complain about the head of their unit, someone better be listening. One or two Seals you might have ulterior motives in play, but six?
If a person makes a complaint or is 'snarky' on the job site, I can blow it off as that co worker just having a bad day. If two or more co workers react the same towards me; then I know I'm the one who needs the attitude adjustment.
94
It is crucial that the armed forces of every modern nation-state do not enlist or commission psychopaths.
Not one Western selection board, however, evaluates applicants for psychopathy, a malignant, untreatable and incurable congenital condition resulting from an improperly formed amygdala and other neurobiological defects that occur in the womb.
When I sat and passed the Admiralty Interview Board in the early eighties, I was interviewed by a young clinical psychologist. But psychopaths are notoriously clever at charming and hoodwinking even the most seasoned and cynical forensic psychiatrists, police officers, lawyers, juries, judges and prison guards.
The problem for recruiters with psychopaths in uniform is that the Robert Hare forensic psychopathy test has to be conducted in conjunction with a detailed assessment of the participant's criminal past.
But the applicant's juvenile criminal record that could demonstrate the traits of the adolescent psychopath is almost always expunged.
An MRI of the brain may reveal an improperly formed amygdala and certain other neurobiological defects that are the root cause of psychopathy.
Is it fair to discriminate against the psychopath? After all, he was born with his defect and cannot learn to feel fear, empathy, shame and most important of all – pity.
In my view, the one percent of male humans and the half a per cent of females who are born psychopaths presents one of the most important ethical problems of our era.
60
It is interesting that Chief Gallagher is receiving a pension and Andrew McCabe is not.
130
A five -time draft dodger honors a war criminal. This is what we've come down to.
194
I cannot imagine a context in which those men, posing in that photo, could rationally think that they look cool or tough. Yet, there it is.
41
Best wishes for those who had the courage to step forward and do the right thing.
As for
Chief Gallagher....
The Navy is a better organization with you out of it.
Navy vet...65-74
106
If you follow true crime, you see a lot of repeating patterns. One is that when the criminal justice system fails and allows someone like Gallagher back on the streets, he goes on to do it again.
54
You might as well Forget about this Disgraced Seal , since he's bound to get what he Deserves.
The Real Story that's worth Noting and Remembering, is that of these Few Brave Men, who found the True Courage to Man-Up and Testify before this Military Court.
On this Last Friday of 2019, I'm MOST Grateful to those Real-Soldiers for giving US the Best Gift for this Christmas, that there's still some HOPE out there that …………..
72
After watching the chilling documentary on The Weekly, hearing the actual testimonies and seeing the real time texts vs the dishonest Fox Propaganda which was on-the-mark, get-ready, GO to preemptively disinform, it’s an absolute shame that only viewers with access to Hulu can get the full story. EVERYONE should be able to see this without having to pay for it. Pay walls and the like are a costly disservice to the truth.
82
I trust the words of the honorable service members and SEALS who also have known the fog of war. If Trump does entertain ambitions of consolidating power and replacing checks and balances with a dictatorship in America, a loyal psychopath with elite military training is just the kind of person he will want to appoint as his General. Vote these criminals out of office.
85
@Jennifer C.: My thoughts exactly. Also, Trump may want him to lead and organize the “Second Amendment People” (his “base”), in case he loses the 2020 elections.
38
I just want to make sure I'm following along with the state of our country: we are wondering if murdering an unconscious and unarmed child with a hunting knife and then posing as a group with the body is a crime that should be exposed and punished? uh-oh.
90
“Make America Cruel Again “ - Unbelievably awful.
70
I suppose it was inevitable. After Trump has embraced foreign mass murderers like Kim, Putin and Erdogan, the next step was clearly to start embracing American murderers. Even if the American people now shun this murderer, Trump's base (and Fox News) will embrace him and revel in the crimes he committed.
63
I'm glad he's not my husband. Who could sleep around that guy?
91
As a Navy Vietnam combat veteran, I consider what Chief Gallagher did was a war crime, and he should have been convicted and imprisoned
But far worse, I consider that #BENEDICTDONALD's pardon of Gallagher's crimes is eating away at the Espirit de Corps of all the Navy SEALs, especially those who testified against Gallagher.
No other president has EVER contradicted and reversed the findings of a military court-martial held under the UCMJ< the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
I would love to see this decision from our #FEARLESSLEADER reversed by a Federal Court of Appeals. This is wrong on so many levels, and it will affect good order and discipline among all those serving in our military.
95
I carried, buried and picked up the parts of nearly three dozen of my friends, teammates and NATO partners from the field in Vietnam. I subsequently commanded a POW collection point for a bit. While I heard of atrocities committed, neither I nor any in my command would have ever tolerated this dilettante Gallagher's conduct. I was aware of fellow soldier's who were beaten within an inch of their lives for much less mortal conduct with enemy prisoners or non-combatants. And I have no doubt that I would have made Gallagher pay with his life before I would allow him to take the life of that prisoner.
I saw the video. I watched the statements. The only cowards and criminals in this story are Scott, Trump and Gallagher. Any service member who condones Gallagher's behavior is either ignorant of or could not care less about his or her oath of enlistment or the Code of Conduct.
Thugs or cowards: Take your pick. The worst of what we are becoming.
132
I just finished watching "The Gallagher Effect" by the NY Times on Hulu (it will also be shown Sunday night on FX).
The NCIS interviews of Gallagher's platoon members are chilling, as is the video of him starting to attack the unconscious 12 yr old ISIS kid lying on the ground (before a fellow team member covered up the body cam when he realized something wrong was happening).
The photos of the Platoon, with Gallagher holding the dead boy by the hair like a trophy kill, is disgusting and a violation of the Laws of War.
Anyone condoning this illegal and unethical behavior has never served in good standing in the military!
85
As in Nam and all other wars, there are bad people who do horrible things. It’s up to society to find them, try them and punish them if guilty. For a draft dodger to pardon a terrible person like this is wrong and only playing to his base. The US organized and participated in the war crime trials and now we turn the other way. One bad apple doesn’t taint the rest of out great SEALS.
39
Gallagher is a ticking domestic terrorist time bomb IMHO.
60
1. Donald Trump had absolutely no business inserting himself into this case. Let the standard practices of military justice and discipline take place. None of that requires involvement by a president.
2. Eddie Gallagher is, according to members of his platoon a reprehensible excuse for a human being. If their stories are accurate and there is no reason whatsoever to doubt them, this man should not have been anywhere near a Seal Team or any combat operation ever.
69
He may have the applause of the president.
But when this seal turns other seals because he disagreed with he and Trump. Well Trump lost the votes of those seals. And the parents. And the aunts and uncles and the grandparents and probably much more in the military.
54
I have known Navy seals. They are hand picked to kill without any qualms. Maybe Seals are never guilty of war crimes because the military need some psychopaths. If not, given the evidence in this article, why was he acquitted of all but the most innocuous charge? In any event those I’ve known with such violent tendencies, end up killing someone in civilian life unless they become mercenaries.
20
@Nb
Posing for a photo with a corpse, is not just tasteless. It would be expressly banned, to ensure that captured US soldiers are not treated harshly.
Being found guilty of being photographed with an enemy corpse is not an innocuous charge. These men are not playing some video game, and his lack of judgement on this issue alone, should see him dismissed from the US Navy Seals,
35
Trying to justify misconduct by pointing at the misconduct of others is everything that’s wrong with society and the right today.
You cannot make anything better by being worse. You don’t “show anyone” by being “harder” or more ruthless. You certainly don’t command respect ignoring mentally ill sadists.
Respect is earned. It isn’t bought, and it isn’t coerced with violence.
42
He became an animal that war makes men and eventually women. No regard for human life or the empathy that brought the other to this venue.
Until we all recognise that all people are human we will continue with atrocities.
13
Animals don’t kill for fun. They kill to eat: to survive. Even what looks cruel to us (cats “playing” with their prey) is the animal’s way of ensuring that the prey cannot harm them. Only humans kill gratuitously.
45
ISIS should thank Gallagher for the record levels of recruitment and financial support they have been receiving over the past few days. Feeling safe now, fellow Americans?
59
Hey SEALs, take a tip from the Amish - shun him. If he shows up at functions, ignore him completely. Let him know, quietly but in numbers, that he is not part of the group any linger.
Also, how can Gallagher use the SEALs name to make a profit?
59
@Melissa Westbrook many military veterans have written books and made a profit. To include former SEALS. Look at how many civilian sell everything from ballcaps to apparel with military logo on it. It is legal.
2
A Gallagher making his way into our armed services is unavoidable. But how he is dealt with is key. This episode is an indictment against SEAL's command; they failed to handle their internal affairs, maintain standards and discipline their own. It was left to the NCIS to clean up the SEAL's mess. This speaks poorly of SEALS's command.
36
Hypocritical not prosecuting illegal war architects: President Johnson, McNamara, Nixon, both Bush's.
Paraphrasing famous quote: handful of murders a deep tragedy, organized state violence killing millions including innocent civilians pesky trivial statistics.
Easier trying guppies.
14
@Sean
Don't forget Obama.
Madeleine Albright has a nice quote on the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children.
8
Some posted comments here justify Gallagher's action via stress of combat, etc.
My Lai Massacre, as horrendous as it was, could have been "partially" due to stress of combat. Moreover, William Calley was never proud of what he had done and publicly apologized several times.
However, in the case of Gallagher, random shooting of a small schoolgirl, old people, etc. have to come from a sick sadistic mind.
43
I hope when the day comes that Trump gets removed from the White House, the Seals are the ones to do it. Poetic Justice.
31
America not yet aware Germany 1933 had a better check and balance.
one these is True and only one can save the world
RIP=Trump
RIP= GOP
RIP= USA
11
"... his watch slid easily up and down his arm ..."
Assuming that it is a "watch", the band is *tight* around his bicep.
And in the video the band flashes in the light. No competent warfighter would wear shiny bling in combat.
Further, that "watch" could have been *looted*.
4
And that justifies stabbing him while he is incapacitated?
27
The problem with the article, and many of the replies, is that the background of the situation is left out. First of all, the president does not "interfere" in such a situation; he is the Commander-n-Chief, and is well within his power to commute or pardon. Disagreeing with his decision is not grounds to call his decision "interfering. Further, it has been reported earlier that the prosecutors and judge in the case had committed misconduct in depriving the Chief of his rights. They were relieved of their positions. If they had a valid case, this would not have been necessary. Secondly, he was unprecedently placed in solitary confinement awaiting trial. Thirdly, several of his Seals, upon hearing of his new assignment as a Seal instructor, attempted to discredit him so that he would lose awards, and his new assignment. These men were reported to be against his leadership in requiring them to act as Seals in combat, i.e., as an elite fighting force, engaging in risky operations. Etc.
12
As an Ex Special Operator (USAF) I can tell you that what these men did, turning on a leader who kept them from being killed is pure cowardice. One wonders how this team came through the chaos of Mosul with no casualties where other teams lost people.
This is usually only possible if you have a good commander who makes the right decisions, you do not have to like your commanders decision during combat, but you do have to obey the command. later using the chain of command you can question it and let the military determine if the commands were valid, the court martial found the commander Not Guilty. That should have been enough without going public later. That was wrong.
Casualties : 16 troops killed on the first few days and 27 wounded including 2 special operations troops.
ISIS was using civilians as human shields, in addition there is proof they wore women's clothing and posed as civilians to move around the city, after a couple of ambushes by ISIS clothed as women, the result was that wearing a burka was almost a death sentence. It is war, when the enemy resort to trickery, and do not follow the Geneva convention, expecting soldiers fighting for their lives to give quarter is ridiculous.
9
Politics clouds judgement as this ex-USAF operator clearly shows.
41
"... but you do have to obey the command."
Nope. Warfighters do not have to obey illegal orders at any time. And they are supposed to receive training in what is illegal. The problem with the Times's reporting is that it has never discussed what training Gallagher and his CO, Lt. Jacob Portier, actually received.
"... there is proof they [ISIS fighters] wore women's clothing and posed as civilians to move around the city ..."
That's a good point. The Times has never said anything about how deception by the enemy made it MUCH harder to distinguish combatants from civilians. Nor has the Times said anything about Rules of Engagement.
"... when the enemy resort to trickery ..."
"Trickery" is for magicians. Call it "deception". See, for example:
"Deception in War" by Jon Latimer. (Latimer is a British military veteran, according to the blurb on Amazon)
10
Well, if you don't like the Geneva convention, say like that a priori. Not try to use Geneva convention when it suits you, and disregard it when it doesn't.
18
This man is a Hero; what are your questions?
5
I guess it depends on YOUR definition of 'hero' .
48
People defending this monster by invoking the idea that war is hell on a person etc have no idea what PTSD is. War can make a normal person lash out in inappropriate violence under stress. A normal person then feels crushing remorse or emptiness in their soul. That is NOT Eddie Gallagher. This man methodically picked out innocent women and children and played target practice with them and then gloated about it. He is a psychopath. And no, he was not acquitted. He was properly convicted, which is why Trump pardoned him.
64
We have not heard the last of Edward Gallagher. He is a killer.
71
@jeffress
Unsettling that he's got a wife and children, like a certain former Green Beret.
17
Nothing changed or reformed since Vietnam war. Back then the US Airborne's Tiger Force now a day the Navy Seal Gallagher.
7
The Times implies in their article that Eddie Gallagher was unpunished. He served 9 months in jail before being acquitted of murder and all the major charges at trial. Corey Scott, one of the accusers in the video, admitted on the stand that HE murdered the terrorist, not Chief Gallagher. Chief Gallagher was convicted of posing in the photo with the terrorist, but so did his whole platoon and he was the only one charged. The maximum sentence for that conviction was 4 months prison time, and he had already served nine months. The Navy then attempted to further punish him for the photo by demoting him and convening the board to take his trident. That is what President Trump stopped. None of the charges were proven at trial other than the photo. 9 months of prison is over twice the maximum punishment for the only charge he was convicted of.
12
@B. D. And why is Scott not trial
11
@B. D. Gallagher will receive his right "reward" when he meets his creator.
19
There is a reason Scott isn't in prison for his confession: he never told that version of the story until after he was given immunity. originally, Scott agreed with the prosecution's version.
After getting immunity, Scott surprised the court with new testimony: Yes, Gallagher did, in fact, stab the injured prisoner in the neck. However, now Scott claimed that he quickly cut off the prisoner's breathing, killing him just before he could die from the wounds Gallagher inflicted. Afterwards, Gallagher posted a photo of the prisoner, stating that he got that one with his knife.
It was a successful stunt to work the legal system, but I don't see how that story line exonerates Gallagher's behavior in any way.
29
The story is not DJT, per se, or Gallagher, per se. It's about how this nation's tolerance of abysmal, unethical, illegal behavior has mushroomed to epic and dangerous proportions.
There are actual laws and norms of decency designed expressly to hold rogue presidents and SEALs in check. Our crying shame is that we keep shrugging and walking away from crime scene after crime scene as if there were nothing to be done. It seems to be lost on most people that that walking away is itself not benign. It's part of the problem.
At some point soon, we will become so steeped in blood and mess that it begins to feel impossible to walk back to normalcy. We're perilously close to the point of no return.
A nation simply cannot continue moving forward or setting new goals when it's shackled to a mountainous pile of wrongdoing. This is not sustainable. Something has to give and tragically all signs suggest it will be the nation that gives not the handful of criminals running roughshod over us.
More of us need to want our country back to get it back.
63
I don’t think people fully understand how poisonous this was to the mission. The US is trying to show Iraqis and Afghans that we are not the bad guys, that we are not fighting a war on their religion, and that ISIS and Al Qaeda are wrong to claim it’s such. Every Abu Ghraib incident, every Robert Bales, every Gallagher undermines this case AND is free propaganda for ISIS and AQ. Iraqis are livid about these people getting off without punishment, and it’s why at one point a majority of Iraqis said in polling that they think it’s justifiable to kill Americans in their country.
69
I’m proud of the Navy Seals who stood-up to tell the truth. It’s disgusting that a draft dogger like Trump has the power to undercut military justice & remove the highly decorated Secretary of the Navy to allow a potential war criminal to avoid justice.
86
Eddie Gallagher has no honor and he is a thug who was not held in check by his superiors. They are just as guilty as be is of the crimes he committed.
It’s so funny how Delta, Special Forces, and the Ranger never have the same problems that some of their SEAL Brethren have. These include getting book and movie deals that based on incidents that were of a classified nature, murdering fellow service members, and not living up to the oath they swore to as Sailors.
You will NEVER hear about what DELTA, SF, or the 75th Rangers unless it has been authorized. They do not talk and they don’t get book deals on recent and classified operations.
The people who Gallagher get away with the crimes he committed should be his bunkies United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
37
No employer in the US should hire Gallagher. The war criminal needs to be treated as a pariah.
58
@Irish
Appears he will be working for Individual-1 as a surrogate during the coming campaign.
21
I wish this were not true and I feel it is a bit naive. Every private security company in the world will scramble for him. They have absolutely no sense of honor.
19
@Irish wrong. He will be offered many jobs with private security companies. Watch and see.
7
This guy is a murderer. Follow the money, power, and influence. somebody paid off his accuser to accuse himself while testifying under immunity. Trump has some payoff. it is clear. Trump only does for Trump. There must be a financial connection. Where does money and/or power behind Gallagher come from?
38
@Irish
Who paid off Kavanaughs gambling debts, credit card debts, and extra large mortgage debts just before he was nominated to SCOTUS? We don't know. I would guess it's the same sort of people funding this criminal.
27
It appears to me that by pardoning this evil man, your president is now complicit in war crimes. No doubt the immunity his office bestows on him will allow him to sleep easily. Good grief... What more can trump do to disgrace his office and his country?
50
The disgrace of Gallagher is the disgrace of the nation. The whole pardon is a shameful breakdown of the American civil-military trust and relationship and our reputation abroad. Worse than that, it continues to come out how truly grotesque Gallagher's behavior was, so much so that his own men spoke out against him. Now we have a president that supports war criminals who himself is an incompetent narcissist who insists on interfering with military justice and refusing to allow commanders to lead.
38
Trump and Gallagher appear to be similar malignantly aggressive, lawless men.
Both of these poor excuses for human beings enjoy showing a complete lack of empathy and worse, they act out on a twisted and sick impulse to shock others with their malice and cruelty (especially vulnerable children, women, and injured human beings) This is not "bravery"; this is very sick pathological behavior.
Both men also display a very false and distorted notion of what a real man is, with no sense of ethics and boundaries, who are driven by blind ambition and an obsessive and warped use of power. Not the only guys like this in our culture.
My husband was a medic in the army decades ago, and says that the military is all-too familiar with this kind of destructive human being, and in general, acts to weed them out because they give our country a very bad name.
It is appalling that Mr. Trump--who skipped out on military duty with a doctor's excuse for a bone spur and who knows nothing about military justice and the need for it--impulsively decided to override military justice and throw the whistleblowers under the bus. How profoundly psychologically disturbing that must be for these men who dared to testify against flagrant cruelty and abuse.
We have a president who undermines every value that is moral and decent. But that is not as shocking as the Republican cowards, Fox News, and Trump's cult supporters who condone it, excuse it, and cheer it.
58
I'm a veteran, and any good soldier knows that there's a difference between killing in battle, and killing a POW. This man is a murderer, plain and simple, and deserves to be punished to the full extent of the UCMJ.
That Donald Trump not only pardoned him for his crimes but actually lauded him tells us just as much about Trump as it does about Gallagher. As far as I'm concerned, in pardoning Gallagher, Trump is aiding and abetting. Not that the GOP will bother holding him accountable for that, either.
Gallagher's actions and Trump pardoning of them are a sickening insult to every honorable soldier who ever served. There is no excusing or defending either of them.
60
Stop with the whitewashing.
He is a murderer.
Do you whitewash all murderers or those you just like?
I am sure when OJ was set free you thought, “Hey, he was tried fairly in a court of law and justice was served.”
I am sure you are consistent in your defence of a certain type of murderer.
Gallagher has SEAL team members testify to what they saw but you are OK with it.
The navy knows he is a bad apple but you feel confident in questioning their motives.
22
'In 2010, he was investigated for shooting a young girl in Afghanistan, but no charges were filed against him, according to The New York Times. He was also accused of trying to run over a Navy police officer in 2014 after being pulled over in a traffic stop. That incident, too, resulted in no charges.
Isn't it ironic that he called his platoon cowards when he didn't have the guts nor honor to face the military court - instead ran crying to TX Rep. Dan Crenshaw for support, gave numerous interviews on FOX. He's a disgrace.
69
I refused to go to LBJ's war in Vietnam. I was prepared to go to prison for that decision. My draft board gave me the option of working with some pretty messed up kids so I could try to give them a shot at a better life. There are alwas options.
17
This man is a hero; what are your questions?
Which man? The war criminal? The draft dodging commander-in-chief, or the brave Navy Seals who remained faithful to their duty to their comrades, to the constitution, and to the military code of justice?
46
The trident surely doesn't mean what it did in the year 2000. Canoeing with tomahawks and making a fetish of the act of killing. Not a good look. Too bad for those who joined in good faith.
27
Trump forgives the commander and this commanding officer, this violent guy is alone with his family. President Trump, this man may have PTSD, and you have forgiven him and let him out with the public. This is not ok. The Seals who reported him were brave and were calling out a travesty. Remember military members, if you want a safe military, vote Democrat.
25
Odd.
I learned in OCS (and before), that members of the Armed Services took all lawful orders from the President and did not publicly disagree with superiors.
Maybe following orders and respecting the Constitutionally mandated chain-of-Command is too much to expect from the Navy.
2
@Marine
I think that was a defense at Nurnenburg and from what I recall, "just following orders" wasn't found to be legitimate.
35
Trump is perfectly disgusting. In fact, that's his only perfection.
38
I seriously doubt that Mr. Trump knew any of the details published in this NYT article before he got involved with the Gallagher case. Based on what I have read in this newspaper for three years, he does not like be to briefed on nettlesome details. I wonder if he would have excused Mr. Gallagher if he had known what we now know?
12
follow the money. Trump is for sale. the only question is where does money behind Gallagher come from and how does it get to Trump? Fox News?
25
You are delusional. For Trump, cruelty is the point. That’s what makes him the biggest coward on the planet.
34
Sorry, but we've lost our credibility if other countries commit "war crimes" against us.....we have no more moral authority to claim anymore....so if US soldiers or citizens get beheaded by ISIS, how can we complain? Sad sad sad.....
20
I guess he was lucky being prosecuted under military rules. Acquitted, but guilty of only a ‘’minor charge’’.
Under the people’s court, he would be in jail.
That man is a disgrace and so is the coward who cleared him of all charges.
Gallagher, MSB, Putin, Dutarte, Erdoyan and the other criminals he assosciates with are the Liar’s legacy.
22
My father was a medic in WWII and served under Patton, specializing in what now called PTSD patients. As we know, Patton thought they were cowards and traitors. My father thought violence begat violence, a violence that broke some men and scarred others. As a young child, I was not allowed to have comic books or toy guns. Recently, when I asked my mother about the prohibitions before she passed away, she said my father thought comics were too violent and guns were not toys. Only recently did I learn of the Ten Cent Plague that gripped post war America in the 50's. Apparently, others felt like my father.
16
I have never been to war, s it’s not for me to judge Chief,Galllagher. But the description of what he did sounds repulsive. And his own men called him out. That said, this material should not have been leaked. Those guys deserve a chance to rebuild their lives in peace.
14
@Mike Agree. Had to read through 1000s to find anyone pointing that out. Giving greater prominence to those brave enough to speak truth to power hasn't done much to help them. There's a reason only the repulsive are willing to crow to the press.
I question both the decision to leak and to publish.
7
We should commend the men who reported Gallagher. I am certain they have seen & perhaps even themselves gotten too close to the line of violating rules military personnel must follow in combat. What Gallagher did went waaaaay over the line even for these men who are experienced in combat.
Those who agree w/Trump, like him are not at able to navigate gray areas of morality, & know that in those circumstances, we default to what is clearly the right, legal, moral, & ethical thing to do.
We are where we are in this country because the current occupant of the White House believes 'I alone can fix it.' This means he listens to no one. He has the best military, intelligence, legal (debatable) minds at his disposal.
Trump insists on having his own way so he continues to make needless rookie mistakes.
He & his supporters have a Hollywood view of the military -void of history & precedent- that is making America's stature on the world stage smaller w/ each passing day. My hope is that those, like the men who reported their chief, will eventually prevail to repair the damage done over the last three years by Trump & those who following blindly at the expense of our nation's laws & values.
24
NYT, why are these obviously private "Whistleblower" type vids showing active service personnel faces, on public display for all to see. Showing those vids is not a better result. Service men and women operating in this nature especially navy seals if captured could have then used as torture against them. Sure there is a story there but blank out their identities or dont use the vids as they wont be able to do their jobs as their roles in the culture of the team will be contaminated to other members in the service even though they seek a better result.
12
Hard to know who to believe in these days. The presidency? Not what it used to be, and not that it was ever perfect, but it had checks on it. Congress? Half of them refusing to do their job while they look the other way. The priesthood? Now we find out that some of them were sending checks off to others to cover up for them. The most elite unit of the Navy? Well, one bad apple may not have spoiled the bushel, but it's too bad he wasn't taken out before the atrocities. How did he ever get in?
We used to crack jokes about bankers and lawyers, but ironically we are now counting on the legal profession to help save us from an out-of-control, tweeting & cheating president. And we're asking (or subpoenaing) bankers to please come forth with the president's tax forms and financial statements.
11
The more times people make excuses for Gallagher’s behavior, the more likely of recurrence, by him and by others.
Gallagher may have excuses, but none of them are honorable. Don’t be surprised if he winds up in headlines again, but instead of a war crime, it may be a domestic crime. Seems to be in his nature.
30
@S L Hart I recently read that hewas going to join DJT on the campaign trail. SMH.
4
Gallagher , And I will not call him chief, is a cold blooded killer. If his team felt this way about him then that is the truth. He joined the Navy Seals so he could kill and get away with it. If you know this man walk away. He is a cold blooded killer. I know many military and they would never do what he has done.
30
No doubt that impostor in OUR White House regards Gallagher as his hero.
Despicable.
I'm betting It'll only be a question of time before he kills somebody else.
24
Why are we still in Afghanistan, Iraq, and where else? We need to get out pronto. The only countries we should defend and be worth fighting for are the USA and Canada.
8
@Joseph Roquebecil
Cut and Run, that’s the Republican way.
3
Gallagher needs to be extradited to the Kingdom of ISIS where he can stand trial and be fairly judged by a jury of his peers.
27
The real heroes here are the Navy Seals who outed this cowardly psychopath. In doing so they surly wrestled about violating he sacred code that bound them, but in the end they responded to a higher power and calling by rightfully upholding the dignity, integrity and honor of their outfit and Country. Even within the context of abject horror these men realized that Gallagher had crossed a line and was no longer one of them - he disgustedly abused his power, sullied the uniform he wore and disgraced the Country he vowed to defend. No sympathy for this man or any accolades for Trump who once again attempts to politicize a sordid event by abusing his role of Commander-in-Chief as he exonerates a pathetic war criminal.
37
"War, what is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING".
9
Only trump would throw the truly good under the bus in favor of a cruel outlier. Are we already up to the part where the military is the enemy of the people?
Hold on America. Come together. Protect our disagreements.
17
I seriously think that Trump sees no difference between a special ops soldier and a hit man. So, when Trump praises Gallagher he shows no understanding at all of the laws of war that non-criminal soldiers see as vital to their
own prospects if captured or imprisoned.
20
Lost in the rush to (rightfully) condemn Trump and Gallagher is a recognition of our complicity in this brutality. They are acting in our names whether we like it or not and no amount of distancing ourselves from a horrific reality is going to change that. We need to seriously rethink our endless wars and global "defense" strategy or get used to stories like this. Or perhaps we're numb to them already and that's part of the problem?
8
Trump and Gallagher are complete failures at their respective jobs.
23
Sorry for you, but President Trump has done wonders for our economy, kept us out of stupid foreign wars, and helped our police control the criminals illegally entering our country.
He’s been a great president for me and my family.
1
So, you are OK with pardoning an obvious war criminal? Give the economy a few more months and Mr. Kim more rope and then we’ll judge everything else.
8
I think Mrs. Gallagher ought to sleep with the lights on, this man is evil!
31
This is the worst and most painful story thus far from this Administration. Brave Navy Seals who revealed a sadistic leader do not get support, but the criminal officer Gallagher is praised and exonerated by the President.
Thank you to the Seals who stepped forward and did your duty to expose criminal behavior.
50
He is Enlisted, Navy Chief ranks are E-7 through E-9.
2
As the mother of an Annapolis grad, now in the reserves, I am appalled at how the reputation of the Seals has been damaged by the ghastly behavior of a single individual.
30
This president poisons our nation.
44
It's telling that so many Americans don't care as long as the economy seems to be going well.
41
@Kaari Thanks to President Obama.
22
CPO Gallagher is akin to the likes of a pedophile becoming a catholic priest to perform his acts of compulsion. Not a true defender of our nation. Just one who craves to carry out his desire.
23
@SRD
At least those priests have their make believe ’God’ on there side.
1
At least Trump supporters have made it clear they support war criminals, at least the ones to whom Donald Trump gives his seal of approval. Makes it even more obvious why neo-Nazi groups love Donald Trump and why his base welcomes their support.
33
In the coming years Gallagher is going to have to defend himself by trashing the Seals he served with and the Navy commanders he answered to. Trump is going to trash every government institution that he sees as unloyal to him. Neither of these men can accepted any responsibility for their actions and the country is going to pay for that neglect.
38
If you are searching Hulu... Make sure to type in the search engine The Gallapher Effect. Someone wants to keep it under wraps
7
To the Seven Guardian Angel Courageous Seals Who Spoke Truth: since you're now (or soon will be) veterans; please know the VA Healthcare System has SO MANY resources for you; at least until Trump and cronies get the funding cuts they want more and more of).
We have legions of dedicated, skilled Care Providers of all levels who want to give you a life back. Call me in the SFVA Intensive Pain Rehabilitative Program and we'll find you the best people to attend your savage wounds; inner and outer. You're the bravest, biggest heroes of the year! Celebrate your courage and know WE ARE ALL SO GRATEFUL for truth-tellers like you! Buona Fortuna, may the angels kiss your tears.
18
MY Brother Died on active Duty. He would be ashamed of this debacle. Me, I’m not even surprised.
Seriously.
29
Does protecting a war criminal make one a war criminal? Particularly when such protective action is undertaken by one responsible for national/military standards?
I think it does..,yet another form of Trump treason.
24
My blood just ran stone cold watching this. I think of the four women he killed in one day. How would Eddie Gallager feel if an "Eddie Gallager" on the other side just went and picked off Mrs. Gallager one day?
30
By the sound of it he’s the most likely one to be “picking off” the missus - I imagine she lives with a level of fear. Sad
7
@CDB
Exactly, we may be reading a story about that.
7
He should live in infamy
12
A friend of mine, a former military judge living in the Washington, DC metro area, summed up this ugly episode in military history with three words: “Trump is an idiot!”
28
“No beast as fierce but knows a touch of pity. But I am no beast and therefore know no pity”
No, I am Eddie Gallagher, who knows no humanity, only cowardice and abuse of power. All hail the ignominious bully who wields the weapon of death against the weak and dispossessed.
16
My father was a decorated career infantry office, graduated from West Point in 33 and fought in both the Pacific and Europe. He taught us about honor, duty and patriotism (not the phony flag waving kind). These are all things that have been passed on to my sons who are currently serving, one of which is a SEAL. Dad also taught us that there times when a man should cry and if he does not or can not there is something wrong with him. He told us about soldiers gone wrong and that an officers worst nightmare was losing control of his men.
We have been told how perfect the SEALS are but remember they like the rest of the military are a microcosm of our society, with good ,bad , indifferent, sociopath and God help us psychopaths. And unfortunately the fog of came give cover to the worst of these.
26
45*'s pardon of Gallagher is about only one thing: power. Exerting power over the military in this way is a "victory" like no other. We would do well to worry about what's next.
27
Trump's execrable defense of this American war criminal is another standardly morally scrofulous rationalizing of human rights abuse and assassination, just like this moronic president's exoneration of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman's brutal murder of American resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has decidedly earned himself another impeachable offense-- on a par with the two already passed by the House. Congress must merely provide its non-partisan, patriotic imprimatur for this one.
18
I wish we could add Trump’s action regarding Gallagher to the “high crimes“ of his impeachment.
Because his utter dereliction and foolish incompetence make the title “commander in chief” a joke when referring to Trump.
21
Trump's protection of war criminals is nothing more than red meat to his unknowing and naive supporters. Sickening and shameful.
28
Trump heroicizes war criminals and tyrants as regularly as he disparages brave and honest patriots. The one way is the obverse of the other, and both are pure evil.
14
If Donald Trump had been president in the 1970's or 1980's, he probably would have pardoned Charles Manson.
14
Of all the insane actions taken by this President, pardoning this guy may be the absolute worst. We are not a nation of My Lai soldiers led by Lt. Calley's. The military justice system failed us again 50 years later. War is terrible, open season for psychopaths in uniform shouldn't be on the agenda. When his fellow soldiers, not just a few, condemned his behavior as evil and aberrant, he needed to face real prosecution, and be imprisoned. The Navy fell way short on it's responsibility, and the President fell of a cliff on his. What a disgrace. John McCain wouldn't be proud.
21
Gallagher-envy, Mr. Trump? Or tough guy stuff as a bone spur draft dodger?
It seems the special operations chief was ok with killing anybody, (according to his fellow SEALS)...kind of like trump who might like to shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it.
18
Now he's starting a SEALs merchandise website? How Trumpian of him! Is there no shame left?
26
So, Trump wants to take a highly trained Navy SEAL, who has been described as “evil” … ’toxic” … and “perfectly OK with killing anybody who is moving” — on the campaign trail with him.
The Secret Service must be loving this!
21
Evil, toxic and vicious.
A perfect fit for the leader of our country.
Does Trump have staff who go out and hunt up creatures like this for Trump to idolize, or does he just have an internal magnet that draws him to them?
And how do Republicans like Rob Portman or Susan Collins or almost any of them in the Senate pretend to ignore this?
(The ones in the House like Jordan and Gaetz love the haters.)
21
Those here supporting the mock impeachment proceeding against Trump do not understand that the Democrats, for the most part, support most of Trump's reckless and imperialist actions abroad. Those actions that are in sync with the establishment (you can call it the deep state) that is. Their issue is that he does toe the line and not follow the script in a predicable enough way. Those who actually want to take a different path should be supporting Tulsi Gabbard not smearing her. The censure proposal she put forward was comprehensive on this point. I don't think it was even mentioned by the press.
https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-calls-house-censure-president-putting-personal-political-gain
3
Having served in the Navy in the mid/late 60's this does not surprise me. It does turn my stomach, and causes me to recall how afraid I was to report anything....and I didn't report anything because I would have been the one to end up in the brig.
13
Among the many problems with this stunt by Trump is that now SEALs will be even less likely to come forward in the event of similar or worse crimes.
21
Trump's reelection strategy apparently is that the US consists of enough miscreants to get him reelected.
I sincerely hope he is proven wrong.
22
Thank you so much, Dave Philipps, for covering this story. This case should not be allowed to be swept under the rug. Trump's celebrating Gallagher as a hero is so gut-wrenching that it makes me physically ill. I see other commentators saying that the "fog of war" makes this sort of thing okay. Well, during a certain period of our country's history, these actions would have been punished. The fact that they are no more places US (the not-so-great anymore USA) on the same level as those ruled by dictators, petty tyrants, war mongers. Of course, it's really no surprise that Trump would see a kinsman in this war criminal.
21
I’ve been to war. If you mistreat prisoners, your enemy won’t surrender. Which means that even more conflict than is necessary is required to conclude things. Like, give up, and we can all go home and resume our lives. That doesn’t happen anymore.
Common sense and standard military military teaching.
Anyone who kills a prisoner, wounded or not, is the very definition of evil.
48
So many people want so badly to believe that our country is always right, want to believe that the essence of patriotism is unswerving belief in our leaders. They want to believe that Chief Gallagher is a hero, and our president, to their joy, has said it is so.
Fortunately our national culture of individualism and a strong sense of right and wrong has caused other soldiers to speak up, and act, as they have done in other wars.
War is a terrible thing. If being in the war is turning our citizens into beasts, and tearing our country apart, it is not worth it.
11
The real crime in this case belongs to the Navy culture that permitted the acquittal. Every minimal intellect familiar with combat conditions in the Middle East and Islamic nations knows that U.S. personnel of any kind serving in such cultures and conditions are exposed to distinctly increased danger when information about this kind of thing leaks out, as it does when the relatives and friends of victims witness such atrocities.
Every single one of my several young relatives who total more than 50 months of combat duty in Iraq and elsewhere have confirmed this to me, in detail. I repeat: this is on the super-fatted Navy bureaucracy which failed America's reputation and honor clear across Middle East--and, in fact, everywhere.
If, as Pope Francis said on Christmas Eve Christ really is alive, the American people will suffer for these multiple crucifixions of lives, reputations and, yes, of the honor of the whole American people. This whole spectacle is sickening to the soul.
16
@David A. Lee If I was a bit too hard on Navy officers who put their own reputations on the line in this case, I apologize, but the whole effect of this process nonetheless was somehow defective. In any case, I was myself deficient in not saying, as I should have, that in this glorification of inexcusable brutality and mortal violence by no less than the President of the United States there is an indelible shame and blood-guilt. In a day when Christians honored real manhood more than we do today in America, every Saint and theologian from Paul and Augustine to Thomas, Luther, Calvin and the modern giants like Dietrich Bonhoeffer would excoriate this sort of thing in the most unmistakable and distinct terms.
6
One can only conclude that in some circles forgiveness for military criminal acts can be had by gender reassignment.
CPO Gallagher is a mentally ill individual in need of help. trump's interference just makes Gallagher's health even more precarious.
12
Ironically, last weekend, President Trump, who many evangelicals claim is the most pro-life president in American history, hosted this man, Eddie Gallagher, and his wife as his specially invited guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the Christmas holidays. Something’s wrong here.
32
The truth always comes out, sometimes like this after the fact.
The truth needs to be revealed about our Russian compromised president and why he is so obsequious to Putin and Russian interests, including spreading the propaganda about Ukraine having interfered in the 2016 election. The sooner, the better.
12
Reading a lot of posts here, 'the fog of war', 'walk a mile in their shoes', etc. Think I could walk 100 miles through that fog and still have enough civility not to shoot women and children.
36
This is what you get when you support and vote for Trump. Keep in mind when you cast your next ballot for president.
20
“People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned.” - James Baldwin / Author
17
Thank God for Men like Eddie Gallagher, who have the courage to whatever it takes to defend our nation and way of life. People who talk about war crimes have no idea what they are talking about. The only crime you can commit in war is not prosecuting it as viciously and savagely as you can in order to defeat your enemy as quickly as possible in order to end the bloodshed. Thank you Chief Gallagher and thank you President Trump.
Your comments miss the mark. Leadership, discipline and following the rules of engagement are part of the military. There are hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, sailors and airmen/women bravely protecting us and upholding our values. Unfortunately there are a few very bad eggs like this CPO, who is clearly an evil murderer.
20
Killing civilians deliberately like Gallagher did is a war crime and an aberration. Trump is a war criminal for supporting out and out murder. Those who condone this conduct are not only foolish but are helping set the stage for future atrocities.
24
Of course trump would exonerate a criminal he is one of them.
15
While on the subject of trials and justice, two war criminals who never had to face judgement but are responsible for one of the worst crimes in our history are the people who got us into a needless war in Iraq: George W Bush and Dick Cheney.
10
I am a proud Navy brat. My father and his brothers served all four years in the Pacific in WWII, and my father and his oldest brother made the Navy their careers. The latter is buried at Arlington, having served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
They saw a lot of bad things. My father was in Naval counterintelligence after WWII when we lived in occupied Germany. I know he did some things that tore him up, and I can only guess they might have been along the lines of what Chief Gallagher did. But not with relish. With regret.
I do not condone Chief Gallagher's conduct. It had to be extreme for other SEALs to break their code of silence. But war clearly twists people's minds. Should he have been pardoned? No, given he was only convicted of a minor offense in particular. It sends the wrong message altogether--it tells other SEALs NEVER to report what they see as atrocities, and indeed green lights their commission.
As someone recently turned religious after five decades of atheism, I believe in a higher power, and a greater Judge. My faith tells me that he, like me, will face that Judge one day. I take some comfort in that.
9
If you accept that the charges were warranted, then Trump essentially betrayed the Armed Forces, and most especially those individuals brave enough to come forward to testify against Gallagher.
Not totally surprising, given who and what Trump is. Trump's closest contact with the military was a military high school he was sent to because of behavior problems. When it came time to serve, Trump developed "bone spurs" to keep him away from the military.
11
The action of Trump in the case of Gallagher is very disrespectful to the brave men and women currently serving and who have served honorably in the United States military. Sadly, Gallagher will be used as a political puppet in the effort by Trump to be elected to a second term as president in 2020; and the pardon claimed as testament of his love for the military. This from a man who used privilege as a means of rejecting military induction during a time when other young men of his age were drafted or volunteered to serve.
11
I wish we could see the transcripts of the trial and find out how this rogue soldier managed to get acquitted of these charges.
39
Exactly.
4
It was a legal maneuver that got Gallagher off. Gallagher repeatedly stabbed a subdued prisoner. Then a medic who had immunity from prosecution testified that he covered the prisoner's trachea tube, thereby killing him. There is no doubt Gallagher caused the death of the prisoner. The medic just sped the process up. Gallagher is a murderer and should be behind bars.
16
When our president condones this kind of action above the military experts, he sends a signal to the world that the USA no longer stands for what Reagan hoped for..."that we shall be as a city upon a hill—the eyes of all people are upon us". Trump has lowered the bar to cowardly acts that reflect his understanding of humanity.
38
It took me a long time to learn some horrible realities about people and group politics. There is a kind of human being who lives for power--to kiss up and kick down, the latter as much as possible--and these people have radar for each other (or should I say, they can scent each other) at first meeting. Their goal in life is to control others, and they know they can do it by working with others like them. Trump and this rogue Seal are alike. Trump scents this as he scents his kinship with other authoriian dictators, or would-be dictators. It is imperative for the rest of us to recognize these specimens and unite against them.
47
Sitting in a bar I overheard a kid saying the reason he got out was he was tired of killing civilians. I assume he wasn't a war criminal and at least he followed protocols. There's always reasons to fire at civilians in war be it confusion or getting caught in a crossfire it happens.
Martha Raddatz the ABC news anchor related a story about a time she was in Iraq. She was in a convoy and a civilian vehicle approached them and refused to stop. There was no way of telling who was in the vehicle or if it had a bomb. She said the soldiers stopped it by firing on it with a 50 caliber machine gun.
How many hundreds if not thousands of times this happened in this war we don't know. Raddatz wondered if it was the right to kill whoever was in the car but she understood like the soldiers there she got to survive another day. With both memories and guilt.
She also asked how did this trail affect soldiers with PTSD's. Is the pardon some form of vindication for the soldier carrying the guilt of what they experienced. Do they fear punishment if not legal but social punishment for what they did in battle. By the comments here they have a lot to worry about.
3
@JoeG - The situation you described, firing on a car that might have been a threat but turned out to contain innocent civilians, is very different from what Gallagher is accused of doing. Gallagher shot people he knew were noncombatants and stabbed to death a subdued prisoner of war receiving medical attention. The commenters calling him a war criminal are not referring to a situation where a wrong call was made and the ensuing killing of civilians was not intentional. Gallagher's actions were deliberate.
20
Gallagher's pardon may well be a miscarriage of justice. They are common. My point was how does a person PTSD take it?
To the men of Alpha platoon, SEAL Team 7, thank you for your service and standing up in the face of evil and doing the honorable and right thing by speaking out. You are a credit to the Trident you wear. You can hold your heads high. Knowing there are some noble men protecting us is a comfort.
57
War is not a necessary evil. War is the male solution to conflict because violence is the male solution to conflict. Why must we suffer from the cult of the male/warrior? Why must we continue to scratch our heads over what is right and wrong about war? When will the abilities and solutions of the other half of our species be worshipped the way we worship the WORST of all solutions to conflict - violence.
650
@Ian Thank you. I am of the exact same opinion. Bravo!
44
This is not about war. It is about cold blooded murder.
95
Be sure to let us know when you have credible evidence that "the other half of our species" is actually opposed to warfare.
Lysistrata is fiction.
50
most comment show their hate for Eddie Gallagher not knowing how this proud American hero served at the highest level of danger and deserves our respect
anything less just shows just how many Americans take their service for granted
Eddie and all military service personnel, thank you for your service
2
The actions of Edward Gallagher, sniping a 12 year old girl; using a knife on prisoner in custody; killing an elderly civilian carrying a child - again a sniper shot. If that’s your hero, you can have him. He’s a coward in my eyes. I took the same oath he did.
93
As a retired Chief Petty Officer, there must be good reasons for him to be found guilty under Articles of The Uniform Code Of Military Justice and by his peers.
35
@Bruce
But he was not found guilty.
1
Isn't America great!?
8
If you're hooked up with trump, by any means, or for any reason, you lost. No decent person would accept a pardon from such a hideous coward.
22
If I were his wife, I'd sleep with one eye open.
40
Who is this leader, Lt. Jacob Portier, who gathers his men to be photographed with Gallagher's kill?
15
“Evil”, “toxic”, “sadistic”.
Is it any surprise our president supports this loser, it’s all the characteristics he worships.
34
So “Navy” that the chain of command liked Eddie.
“The guy is freaking evil,” Special Operator Miller told investigators. “The guy was toxic,” Special Operator First Class Joshua Vriens, a sniper, said in a separate interview.
Trump's kind of man.
Next stop: Secretary of Defense or Supreme Court?
25
This is one of the saddest stories of the holiday season.
22
I hope that the testimony of Chief Gallagher’s teammates, along with the the recent editorial in Christianity Today, makes an impact with those Trump-voting Republicans who still value an honest exchange of arguments and maintain a basic respect for opinions that will differ from their own.
14
@DCJ there are many of them out there. And if the Democrats aren't silly enough to nominate a radical like Warren or Sanders, they could be the key to winning in 2020.
7
As I read about Navy Seals revealing truths about Chief Gallagher I thought about the fifty-three Republican members of the US Senate vis-a-vis the prospect of an impeachment trial.
Earlier this week we heard Senator Murkowski stating that she deemed as “disturbing”’Leader McConnell’s claiming that he is marching in lockstep with President Trump.
Perhaps some Senate Republicans might speak for our nation and its Constitution in defiance of Leader McConnell.
20
I'm late to the comments, but here's the thing:
Trump would only feel validated if he read this article. He admires people who take the law into their own hands, and does the same himself at every opportunity.
Does anyone think it's an accident that the man who pardoned Gallagher is the same man who pardoned Joe Arpaio?
29
The Geneva Conventions gives the rules of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts. These laws are also consistent with our UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). Gallagher has violated both US military and international law. He should be severely punished for those crimes, and the fact that he was pardoned by a morally-unfit president only bolsters the case against him.
23
The guy is a war criminal, no doubt. Trump should should not have intervened and undermined the military justice system.
Once you break down military discipline, you face an armed forces that will be less effective in conflicts of war.
On many levels, Trump is unfit to hold office.
18
How on earth can anyone who has utter disdain for anything military and has no personal experience or contact with the military even begin to judge or describe anything military, especially after they've been hired because they disdain the military?
8
Sounds like you are describing Trump.
6
OJ Simpson was acquitted in a murder trial. But who except the most depraved believe that he is innocent of the crime?
Like Simpson, Gallagher was acquitted of murder. Like Simpson, he committed the crime of which he was accused.
Everything else said of his case is mere political exploitation, or in Gallagher’s personal life, exploitation of his crimes for profit.
11
Bad as this is, Trump has made it worse by parading the guys he pardoned at his Nuremberg rallies to raise money for his campaign.
It's sacrilege.
15
Incredible. I read the article and then see letters attempting to make the case that this war criminal should be exonerated.
Enough already with defending the likes of DJT and Gallagher. Forget the so-called "fog of war," a real condition that does not apply here, invoked by the apologists. What we're suffering is the miasma of misinformation, the fog of fake news (anything issued from the WH) and the misery of the needless confusion sown by those who would rather carry water for criminals than hear the truth.
We have to stop listening to those who attempt (and fail) to normalize the abnormal, defend the indefensible, and explain the inexplicable. They are wrong. Period.
Gallager has committed crimes.
DJT has committed crimes.
Both must be made to pay for their criminal wrongdoing. Those who suggest otherwise are guilty of collusion. The very fact that we can no longer draw clear lines, even and especially when there is no ambiguity, is a profound part of our problem.
21
War crimes are nothing new to the American military, but at least now they are being exposed. Those Navy SEALs giving testimony are a credit to your country.
18
Gallagher has the looks and swagger that Trump uses as a basis of judgement of others. Facts only get in the way. His denunciation of women based on his evaluation of their appearance is the other side of the same shallowness.
10
Do unto others...
The Geneva Convention works both ways. By condoning this brutally psychotic behavior, Donald Trump has opened the door for it to be visited upon our own troops.
Of course, it's difficult for a draft-dodger like Trump to understand the reciprocal standards of military conduct laid out in the Convention. All the more so because, like all modern Republicans, he feels that rules should only apply to other people, never themselves. For people like Trump, rules are always a one-way street. They are never reciprocal. That's why Clinton was impeached for lying about an affair, but Trump will be exonerated, even though he engaging in political extortion that put our national security at risk for his own personal gain.
Of course, Trump is counting on guys like Gallagher to help keep him in office if he loses in 2020. Just as he's counting on vehement racists, unhinged rally members, stray law enforcement personnel, "Bikers for Trump", and "Second Amendment people", etc, etc, because he knows that as soon as he leaves the White House his immunity from prosecution goes with it.
So I guess some of this is understandable, as the Trumpster knows full well that after the White House, the Big House will be waiting.
To that day!
19
On a video we see a child who appeared to be drugged and does not appears to be bleeding from a wound. I see elite middle aged US forces guys surrounding this child and purportedly one of them puts a knife through this kids skull. I also hear, that they with Gallagher drove around town and watched Gallagher shooting at women and children.
It could be equally likely that they picked this kid from the street for a live butchering session? One needs to justify killing and save one's own hide from the US court of law by labeling the prized game-human-animal was a ISIS child soldier.
His fellow soldiers finally were broken when Gallagher brought the kid from the street to butcher in front of them. Well, we will never find out thanks to Donald Trump.
10
I can’t imagine that a man who is acting like a psychopath on the battlefield is going to adjust well to civilian life. I suspect it is only a matter of time before he is back in the news for committing a violent crime in the U.S. Thank you to the true heroes...the Seals who came forward to report his war crimes.
22
Trump projects the idea of being rich. Trump also projects the idea of manliness. Both are toxic reductions. Caricatures.
9
Trump completely betrayed those folks as commander in Chief.
9
So he crossed the line...? Define that. What about a pilot who drops a 2000 pound bomb hitting the wrong target. Just as bad or just a bad mistake. Which of these two scenarios is worse...
Also, We manufactured Eddie. A product of a war based on lies...
Who was held accountable for those lies-?
2
Stop with the attempt at equal comparisons. There's a huge difference between a bomb being accidentally dropped on the wrong target. (Keep in mind, "targets" are chosen by multiple people working together, calculating decisions regarding where enemies are hiding. Furthermore, when our military does accidentally kill civilians (which is horrendous and heartbreaking), survivors have recourse to hold the United States accountable and receive monetary reimbursement for the loss of their family members. Gallagher made no attempt to determine who was the "enemy" and who wasn't. Killing others he seemed lesser than him, if human at all, was blood sport. War is a terrible thing, unless fighting a for like Hitler. Please don't paint all military members and military action with the same tainted, criminal brush as Gallagher deserves.
8
Just remember this also: Navy SEALs kicked out of Iraq for drinking alcohol after reported sexual assault, officials say.
4
I’m so glad they spoke
Let the truth be known
14
Being deployed 8 times to a war zone in our Forever Wars does very bad things to a person’s mind.
198
@Dr. John - the Army actually tried to do something to halt this practice, and the internal justice system has broken down. I agree that the Forever Wars is partly responsible. Having no draft is another contributor. But, the main one is tolerance of this behavior.
31
@Dr. John - I have no doubt that is true. However, it’s not an excuse for intentional targeting and killing of innocent civilians and wounded prisoners of war. I find it hard to believe that no higher-ups saw clear signs of Gallagher’s deterioration, for lack of a better word. The Services must have an effective policy and procedures for identifying troubled servicemen, removing them from active combat roles and, most importantly, providing them with the mental health services they need.
34
There have been thousands of people who served multiple tours of duty... and they didn't "turn into" sociopaths. Gallagher's behavior has nothing to do with "multiple tours" over a war we started and can't seem to get ourselves out of. If your rationale was accurate, then all SEALS and other military members would turn into sociopathic murderers. They didn't. Only this guy did. He was hard wired to be a killer / murderer before he ever went abroad. Heaven help us all now. I can easily envision Gallagher deciding to blow civilians away someday in traffic because he experiences road rage. Don't make excuses for Gallagher. He's a criminal and should be in military prison.
63
Trump did what he did for Trump. I bet he could not even describe what happened or anyones names. It disgusting. Trump is all about Trump. A shame he is in charge of our great military. He is a disgrace.
19
the excuses and congrats are almost as disgusting as the deranged acts of a thug. they also miss by a MILE, the usurping of military law by a politician.
13
To some of the commentariat; if you want to walk a mile in the shoes of “eddy” go ahead and face his evil ways. Then try walking a mile in the shoes of the women, children, and teenage boys that he took such joy in killing.
And to think this evil man is still on the payroll of the taxpayer, while designing clothing (based on SEAL uniforms no less), is...well... I can’t find the words to describe that betrayal by not my president.
44
Amazing, simply amazing. Trump cares about Trump. Trump does not care about honest, honorable soldiers. He cares about the perception of patriotism by pardoning this acknowledged murderer and distinctly dishonorable person. Disgusting in all directions.
24
The French Foreign Legion wouldn't let Gallagher pass through their front door.
19
This guy has to be brought to book. Having a psychopath acting with impunity hardly portrays the USA in the best light. Particularly when he's supported by a Commander-in-Chief who shares similar traits.
23
The fastest way to get more Americans killed in future combat is to mistreat or kill captives. Americans relative reputation for decency to POWs 'incentivized' German surrender on the Western front in the last 6 months of WW2 (compared to the East), saving thousands of GIs. You can bet Gallagher's actions are going into Taliban and IS propaganda videos and will cost the lives of Americans.
28
Hail to the heroic men who came forward with the truth despite consequences. What they did was equal to any courageous acts in combat. For the rest of your lives remember you acted with honor and integrity even if there are dark hours and critics.
26
Were Gallagher the head of any other convenient enemy (ie person of color with valuable oil fields), we’d either use him as an excuse to invade the country, or, in the case of Trump, send him
love letters and invite him to Mar-a-Lago
6
Trump equates cruelty with being powerful. He clearly hasn’t valued integrity and honor in any of his businesses. To him this is just another transaction. Gallagher keeps a Seal pin and Trump claims power over all those rubes in the Navy’s system of justice and the those who testified; the people who did their duty with honor. Trump’s worldview is a sickness that is undermining our country’s values. The sooner he leaves office the sooner we can begin to recover pride in our nation.
17
We are a barbaric nation. Period. At all levels.
8
This man sounds like a real piece of work, no different than a criminal on the street that is a sadistic killer; it one thing to have to kill someone in combat, but he seems to enjoy it a little too much.
What Donald Trump did by pardoning him and restoring his rank, is an insult and disgrace to everyone who has served honorably in the military and with distinction to their oath.
This man deserves to be stripped of his rank, if not his retirement and spend a long time in military prison.
This is what one expects from someone like Donald Trump who is ignorant of what true military service means, Trump's idea is watching a Rambo movie and think anything is justified.
18
This misrepresentation of the facts and distortion of the actual events started by Fox News. Fox made him a hero and trump lapped it up like an idiot. There should be something that prevents Fox News from perpetuating lies and disguising it as journalism.
This man is a cold blooded killer. Many served multiple tours with dignity and honor.
Don’t blame the fog of war blame the fog of trumps limited intellect.
26
The thing is, Trump most likely took no time to review facts, learn about military justice or hear from witness SEALS. He just saw a chance to re-enforce his “I am tough” persona. A lie. He is sick and cowardly.
21
The only reason is supporting Eddie and the other criminals is to show the military that he has their back so when he loses the election and declares it was fixed the military will defend him with arms. But there are far more honorable soldiers than the few war criminals so Trumps military coup will fail.
2
one amoral person pardoned by another amoral person
17
Trump going out of his way to defend this guy reminds me of Republicans giving tax cuts to millionaires who don't want them, and having the Pentagon spend money on equipment it doesn't want, and going overboard with supposed protections on religious freedom that even some of their own supporters don't even feel the need for.
None of this is really about what their constituents need: its only about trying to project an image of ultra pure rightwingness for, I don't know, some small group that's even more conservative than their base? Or maybe its not for any group at all--just to make a statement for everyone to see.
Who knows, but its all about purity, isn't it?
6
It should be called out the type of convicted criminals that Republicans are pardoning. Rapists. Murderers. Political friends. To get a pardon they need to serve the GOP's or politician's interest. It's also pretty obvious how nearly impossible it is for actual wrongly convicted people, especially if they are not white, to get a pardon from Republican governors or this so called president. A true perversion of the pardoning power.
10
Why is anyone surprised by how Trump treated Gallagher? Here is a coward who is in love with tyrants like Kim of N Korea and Putin of Russia. That we have elected this person to lead our country speaks soundly of our own 63 million who voted for him knowing full well how unfit he is to be President. Gallagher is just one of those 63 million. Shame on us and shame of the US of A.
10
It seems to me that there is a clock ticking away the hours until Gallagher flips out and unleashes his “skills” on American soil. Hopefully someone will spot the signs before too many lives are lost.
13
Trump considers someone like Eddie Gallagher “one of our great fighters” but publicly disparages John McCain’s heroism. That says everything you need to know about this president.
27
No doubt thousands of Fox News sycophants who have never been within a thousand miles of a war zone will buy the products of a mass murderer and think they are being patriotic. Trump has reduced half the country to unwavering Group Think.
12
The average Trump supporter lacks a lot. Now think about the half that’s below average. Scary.
6
Edward Gallagher's smile is the same smile OJ Simpson gave when he was acquitted.
9
I just wonder why the Navy was not aware of Gallagher, or other Navy Seals who have psychological problems. Are they checking recruits, other than being beasts of burden, natural born killers or just good guys to get after the bad guys? And where are our reporters as far as these questions are concerned? If you produce these types of military elites, you need to know which ones are crazy. Wouldn't you think?
3
seals don't do psychological evaluation until they have finished training.
1
The command structure is sacrosanct unless you can make a direct appeal to the commander in chief by appearing on FOX News.
12
Exceptionally proud of the Navy SEALS who showed their true patriotism, character and manhood by testifying against a lunatic leader who should spend the rest of his life in prison. I am also exceptionally disgusted by the President who is either too lazy or too stupid to look up the actual facts around this case and who further managed to divide the SEALS the way he has divided this nation. This is not only a travesty of justice, but a terrifying mark against our military's international reputation. A new low, even for Trump, exonerating a killer of women and children. Dear God, have we hit rock bottom with this man yet?
13
Trump could care less if the guy is really a war criminal as long as he has a loyal prop to trot out at his propaganda rallies. The frothing angry attendees at those rallies would love real criminals more than real heros like they love real communists more than democrats if Trump and Fox say so. It’s not communists or their leaders that are branded “radical” or “out to destroy America” or who “hate America” or Trump. Watch 10 minutes of any show on Fox and that’s what you’ll hear. He poisons and infects everything he touches and attracts power hungry sociopaths like flypaper. He should not have inserted himself into an arena he knows nothing about.
9
There is no honor among thieves and murderers.
3
trump should be shamed publicly for his defense of this criminal.
But....but Gallagher looks like the rugged Special Forces hero, straight out of central casting, doesn't he? We sometimes forget that our president is actually only a reality show actor and failed businessman.
Code of honor? trump has none, and neither does Gallagher. I predict that trump will try to cobble together his own version of SS troops; loyal to him alone, and is already working to that end. Gallagher has friends at Daily Stormer, FOX and Brietbart, youbetcha!
Shame on you, trump supporters, for selectively raising Gallagher up as a patriot while trashing Lt.Col. Vindman. Shame.
11
So even after all the evidence is presented and testimony given, the Navy court only brings a minor charge against this guy and then POTUS pardons him. 'merica! When we fall, the cheering from the rest of the world will be deafening.
4
A fellow Seal who received immunity was to testify against Gallagher on the Murder count but changed his testimony and swore that HE murdered the teen. So yep, only a minor violation instead of the charges Gallagher was facing. Disgusting.
4
He's one of America's great fighters.
Up is down. Lies are truth. Millions of Americans gobble it up. They are sheep. If they win, we are doomed.
5
it is the mark of a coward to publically lash out and insult your battlefield brothers, most especially on network TV. From what I have heard, there is no way I would want this man in my unit. He has brought shame upon the SEALS, the Navy and the USA.
10
Nonsense. We need McCain’s voice again.
3
What would John McCain say?
5
More of the same from the most disgusting, immoral president ever. It's not even what he thinks is right or wrong, everything is calculated against what will rile up his foul supporters. More hate.
8
I can see why Trump loves this deliberate evil doer, but hates heroic John McCain.
9
Seems like a monster to me. Excuse behavior because of war... fine? It should have been left at that. Other men and women have experienced the brutality of combat and look to him and say, "he's all kinds of wrong." Trump is an evil and foolish and has lost the military vote. I'd wager on it. Good riddance. I hope in the years to come I never hear of these two again.
5
Gallagher murdered a kid. A sedated kid. A skinny kid. An unarmed kid. An injured kid. An unconscious kid. A POW kid.
Interesting that one of "buddies" covers his helmet camera right before Gallagher stabs him in the neck repeatedly. This implies to me that his "buddy" knew what Gallagher intended to do. This was premeditated 1st degree
murder.
Gallagher sent a picture of himself posing with the kid's dead body to his friends in the U.S. stating, "I got him with my hunting knife."
Now, Gallagher will be let loose on the American public.
17
She looks professionally styled in every photo, and put together on a budget no military wife enjoys. Well, Cindy McCain could, but that was from a family business ...
3
Trump wants out of Afghanistan. Perhaps that will reduce the need for butchers like this man.
1
He was only another "piece" of the modern wars...
Trump and Gallagher; this is what the right wing calls heroes. Vote out Republicans. Ray Sipe
10
It has been reported that Trump hates the sight and smell of blood, yet he supports blood actors: Prince bin Salman, Kim Jong Un, and of course Putin (a truncated list).
He sees Gallagher as some sort of macho, victimized hero, when he's apparently an unhinged and unethical (at best) torturer and murderer. Is this why our unhinged and unethical president likes him so much?
8
Sounds like Gallagher belongs in a prison cell right next to Trump.
7
I personally believe Chief Gallagher is a sick and twisted man. His post service behavior is disgusting, too. Targeting men who had the courage to speak up about his out of control behavior, is an indication of how depraved and dishonorable he is. In my opinion. How sad that Trump intervened, despite Pentagon unapproval.
8
"Gallagher...has announced that he was starting a SEAL-themed clothing line." Whoa, this guy's an in-your-face deviant. What more perfect and self-dealing way to show how truly perverted his patriotism is. And that hatchet picture and info he and his wife posted on their Instagram account is beyond the pale. These people are not good character models.
10
A psychopath, which Trump finds brave. This is the man Senate Republicans have vowed their loyalty to.
6
This man, along with Trump’s pardon, is a vile representation of everything wrong with the United States military industrial complex. Slaughtering brown people across the globe for imperialism and capital.
7
Trump is not going to like this story.
2
Mr. Gallagher sounds like a real swell guy. A real charmer.
Doubtless Trump will promote him as quickly as he can, either to chair the Joint Chiefs, or perhaps to form a praetorian guard?
Meanwhile, the real heroes are the Seals that turned him in. That took real guts. As opposed to a guy who murders an unarmed prisoner then takes a trophy photo so he can brag about it. That's just barbarism.
8
This makes me very sad
3
So who will Trump blame for this problem that he caused?
2
SEALs are killing machines. They are not chosen for their moral fortitude. When one goes astray the others need to neutralize him. Here they did not. None had the fortitude. Faced with the truth they cover themselves and condemn Gallagher. Cowards.
I don’t believe your SEAL selection criteria is based on fact. Ask Admiral McRaven.
4
As a native New Yorker I know that trump has always been a wannabe tough-guy. He comes from a family of cowards, con men and racists. In the entire trump extended family, not one person has ever served in our military. They've all weaseled their way out, every time. In fact, trump's coward of a grandfather deserted his military service in Germany before he arrived here. It's a multi-generational, multi-continental example of spineless cowards. Now trump tries to compensate for his male shortcomings by acting like a tough-guy by acting like he's a military guy and demeaning any powerful woman that challenges him. The guy who's famous for saying "You're fired!" has never actually fired anyone to their face. Why? Because he's a coward and pardoning this mongrel SEAL will not make him any more of a man. He's a mouse with a big mouth, a black soul, and a rotten brain. And sadly, the most powerful person on the planet. God help us.
13
Shooting at the un- armed women? This must be some kind of new warrior.
4
Gallagher should spend the rest of his life in jail.
But our amoral President heaps praise evil.
Yet another reason to vote Trump out of office.
9
Add Gallagher to the list of molesters, torturers, and cruel and corrupt dictators with whom Trump wants to be besties.
9
This article basically seems to be an advertisement for the Hulu show. Hardly any depth or detail in the article, and definitely not journalism in any real sense of the word. It's basically saying "We obtained this incredible material, subscribe to Hulu to see it". That's really too bad, because it seems like the trove of material the Times obtained would, on other times, warrant a long, in-depth article. At the very least, Times subscribers ought to be able to see the results of the journalism that we helped to fund. But thanks for the photo of the knife, that was fun...
4
@Cameron I guess you didn't really read it then because I fou d it very informative.
5
My immediate response to the original story was how are all the Navy Seals reporting his behavior BAD? I mean they're Navy Seals after all. It's much easier to believe that there is a single rotten nut than it is to believe that the entire corp has dissolved into a group of liars. Yet here we are. Elevating the bad ones and eviscerating the good ones.
It sounds exactly like our current White House. It's the Fiona Hills, Bill Taylors, Vindmans and Yovanovitches that are evil. Not the person extorting our allies or stabbing dying combatants. Up is down. Black is white. Liars are good.
17
Trump has tried to convince the nation that the military are part of his 'guys with guns', like a thug with pit bulls, or a crime boss with legions of goons ready to do his bidding at the snap of his baby-fingers. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know plenty of military rank and file, the non-commissioned, the enlisted folks who get after it with professionalism and pride day and night. They are nobody's fools, and they certainly don't want, appreciate or need a reckless president getting into their business. In the Vietnam days, Gallagher would have likely been 'fragged'.
Don't mess with the military Mr. Trump. You may just find out what they really think of you.
11
While Barack Obama commuted the sentences of terrorists, deserters and traitors everyone cheered now they want this guys head on a platter. Really?
@MiguelM Gallagher, which this article is about, murdered an unarmed, sedated, captive, injured kid.
5
@MiguelM: I don’t believe you. There would have been a huge Republican outcry if Obama had done that. Trump interfered in military process, something Obama did not do.
5
Proof?
5
Trump tries to drag everyone to his own immoral level. Resist.
8
You are honorable or dishonorable and you do not have to be some of the toughest, bravest men on the planet to know the difference.
3
“The teams are now divided over this, like I’ve never seen happen before.”
And THIS, this is the legacy of our so-called commander in chief. Going through every aspect of our once great nation and bringing it low. Bringing it down to the level where he lives. The garbage dump of humanity. Where tiny people like Gallagher kill for the thrill of killing. And then - then they are protected by someone like Trump. A draft Dodger. Disgusting
If people don't wake up and realize what he is doing - this country will be torn asunder.
12
Gallagher and Trump will both meet their maker some day. They will pay for their atrocities in the afterlife, if not before.
6
I woulda thought all this was an over the top Kurt Vonnegut novel: A 104 IQ, insecure (vain) President watches vapid TV News and does whatever the "News Show" tells him (within minutes...for the country)... this includes influence from a retired Navy SEAL (from Wash Post: "Retired ‘Navy SEAL’ praising Trump on Fox News was a fake".) What a bizarre mirror fun-house the USA is now!! Who is going to land us safely?....when? (Answer: When you Vote!!).
3
Everything trump touches dies.
8
Trump's embrace of this mad dog killer reminds one of Putin's practice of surrounding himself with bad actors in order to intimidate the lawful with the lawless. The message is, "Look who I've made a pet of. Watch your mouth."
8
Classic Trump supporter. Revels in cruelty, believes he is above god laugh, lies shamelessly, denies and distorts and deflects.
No wonder Donnie loves him!
How low will we go?
10
It's as old as Thucydides...... do NOT mistreat prisoners of war. That callous moment of mistreatment is gut wrenching. It was expected from guards at Auscwitz, from Nazi killing brigades... not from our marines, marines of Normandy, marines of the Battle of the bulge.
I would tell Mr Gallagher this. Just because your fate has been influenced by a gutless, amoral president, don't think you are cleared by the world. I would be very scared of the International Court in the Hague, because that is where you belong.
11
I wonder if someone who loves killing so much will keep killing as a civilian.
13
The military let this platoon down. Donald Trump disgraced our nation by pardoning him.
9
This is beyond disgusting. I feel for the Navy SEALS. How does this man face himself daily? Oh right, we have a "president" who does the very same and still adores himself.
8
Thank you Mike.
That picture is disgusting. Who exactly are the terrorists, again?
5
There is one thing that separates the American soldier from the depraved barbarian - the steadfast determination to live by the rule of common humane decency.
Forfeit this and we are simply animals.
9
trump's pardon of this war criminal makes hom an accomplice, a High Crime and Misdemeanor if ever there was one.
14:15 EST, 12/27
4
Kentucky ex-Governor Bevin pardons rapists, pedophiles, murderers. Trump pardons murderers, criminals in his organized crime ring, and who-knows-who-else in the future...
It’s time to end the pardon as we know it. One man should not have the power of a king or dear leader.
10
That is one Maul E Hatchet!
I have a feeling that his wife will be featured in the news,
in the near future.
Nice try on the "Combover in Chief " defense.
All those other liars......except Eddie and Donnybrook.
Cabinet position here he comes (Acting)
4
Humanity. Why were you missing from this man's life?
4
I'm in agreement with the other servicemen but why are they ALL lined up in the photo like it's an award ceremony? If he was so evil and wrong the 'team' should have taken care of his sorry a zz.
Don't get it.
1
@Dusty they were ordered to. It wasn’t a party from their perspective.
6
@Tim Perry
I talked to a friend I grew up with who was special forces in Nam, served with the Montagnards. They gave him all kinds of stuff like crossbows and jewelry. He said if their was some one like that in the team they would have cut his head off to protect the good guys.
1
“freaking evil” and “toxic” seems to aptly describe the pardoner as well.
The fact that his fellow team members felt compelled to take action to start with speaks volumes. These teams are exceptionally tight knit out of necessity, and often the bonds are tighter than family.
Top that with the USN prosecuting and convicting makes me wonder what have we become as a nation, considering the actions of our so-called "leaders".
5
Eddy Gallagher’s SEAL of dishonor is stamped all across his grinning face.
11
Lots of comments here reflect the view that war is necessary, and soldiers do ugly things in war to protect us. But even in war, we have certain established rules of conduct - that is why we have war crimes. Most soldiers go through combat without committing the war crimes. We are supposed to be a nation that is committed to certain higher standards, and things like My Lai are supposed to be the exception. Men in Gallagher's own unit witnessed crimes committed by Gallagher, and spoke the truth about them. They are the heroes in this story. They are the unsung heroes who perform acts of bravery. Trump and Gallagher deserve scorn, not admiration.
15
It is great to see these brave soldiers speak out to preserve the honor of their unit. Like everything else he touches, Trump has tarnished the image of SEALs almost indelibly.
11
If Chief Gallagher claims complete confidence in his innocence and in being exonerated in trial
That is not what happened
If not for President Trump's intervention , Gallagher was going to be severely disciplined for misconduct.
It is strange that President Trump, who never served in the military, likes to pose as a friend of the military.
Maybe if he had served, Trump would have understood the value of military discipline and honorable conduct in combat conditions
Instead, we have a Commander in Chief who dodged the draft and has never had to answer for his cowardice.
This President has a track record of granting pardons to his political friends and allies.
So a small time war criminal goes unpunished with the President's indispensable assistance.
6
I've never met Gallagher and I wasn't deployed downrange with him. But if he's such a bad dude, why didn't his accusers present a better story and/or case at trial? The court acquitted Gallagher of all crimes, save for "posing with a corpse" in one photo. (Him, and 10 others who were not prosecuted; selective prosecution anyone?) Memo to Navy JAG... If you have a war crime case against a front-line warfighter, you actually have to bring it to the courthouse. If helps if your witnesses are credible.
1
@Arctic Fox I suggest a little more reading up on the Gallagher case. The second prosecutor had only 2 weeks before going to trial, and the judge had something dodgy in his past.
Gallagher murdered a sedated, unarmed, teenage kid, and should be going to prison.
It took a lot of guts for those other Seals to come forward. Also, from what the Seals said, he was also endangering the teams' lives on a regular basis.
6
Did none of you see the outcome of this trial? Another Seal confirmed the same story and had some potential liability as well. He received immunity from the prosecutor and got up and testified that HE, not Gallagher, killed the teenager. He got Gallagher off for murder and had immunity for himself. I hope he and Gallagher get what’s coming to them in this life if not the next.
6
With all the technology, training, experience and counter terrorism training they can only get their hands on a 12 years old to get their frustration out? They could not capture ISIS middle age fighter, senior fighter/commander? This happens when you turn the population against you, there is a little chance of winning a war. Americans have not even secured Kabul, in fact they have secured their "Green Zones" only. There is zero chance US can get out of Afghanistan anything better than a stalemate.
It is not uncommon in Pakistan, while talking to Afghan refugees, that you hear similar vile “stories” about American servicemen behavior. US defeat in Afghanistan can for the most part be blamed on behavior of soldiers and CIA agents like Gallagher.
ISIS is a formidable enemy that US created out of its servicemen/women's Abu Ghraib crimes.
2
I don't know a single Trump voter that this guy isn't a hero to.
2
The Republicans will run this guy for office
4
I believe these men.
8
Thank you for shining a light back on to this disgusting abuse of power by that thing that is sitting in the Oval Office.
Americans need to be reminded of what he did not so long ago and in a much more insightful way than how we have been having to deal with government via rantings on twitter.
We also need to remember who is protecting him, the Republican senate, groups of evangelical Christians and his dark underbelly of supporters.
It is my hope that there were articles that Gallagher wasn't charged with that can be revisited by the Navy once we have honorable government again.
We can't forget what is happening in our name.
12
The Navy SEALS who came forward to tell the truth about war crimes showed more bravery and character than the complicit Republicans who refuse to stand up to Trump.
The Republicans are in the group of "See no evil" and "Hear no evil" no matter what Trump does.
The Navy SEALS who came forward are true Americans. Republicans are not part of "Home of the Brave."
15
We need to bring back the military draft: so that everyone has skin in the game, so that the military once more represents a cross section of our society. It was those middle class youths facing the draft who staged the Vietnam protests and forced the hand of our politicians. And that's also why the politicians ended the draft, so they could wage war without effective opposition.
8
If you notice the strategy of DJT is divide and conquer, he knows how to do it very well.
5
Trump will simply send out the word, these men were all Hillary supporters, and all will be well in his mind, and the minds of his nihilistic (and even apocalyptic) base.
If people of honor and character do not stand up soon, Trump's amoral cult of personality will infest every single one of our institutions and degrade any sense of enlightened ideals they once thought they espoused.
Maybe cc this to Chief Justice Roberts. His test is coming, soon. Will he also kneel?
3
Mark my words that this won’t be the last you’ll hear of Mr. Gallagher. It may be weeks, months or even years but his past will catch up with him and he’ll be exposed for what he really is. Psychopaths can’t control their impulses forever. Eventually the SEALs who came forward will be vindicated.
9
So, WHY was he acquitted ?
2
The problem is that the officers have lost control of the Seals. The one consistent in all these war crime stories is absent officers who are strangely led by a bunch of enlisted personel. If this was the Army, it would be considered a unit where good order and discipline have broken down. That is the example set by some of these Seal units.
3
Wait a sec. The guy was acquitted of the most serious charge and only found guilty for the photo. Right? If you want more information about why these videos may not be what they appear have a look at the article in the San Diego UT. This is, I believe where the interviews, took place. Why the prosecution never called these men as witness is also uncertain. Of course Philipps here is obviously certain as are the majority of commenters. He's a monster and guilty on all charges and Trump is likewise. No surprise.
3
This evidence, which was not made public before, conflicts with the image of Gallagher that Trump has in his mind. Why, though? As Commander in Chief, this was all available to him for consideration when deciding to issue the pardons and overruling the Navy leadership. But of course, just because it was available doesn't mean he saw it. Trump has no interest in facts or information. He does not read. He is a logo guy, a brander. He has the emotional and social intelligence of a 10 year old, enamored of heroes in war movies, and excited to be the spoiled rich kid who gets to meet the 'stars' of those movies. It is just amazing that anyone would vote for him ever.
6
not surprised Trump identifies with this guy. a criminal that is accused by good guys of the crimes he perpetrated. Trump pardoning him is like pardoning himself.
6
A day will come when the Trump's and the Gallagher's will pay the price for what they hope off of us will ignore. You haven't fooled anyone, but yourselves and a few desperate and greedy people.
3
Trump could care less about Gallagher, he was playing to his base.
10
I think Gallagher has all the prerequisite skills necessary to become a republican congressperson. He would fit in well.
6
Careful of even cynical tongue in cheek suggestions already being taken seriously in certain craven quarters.
1
I look forward to the tell all book that will be released at the same time as the movie! I suspect it will play on themes of the hero’s journey with a surprise twist! The hero briefly becoming the villain through a misunderstanding by his cohort of other brave heros.
This is resolved by our noble justice system after a dramatic trial. This redeems the protagonist and returns him to hero status. However, the public is still angry but nonetheless he must soldier on just like returning Vietnam vets.
The accusers are also still heros because we expect heros to not commit war crimes and report those who do. It might make for a good dark comedy but a drama is more likely to win awards.
https://entertainment.theonion.com/navy-forms-elite-new-seal-team-to-write-best-selling-te-1819577163
Is Jan Micheal Vincent available to play Chief Gallagher?
1
Chief Gallagher should spend the rest of his life in prison. This is barbarism pure and simple.
7
"SEALs should not report other SEALs for misconduct."
But, what if there (is) misconduct?
3
More of the damage W did to us!
1
That photo is exactly why I feel revulsion whenever I see one of our camouflage-clad so-called "heroes" in the grocery store.
2
Shame on trump and shame on the people that voted for him.
6
Now Gallagher owes Trump. Trump can always use people with no conscience; who might enjoy killing someone walking along Fifth Avenue just to see if they could get away with it.
4
While Mr. Trump may portray Chief Gallagher as one of “our great fighters,” I suggest that stabbing a sedated captive for no reason, does not qualify you as great.
7
Straight-up war criminal.
Pardoned by Trump to appeal to his rabid political base.
Our military is so much better than this, our country is so much better than this.
8
To think the President of the United States of America is holding up this man at his political rallies as a political prop. It is sickening. It is despicable. It is wrong.
6
What a sad and revolting story, having a sadist enter the Navy SEALs specifically to kill 'the other', not by necessity but for his pleasure. That criminally charged Trump pardoned cruello Gallagher, though unsurprising, is deplorable, abusive and an insult to the 'military'. This move shall remain a moral stain and possibly an awful precedent for future misconduct.
3
I have no problem with the killing of male or female combatants, but killing children just for the fun of it, takes a certain type of monster.
And dear Eddy, is just that type of boy...
3
The simple act of holding this dead kid, probably under 20, by his hair as Gallagher poses for a photo says more about him than anything he could say in denial. The mind goes from that to the next thought, the head as a trophy. This guy is a sadist. The kid may be an enemy, but the US military has a code of conduct and Gallagher spit all over it. Then Trump rewarded him for it. What have we become as a nation? My God....
11
But hey ... look at the stock market!
8
One murdered woman, child or innocent civilian makes 100 enemy combatants.
9
Here's a prediction. He'll go on to be elected to high office, possibly eventually the presidency. There's obviously a fairly high demand out in the hinterlands to be represented by undiluted psychopaths.
And what's the next step up from one like trump? Why not a murderous psychopath?
3
Someone here asked "America, what happened?" The 2016 election happened. During his campaign Trump asked "Russian, if you are listening..." Russian was listening and did what they could to help the incompetent corrupt Candidate Trump to win the election. American and the world have been suffering the effects of this ever since. Now Trump is being praised for the stock market, for jobs. What good is that when a President pardons a proven sadist murderer whose crimes are not only video tapped, they are witnessed. They include war crimes against women and children, against prisoners of war. Today, the murderer prances around the country wearing his pure dress whites while his reputation is covered in the blood of his hapless victims.
2
Trump is a miscreant-he sympathizes with those who have broken the law-he celebrates lawlessness.It is tragic that he has dismissed the military code of conduct and stepped in to pardon someone whom he can use as part of his campaign rants.Trump’s use of the military should be off limits.These men and women volunteer to protect us and accept with great allegiance the high standards of military conduct- too bad their commander-in-Chief is not willing to accept these same standards of excellence!
4
Gallagher is a criminal.
Pardoned or not.
His actions were horrific and dishonored the Military, the United States and the world, who up until this administration considered our country and government to be the most civilized , fair and impartial.
Only a very sick individual would gleefully bask in the “ limelight “ after disgracing the military code of honor and killing for sport.
7
Gallagher seems like a sociopath who had no qualms killing children and old people. His wife shouldn't be grateful he got that hatchet back. I worry about their children.
Kudos to his fellow SEALs for doing what is right.
8
This man and his defenders are repulsive, and have no place in our country's institutions.
No one who enjoys killing and death should be leading men to battle.
5
Gallagher and Trump use the same despicable playbook; deny-lie-deflect-insult and project your shortcomings onto others. Clearly two peas in a pod, history will clearly reveal and record their true nature for all to see.
3
Mr. Gallagher is a disgrace to our country, but then, so is the entire killing machine we call the US Military. We spend buckets of money killing, only to foster hate, when we could be using our money toward creating good.
3
Trump loves Chief Gallagher because that's the kind of soldier he imagines himself to be, if he'd ever had the courage put himself in harm's way. But he never did. His military service consists of encouraging cops to rough up suspects (remember innocent until proven guilty?) and glorifying sadistic murderers like Gallagher.
2
Trump likes to parade his phony masculinity and bask in other people's bravery because he chose to avoid earning it the hard way in military service of his country.
2
How has he treated women?
Folks, don't want war crimes? ... Then don't engage in war. I mean what do you expect? Some individuals go nuts in war ... I write as a Vietnam veteran that was medevacued during the Tet Offensive.
1
I really wish you had not published the faces of these men, even if the video is technically “public.” Some of these SEALs are still active military...
2
The true heroes in this terrible story are the SEALS who had the courage, honor and integrity to risk their careers ....or maybe when dealing with Gallagher....their very lives to dig out the rotten apple. I'm not surprised that Trump pardoned this guy. Psychopaths stick together.
I also think that it's really unbecoming of SEALS to retire then write a book or start a clothing line.
2
Such is the rot in the Republican Party that I fully expect Gallagher to be nominated in a safe Republican district in a future election.
5
I live in a town where white men in pick up trucks drive around in anger. They have formed a trump militia. We have a coward president who has always surrounded himself with thugs as protection and with Gallagher, we see him collecting violent men who take joy in killing who may be his personal army when and if he is removed from office. This is what's attractive to this president. Gratuitous violence. At a recent rally, he had a female protestor removed, encouraged her to be removed violently by handlers and then went on to call her a slob over and over again. Something is very wrong here.
7
Elections have consequences.
4
And we wondered why they hate us? Now we know.
5
The greatest slurs on our military are cast below by those who excuse war crimes by this particular individual and our forces in general on any and all war fields. Unbelievable what they countenance in their replies.
3
It speaks volumes about our Commander in Chief that he would pardon someone like SOC Gallagher.
4
Have we learned nothing from the Nuremburg trials?
3
Trump is actively looking for the most brutal thugs he can find to "police" his rallies and eventually, his personally controlled military.
4
I heard no outcry of support for evil from the lower depths of Trumpbase so one must wonder the origin of this thoroughly evil "pardon" by the president. Is it just that he admires and actually likes evil? Does he feel true evil has been devalued somehow in our country? Did he believe that kicking military discipline in the chops would be good for the self esteem of the chanting robot mobs who attend his rallies? And one more photo of Gallagher and his grinning wife and I will get ill. Obscene would describe the happy couple as well as their favorite "president".
2
Please NYT reporters, in future stories when you think President Trump has been influenced by FOX News, cite specifically what he may have seen/heard. I can't stomach watching FOX but I would like to know who's responsible for the poison he ingests from them.
2
For those who still can’t tell who was right and who was wrong, I may give a hint: If someone goes to Fox News and Hannity for help to plead his case in public, you should know exactly what to think.
6
To the SEALs who came forward and testified against Gallagher: your actions honor us all.
6
At the end of WW2 when the Japanese were relying on kamikaze pilots to stop the US Navy, a kamikaze pilot rammed the USS Missouri. The ship was indestructible. The sailors took his dead body from the plane. The CO of the USS Missouri buried him at sea the next day, with full military honors. He was 16 years old.
What happened to Chief Gallagher and why did he not choose to emulate this tradition?
3
@Kate Mcgah this is not correct. He was not 16 years of age, he was age 19 and it is assumed to be Setsuo Ishino. And, there is way more to this story that can be found here:
http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/books/japanese/kachi/index.htm
Thank you to the brave heroes who testified against Edward Gallagher who committed acts of evil.
3
Why would we be surprised that Donald Trump goes to bat for someone 'toxic' and 'freaking evil' while he meanwhile neglects the deserving needy and outright abuses migrants?
6
Let there be no doubt that Trump remaking the American military in his image will lead inexorably to horrors.
Take this story to heart.
Remove this man from office. Write your Representatives and your Senators. Write your third cousins who run a sandwich shop in DC. Write your friends. Show up at marches.
As Ben Franklin said, we have a “Republic, if [we] can keep it.”
4
Evil protects evil.
4
My grandmother was a heavily decorated combat nurse in the navy during WWII on the USSR’s western front in the Black Sea, Ukraine and the Caucasus’ for 4 bloody years. Her picture hung in two war museums (in Sevastopol and Odessa). She experienced thousands of terrible deaths including that of her aunts, uncles and even a baby cousin murdered by the Nazi’s in front of his own home.
She never murdered anyone senselessly. Certainly not a child. Certainly not a barely conscious 14 year old fighter. She never bragged about killing anyone. And she definitely never killed anyone with an ax that was custom made for her with a little heart etched into it.
Do you know who does that? Serial killers.
8
I am conflicted on this. Gallagher was serving in a war zone, fighting against terrorists, risking his life every day. If he burned off steam by killing, I am not surprised. Maybe he should not be judged so harshly. On the other hand, there is definitely a line, and he seems to have crossed it. Murder? Maybe not. But he needs help, as do his victims and their families. War does terrible things to people.
1
So you think he was just venting, and there was no pillow nearby to punch?
5
@Hah!-His fellow Navy Seals, who were also in the exact same war zone, found his actions sickening. Killing elderly non-combatants, a girl in flower hijab walking with her friends, and repeatedly stabbing a detained and tied up prisoner of war is not "blowing off steam". These are the actions of a war criminal.
10
Shooting an old man and young girl as he allegedly did hardly qualifies as ‘acceptable’ warfare.
7
Chief Gallagher may have left the reservation and forgot what honor means but he was reported to higher ups and they let it go on. This attitude goes up as well as down. I hope the Admiral in charge of the Teams isn't a willing participant.
9
Well, the Commander in Chief sure seems to be. Where does the buck stop if not at the very top?
4
Talk to the people that you wage war against, Trump is taking America to a place where it will take decades to get out of.
16
Thank you for this article and thank you to the Seals who came forward. That cannot have been an easy decision.
22
Trump has, yet again, sold out venerated American values and our justice systems for a handful of potential votes.
12
War Crimes.
What odd two words.
At the end of the day, war is about killing people for your own survival. War is about turning morality upside down so killing is legal and turning a blind eye to killings are recommended.
Wars are crime.
Stop joining military. Don't take a job that may ultimately require you to kill others. Think about it, what kind of a person chooses a job that requires to kill others for the money/benefits and fanfare of a hero?
Stop wars.
5
There are valid questions about Presidential interference regarding Gallagher's actions and punishment. Maybe Trump had Obama's precedent in mind when freeing Chelsea Manning. One crime was done while sitting in a office chair the other in a battlefield situation. Strangely,,many of those supporters of Mannings release seem appalled by interference for Gallagher. No escape from partisan bias.
Manning served seven years. We can argue about whether commuting his sentence was right, but let’s not equate the two. Obama didn’t interfere in the justice process - Trump was interfering the whole time.
4
@PHam. Manning brings to mind Klaus Fuchs,politically motived.
Gallagher's actions after 8 deployments to battlefield situations.
Falling into a 'kill em all' mind set is one thing..outright betrayal of you own troops and country from safely behind the lines deserves a harsher lens.
Anytime there is a "code of silence" to cover up misdeeds of a group there's a bigger problem. Accountability goes out the window when there is a code of silence, and as the church has proven, nothing good comes of it. I hope these men who reported this brutality have access to professional support - bearing witness to a psychopath is traumatizing in a different way than war, psychopaths are like meeting evil in the flesh.
6
Too bad that the man who decided to set aside the Geneva Convention won't have a chance to see first hand what that looks like in combat.
3
I am sorry a psychopath has been set free thanks to a tarnished process and a terribly unfit president but I thank these men for their bravery and service. It's increasingly hard to do the right thing, come what may, but they did. The moral stain is not theirs.
13
All I know is that no one should want Donald Trump as a character witness.
6
“I am also convinced that we are gonna answer to a higher power someday, and everything happens for a reason,” wrote Special Operator Dille, who has since left the Navy. “Not compromising our integrity and keeping right on our side is all we can do.”
You mean, exactly like congressional Republicans' guiding principle? Um, wait a minute ...
There is so much corruption in the military leadership. You can tell this was a vendetta. Fire the leadership and get back to work.
What is your evidence for your claims?
Disgraceful. It will be interesting to see if Gallagher can contain his violent impulses in civilian life.
9
Trump's preternatural ability: It is amazing to many just how uncanny Trump is at detecting and allying evil to his cause. When first elected he had some failures such as Mattis, Tillerson, etc; a few misguided honorable souls. Now we can be pretty sure any political appointee in the executive branch is innately evil. (There may be a few who are just there for money-laundering.) We should all be terrified at the level of corruption Trump has spawned.
7
I’m sure it was hard for these guys to turn in their chief. But then to have POTUS pardon him, gives Presidential approval for extremely bad behavior with deadly consequences. What message does this send other than to never turn in someone for war crimes? Once this POTUS is gone Gallagher should be arrested and tried for his other crimes. Trump should be removed, he is not fit to hold this office, he never was.
9
Fox News used its influence for this? It undermined 6 brave Navy Seals to promote the interests of 1 out of control killer. Why? Because it could? Because it thought it made for good television? Because it doesn’t do it’s research and due diligence before spouting it’s “conservative values” and opinions? Why? Fox owes its viewers an explanation, and I wouldn’t mind hearing it too.
10
No surprise that Trump "pardoned" Gallagher.
As the saying goes, "Like protects like."
4
Question: How can Gallagher be allowed to "start a SEAL branded clothing line?"
5
@karen who is going to stop him? Civilians sell military branded clothing all the time, everything from hats to t shirts. It is legal.
It's interesting how the draft-dodging losers seem to revere these out-of-control cowboys. Killers like Gallagher need to join-up with Blackwater (or whatever) and other private killing companies. That way they can be dealt with in a court of law outside of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
We don't need thugs lowering the bar for our "official" military.
3
I see at least 10 other soldiers on the picture posing with CPO Edward Gallagher. They appear to be quite happy posing with the dead body. I wonder if any of his accusers are on this picture. If yes, this makes a big difference in my opinion, because at least in this instance they appear to have no qualms of doing the same thing. Finally, I think you need to be dumb enough to take pictures with dead bodies, especially if you are part of the special forces community, in our technological age. You need to assume that eventually your face may end up on the front page of NY Times or CNN, and if you are special forces operator, this should not be your primary intention.
Edward Gallagher, I'm sure you have single-handedly inspired many young men to become Jihadists.
As for my own reaction, I have a sudden urge to vomit.
For Gallagher's cheerleaders, who express support for this man because he was experiencing "the fog of war," so to did the people Gallagher commanded.
And they have spoken, loud and clear sir!
5
Once again, Trump chose to side with a war criminal. What does that make him? Unfit for office and too impaired to lead! WE have a mental case running this country.
7
I smell fox news all over this story. hope they are happy.
2
In civilian law, prisoners must confess to their crimes (whether or not they did them) in order to receive a pardon.
Is that also true of military justice?
Did Gallagher plead guilty to the charges against him?
2
@BSmith
The law doesn't matter when it comes to Trump pardons. Trump pardons seen especially to be determined by the political benefit Trump thinks he will get by each prospective pardon, not by the deserving nature of the situation.
p.s. I doubt that you are correct that civilian law requires confession in order to secure a pardon. Indeed, I suspect many people have maintained innocence and received pardons. Two examples that jump instantly to mind are Nixon's pardon by Ford, and evil sheriff Joe Arpaio's pardon by Trump.
Trump never served himself but can bask in the reflected (perceived) machismo of Gallagher. I’ve noticed the most vehement supporters of our troops are those who never served themselves. That support doesn’t always comes from a good place.
10
@NYC Spot on! My very first thought when Trump pardoned Gallagher.
2
I remember well the My Lai incident in which atrocities were committed.
The platoon leader at the time was charged, tried and convicted.
The actions of the president at the time was to release the tarnished leader from house arrest. Nothing more.
But, that sitting president did not parade and display the former military member around as one would with a trophy.
6
Trump has created the level of disrespect that we saw in his dismissal of charges for the Seals. He is a man who fosters this disrespect and indignity in so many ways. He has made a mockery of the dignity of the office that Obama so honorably upheld for his two terms. Trump, as is only too well known, was fraudulantly able to avoid serving in Vietnam, heaped disrespect upon John McCain's service and showed a disgusting level of disrespect and belittlement towards the Gold Star Khan family during the 2016 campaign. It is often mentioned that there is no bottom to his ugliness, but haven't we seen more than enough of his hate and evil. He must be removed from office if our democracy and our planet is to survive.
12
I'm always explaining to my son that our institutions only work when we hire/elect/recruit people with integrity and strong moral character. Neither DJT nor Mr. Gallagher seem to fit the bill.
827
@Jimmy
Yes, I agree. The big problem is that the voters themselves must also have their own fair share of "integrity and strong moral character". If you read the comments of Trump lovers in the WSJ, you will find very few that exhibit traits of decency or ethics.
44
@Jimmy what is worse is thst the Senste and Presidency are controlled by persons who represent a minority of the population.
24
Seem to ... ? They are both a disgrace to humanity.
22
Seals who came forward to report hubris and criminal behavior, thank you. I’m very sorry your act of decency was dismissed.
29
Only actual witnesses to the events to know with certainty what the truth is. However, this article reveals something far more significant and important that merely the events testified to therein.
It appears that the Seal Team organizations have the same ethos as our American police departments. They value fealty to each other above ALL else. No matter what evil may be perpetrated by any member, the other members will remain quiet or even actively conceal it in order to protect the evil doer and to deceive the public that such evil occurs and is condoned by those within the organization.
Besides being an ethos which embraces evil, that ethos actually encourages evil because organization members know in advance that they can commit any evil with impunity. That is why American cops abuse and even kill citizens as often as they do. And now we know that Seals are as unworthy of public trust as are American cops.
Of course, not all cops and not all Seals commit such injustices and atrocities. But that does not mean that the many who do not do so are good or decent persons, or that they deserve to be trusted by the public. After all, how good or decent can they be when they cover up for evil committed by their colleagues? And by covering up for their colleagues they demonstrate why they do not deserve the trust of the public. Still there are a tiny few cops and Seals who will not cover up. Apparently, here we have a few of them who could stay silent no longer.
3
I've questioned the motives of anyone who has signed up for the US military since Vietnam. By no means do I paint all who serve with the same brush, but there have to be more than a few bad apples who would willingly sign up for the US military effort we've seen over the last few decades. There hasn't been a legitimate reason to go to war since WWII and conscription ended decades ago.
5
I will not defend Trump or Chief Gallagher, but I notice that there is very little background on Chief Gallagher's time as a SEAL. It's unlikely that he rose to his position by committing war crimes throughout his entire career. The SEALs are pretty good at weeding out psychologically unfit candidates and even established operators. Is it possible that Gallagher was once a good man who was changed by multiple combat deployments and other missions that SEALs are sent to do? Could this explain the rift between SEALSs who once served with Gallagher and those who served with him more recently? We ask these people to do very difficult things, things that most of us would not do ourselves. I think we should try to understand what this is like. Let the military and its system of justice sort this out, and realize that the results are not always correct.
275
@James
Trump interfered in the military’s system of justice in the Gallagher case for his own personal, political benefit.
358
@James
That's just the point, the military system was sorting it out then Trump interfered. I find it hard to believe that all the SEALs that came forward were either lying or mistaken. Chief Gallagher was not only pardoned he will be joining Trump on his reelection campaign. Which means Trump didn't do much research into what kind of man Gallager is only that he feels he will be a good prop for his reelection. I only hope when Gallager renters society he doesn't kill an innocent civilian.
305
@James The military did but Trump jumped in to change their conclusion, as usual, for his own politics.
175
The seal team members who exposed those atrocities are a real tribute to the US military and its time honored requirement for good order and discipline, even on a chaotic, blood soaked battlefield. A more worthy Commander-in-Chief, would soberly recognize that those servicemen are not unbreakable war fighting machines. The PTSD and suicide rates among returning veterans of war offer more evidence of that, and could portend an even more tragic ending to this particular episode. For those reasons alone, Gallagher should not be held up to public ridicule, or manipulated by cynical politicians to gain political mileage. The military must continue its efforts to ascertain what can be done to restore order, and prevent its overworked, noble warriors from slipping into a mental state which results in ‘unlawful’ battlefield conduct of the type witnessed by those who blew the whistle.
7
Some behaviors are beyond excuses. It had to be a struggle for his team to turn him in. We cannot have 45's amoral actions on display. Just wrong.
7
So, who is going to ask the truly pertinent question at hand: who or what got too S.O. Scott that convinced him to change his story on the witness stand and take the fall for Gallagher's crimes? Eddie would be in jail right this minute if it hadn't been for Scott's last minute perjury, so what happened?
8
Trump and Gallagher belong together. From what his people reported (with great reluctance) Gallagher seems to have been intent upon racking up a few points for himself no matter who was killed or maimed. It's one thing to be inexperienced and untrained. He was neither. Trump's pardon was inexcusable. He dishonored the brave SEALs who testified against Gallagher and the entire armed forces.
11
I oppose with vigour the impeachment of Donald John Trump. I do urge his resignation over the pardoning and intervention in many aspects of this cruel monster. From Lieutenant Calley's mass murder in Vietnam (My Lai) to so many unreported war crimes, we have seen repeated violations of the laws of war. At least in this case there was some effort on the part of the DoD to bring justice: it was tepid to be sure. The president's elevating this mass murderer and baby-killer to an invite at his Palm Beach estate is indicative of a society that is drunk on militarism and war.
1
The impeachment of Donald Trump has little / nothing to do with Gallagher's case. Trump's impeachment is his abuse of power, using whomever, wherever he can to advance his own interests. That's the only connection between Gallagher and Trump... how people are just pawns to be used.
1
I haven't seen any articles about why these SEALs were ignored by the chain of command, and had to resort to reporting to NCIS. This is more than the egregious behavior of Chief Gallagher. What about his superiors, to whom some of the SEALs under his command reported? And what of Lt. Jacob Portier, who apparently told the SEALs to pose for the disgraceful photograph with the dead captive? It seems the Navy has a real problem with at least some of its leaders as well as its troops. They need to be trained in the moral, ethical, and honorable behavior they pretend to, and they need to enforce the laws against war crimes.
Nevertheless, Chief Gallagher should have been held accountable for the murder of this prisoner. That he was acquitted of all but a minor charge is preposterous. Trump's pardon, as infuriating as it was, was just the final insult -- to the military and to the civilians of our country -- in this case.
5
Military superiors being unresponsive to the unlawful behavior of individual military members, especially "higher ups" in rank, is not unique to the SEALS. Look at the number of sexual assaults, both women and men, in the military. It's far more likely the military service victim will be driven out of service for reporting sexual assault than the military predator engaging in sexual assault / rape will EVER be held accountable for their (his) actions. The predators are protected, whether SEALS or serving elsewhere in the military.
I feel so very sad for this horrible shameful incident regarding Gallagher. Yet so very proud for the Navy SEALs who stood up for truth against the Power. My father served in the military for 30 years. He was in Europe in WWII - and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I also served for 30 years and with multiple tours in the Vietnam War. My father and I were true to our Code of Conduct - where the last article reads: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free.
These American ‘principles’ mean we do not commit murder, we do not kill women and children, we fight for freedom. We follow our Code and obey the laws in the UCMJ. The officers’ duty is to prevent this type of criminal conduct. John McCain would understand this. My father would understand this. Gallagher’s conduct is criminal and against everything that America stands for.
These young SEALs understand right and wrong. They are brave enough to stand up and speak truth to Power. But what has happened to our most senior Military Leaders today. Why aren’t they standing up brave and strong for truth too?
18
This seems to be extraordinarily one-sided reporting for the NYT. The article presents the opinions of Gallagher’s accusers, but since he has been acquitted of most of these charges, there must be more to this story. Why is this presented as news?
2
It's hardly one sided when he was investigated.
3
@David L
He was not acquitted, he was pardoned
2
You are naively equating being "acquitted" with being innocent. These terms are not synonymous, especially in law. Gallagher was not found innocent. The burden of proof of guilt wasn't met. Might have had something to do with one of his squad members (being coerced into) changing his story about what he witnessed Gallagher do.
2
Two peas in a pod: it takes a sociopath to pardon a psychopath.
It bears repeating that the fact that persons like Trump and Gallagher exist is not so much the issue, but that so many “normal” people praise their behavior and are willing to follow them to the gates of Hell... and drag the rest of humanity along.
27
Meanwhile, Trump is entertaining Gallagher at Mar a Lago. He was OK with the Saudi murder of an American journalist too. Why is he still our President?
30
@Shawn ..you can thank the GOP for that.
This is a new low. Expect a new low tomorrow
19
When someone like this goes over the line, what if he were to do this in his own neighborhood, what then? What if there was a brown family be they Indian, Iraqi, Hispanic and he decided to run over a parent or child? Then what? John McCain who was a POW basically said as much that we do not do this as Americans....Trump in his idiocy and lack of thought puts our Tripp’s in danger when he condones this. This pardon was in actuality a slap to those like McCain who he said were not heroes because they were captured. This president is a disgrace to everything we AMERICANS stand for. He needs to be voted out.
9
The vid shows Gallagher giving med aid to a foreigner. Whats the problem?
1
It still amazes me that two out of three servicemen and women voted for a draft-dodger who openly vilified a Vietnam War veteran and dishonored the sacrifice of a Gold Star family, and yet a majority still seem to support him now, after letting war criminals loose and back into the military. Some soul searching is in order.
24
Mind boggling isn't it? Frightening as well.
4
@Alex: Wannabe tyrants always coddle the military.
1
I liked it MUCH better when America strove to be the "good guys". We've ceded so much moral high ground under Trump, in a world where moral compasses are harder to come by. #SAD
16
Just as the Russians, etc... were hoping
1
Nothing but respect for the service and sacrifice of America's military forces. That said, when several of our most elite fighters, those most hardened by the the atrocities of war, risk their own careers to come forward as a unified voice to condemn the horrific and deplorable actions of their "leader", serious attention must be paid and appropriate action taken. It is too bad that once again our narcissistic, sociopathic "commander in chief" had to intervene in such a purely self aggrandizing manner. I hope this comes back to bite him...and Gallagher...hard.
14
It is no coincidence that a president with sociopathic tendencies has pardoned a man with sociopathic behaviors.
Thank you to the real heroes coming forth with the hard task of revealing truth to power.
70
I could pardon the 5th Avenue shooter and I wouldn't lose any support.
We are getting closer to the essential essence of the Trump supporter.
38
I am proud of the Seals who came forward to disclose the heinous acts committed. It makes me hopeful for our society that there are people who are more concerned with acting morally than the repercussions for doing so. How can we teach our children to be moral if such heinous behavior as that committed by "Eddie" is accepted or goes unnoticed? How can churches teach morality if they don't disclaim such heinous behavior?
4
The military cannot be strong if those who do the right thing and turn in those who dishonor the mission are dismissed. That said, this president has dishonored the military since the beginning, belittling John McCain's capture, the Khan's loss of their son and now overturning a decision to remove his Trident. Gallagher kissed the behind of Trump and gained a pardon, if to him that's a fair exchange it's his to live with.
His name will always be synonymous with war crimes. A pardon can't change that. Ironically, had he taken his punishment like an honorable man he could probably have lived a private life, to make amends as he chose.
9
“Power corrupts absolutely”, goes the adage.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the conduct of the office-bearer of the Executive Branch.
9
With this article being my first exposure to the story, the accusations read as hearsay. Other than the ISIS captive, details are scarce. Civilians - woman and children - killed? Is there any proof? Video recordings? If it was something that was reoccurring, why not capture it? It's he's "evil", "toxic", and will "kill anybody." Two out of the three above I'd use to describe my noisy neighbor! Not only that, how are "thousands of text messages" sent between the accusers proof of anything? The article seems to read as those texts are some sort of smoking gun. And only a fraction of the platoon has come out against the chief, with some even supporting him. As someone who is neither liberal nor conservative, and came into this article as neutral and unbiased, I certainly wasn't swayed towards condemnation, perhaps the opposite.
@MS Those accusations weren’t hearsay. As you say, you haven’t followed the story.
But regardless, the guy killed a wounded, drugged prisoner. There were seven testifying witnesses. That’s not hearsay.
2
I am a vet who did not serve in combat (it was during a rare era of peace), but it strikes me that any service member who would kill or maim innocent civilians (as in from a distance), who are not threatening him is not a true soldier but a coward.
It would also suggest that such a person has an overwhelming need to prove themselves to be something they are not...a hero.
If Mr. Gallagher did the things he was said to have done, he is no soldier but a coward, and his pardon by Trump is a gross miscarriage of the power of pardon.
As such, Trump would be unfit to be called "Commander-in-Chief."
6
What saddens and worries me is the number of men and women in the military or about to join who see Eddie Gallagher being feted and thus think this is a good model of military behavior.
4
I agree with John M when he says, "Trump thinks he has created a war hero that he can use on the campaign trail." But I would add that this seems to be another step down a very disturbing path. In a Breitbart interview last spring and at rallies last summer, Trump warned America it would be very bad if "my police and biker gang fans decided to get tough on my opponents." Now Trump has a proven killer of women and children who owes the president his freedom, and whom Trump has elevated to hero status. Black Americans lived through 100 years of political violence to prevent them from voting. Are we looking at a new recruitment drive for old-fashioned enforcers to complement the political and legal suppression of voting that has reoccurred since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act?
7
My dad led the first 3rd Armored tank platoon across the German border on September 12, 1944, hitting the town of Eupen on the left flank. The whole countryside opened fire on them, and they soon came across a young German soldier with the upper part of his leg blown off. They treated his wounds as best they could and told him don't try and escape that night. My dad and his platoon had no intention to kill the German, and the German soldier was grateful.
Four days later they came across the main German force and blew up an ammunition dump. A forward observer ordered indirect fire from the heavy guns at the rear, but the shells landed 2,000 yards short, roaring like flying freight trains that exposed their position. The German Luftwaffe strafed them, and they fled like water on a frying pan into the woods. A German patrol infiltrated near their position that evening, and a German soldier shot my dad through the chest as he reached for a grenade. The wound severed the artery to his right hand. Gangrene soon took his right hand that smelled like death until doctors cut if off four days later in France.
Barbarism doesn't breed barbarism among humane troops like the SEALs who I hope to remain vigilant against war criminals like Gallagher who kill anybody that moves. Trump betrayed the compassion my father and his platoon showed the German soldier 83 years ago and the SEALs who were appalled with Gallagher’s barbarity.
22
Evil defends evil. The current U.S. administration is a moral nightmare, and tens of millions of Americans support it. Americans in general need an immediate remedial course in history.
29
"My first reaction to seeing the videos was surprise and disgust that they would make up blatant lies about me, but I quickly realized that they were scared that the truth would come out of how cowardly they acted on deployment," Gallagher said in a statement.
Cowardly? What's more cowardly than publicly disparaging your own men, especially without cause or evidence. For simply slapping a wounded American soldier, Patton was relieved of his command by Eisenhower.
There's plenty of cases in the military known as, "fragging" where soldiers roll a live grenade into the tent of their commanding officer because they are disgusted by the commander's behavior, or fearful that a poor leader will get them killed in the field.
Gallagher should thank his comrades in arms for their high moral character, and consider himself lucky. His fate could have easily been otherwise.
20
I have no difficulty imagining Trump, bottomless pit of anger and hate that he is, committing similar war crimes. War is ghastly and ISIS certainly inspires no sympathy, but we don’t need our servicemen sinking to their level and killing for its sake and enjoying it. I am glad the SEALS followed their consciences.
23
Just the sort of person Trump would liked to have become if he hadn't ducked his responsibility with deferments for bone spurs.
13
Trump never served in the military. He knows no code of honor.
21
@Kris
Edward Gallagher did serve in the military, and still knows no code of honor.
11
@Kris But as Commander in Chief the president should lead by example in embracing the military code of honor.
1
Took a lot of courage for the SEALS to speak up.
21
A friend who was an Army Ranger said that he and his colleagues were trained to be elite soldiers but that Navy Seals are trained to be assassins. He has no respect for them.
4
Trump recognizes evil and admires it.
He has given us countless examples - his respect for dictators, inhumane treatment of innocent children at the border to cutting food stamps to the very poor. Tax cuts for wealthy - always top of his list.
10
I am impressed with the idealism in the language used among the group to prepare eachother to do the right thing. Just tell the truth - we all beleive in this simple concept because until recently, we put our faith in the decency of this country and the arc of history bending towards justice. That's what Colonel Vindeman said in response to concerns of his Soviet-born parents. I hope we can keep this faith and its foundation alive after the current political fever is over.
13
I wonder what Gallagher's defenders will say when he finds an excuse to kill again as a civilian. It's only a matter of time. He isn't well.
13
Who talked Trump into these pardons? What's in it for him?
8
@Jane Probably simply diversion from impeachment talk. The more he ups the anger at him the happier he is because that becomes the topic. Meanwhile, ideologue judges are being confirmed, kids are still living in cages, Senators bragging about not following their oath, strong arming an ally to help his reelection, on and on.
In a word, he gets a smoke screen for his evil deeds because we're talking about evil deeds of a Navy Seal.
3
Same reason why Trump didn't follow through on the Juul flavored vaping ban. He's tryimg to lock in votes and many in the military like what Trump did in case they run afoul of war crimes some day. Unfortunately the fact that this guy is essentially a serial killer didn't come out at the time...
I would not be surprised at all if Gallagher gets a top spot in some agency of Trump's executive branch. Maybe a newly-created 'Ministry of Information Retrieval?'
3
Trump perpetrated crimes against humanity on the southern border, according to our own laws and treaty obligations. Gallagher perpetrated war crimes, according to our own laws, treaty obligations and the Geneva convention. The former pardoning the latter is yet another impeachable offense. As we all know now, such wrongdoing falls well within the purview of impeachable wrongdoing. Trump may pardon whomever he wants, and we may impeach him for any impeachable wrongdoing including the pardoning of a sociopathic murderer. Neither of these deplorable people is above the rule of law. They should both be indicted and tried in the appropriate venue.
13
I'm glad these decent men came forward, and sad that their efforts all came to naught. Gallagher is what happens when a sociopath joins the military and learns that his worst tendencies have a legally-sanctioned outlet. Over time the pathological traits come to the fore. This man likes to inflict pain, and he likes to kill. He has no moral compass.
And now he's revered by the US President, another man with no moral compass, making a mockery of every decent man and women in the armed forces.
MAGA? I think not.
9
This story is a powerful example of patriotism -- patriotism by the Navy SEALs who love their country so much that they won't tolerate barbarism done in the name of America, and patriotism by the NY Times, courageously publishing a story that the President and many "blind patriots" will not understand or value. Thank you.
16
How is it that there is even a question of what this person did . The fact that he continues to lie and lie shows him to be what his fellow seals have said - the personification of evil. How does that make him any better then the Taliban- yes how. He is not a team member - all he does is go his after fellow seals because they tell the truth & his account cannot stand the light of day . I hope there is a way to take back his pardon & prosecute him again.
8
In Trumps efforts to repay Russian Oligarchs for money loaned to him, he follows orders from Putin. Tasked to destroy every American institution from the FBI , NFL, to Navy Seals, the Russian asset Trump , moves with laser like precision while appearing wildly chaotic.
Putin has pulled back the curtain and has revealed to the world what a hoax our system of checks and balances truly is.
Putin/Trump 2020
Finish The Job
8
No matter how much time he spends gallivanting with President Draft Dodger, no matter how much he tries to deny and compartmentalize his memories his conscience will get him and he will be haunted for the rest of his life by the crimes he so obviously committed. I'm a civilian who has never known war and likely will never but I know this: karma gets all of us.
6
To say that the photo of the SEALs with the man's dead body is disturbing is putting it lightly. Posing for a picture with a human, as if the human were a trophy buck, is unconscionable. Clearly, Gallagher is a mad man, but all of those people that posed with a dead human should be both ashamed and embarrassed. War brings out the very worst in humans.
11
@Brian It sounds like they are both ashamed and embarrassed. It's part of the reason why they came forward.
2
Did the people who posed with him have a choice?
2
@Sean Nope, they were ordered into the picture.
1
I suspect Trump pardoned Gallagher because he things it's perfectly natural for the powerful to abuse those without power.
5
@Diane Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And we have seen the carnage of the unfettered power the GOP has allowed Trump to grasp-and abuse.
The door to evil has truly been opened in this country aided and abetted by trump. Horrifying.
9
All these comments talking about how "evil" Gallagher is. This is troublesome. Labeling someone as evil makes the accuser "good," and when you're on the side of good, it's easy to justify whatever action you take to extinguish evil. This is probably what Gallagher thought. I dont doubt he was doing what he thought was "good" because of the picture US has painted of the Islamic terrorists. Dont just blame FOX news; it's not just them. We are all a little bit guilty of the mental landscape that Gallagher has created in his head.
2
This made my stomach drop when I read it. Reminded me of Mi Lai, except we now have a sadistic commander in chief that finds this behavior heroic. What are we sinking to with Trump? How much worse can this get? And we ask ourselves this question every day. There doesn’t appear to be a bottom.
8
Trump's slime is getting all over our heroic SEALS, the FBI, the many intelligence agencies which protect us; he's attacking the Department of State and harming honorable diplomats along with our international reputation and our allies and partners.
Trump has turned the EPA into an agency dedicated to harming the environment. Agriculture attacks farmers and calls them "whiners."
Trump is going after poor people who are hungry. He attacks health care. He puts children into endless detention in horrible conditions.
PLEASE people vote him out of office, and the horrible politicians who support this unAmerican travesty.
Worst of all are the ones (including Trump) who commit these crimes, these assaults on people, environment, country and humanity while draping themselves in bibles and crosses.
6
I feel nauseous after reading this article. It is excellent reporting.
7
It isn’t heroic to kill an unarmed, seriously wounded enemy who is skinny and barely able to move while you are surrounded by your subordinates and then pose for a picture like you just shot an 8 point buck. The SEALS are out of control and now their commanders can’t discipline their own men. A sad day for America.
11
Just wondering how military personnel are permitted to use, while on duty, knives and "hatchets" that appear to be non-military issue? A hatchet, really? Why?
9
@Bailey Well, the military, and the people, have put these operators on a pedestal and made their actions larger than life, so who will be the first to rein in bad actors that make those actions “honorable”?
And I too question the use of non-military weaponry.
2
The military and our country under Trump is losing its honor. The mantra - The few, the proud..." is becoming the corrupt, the butchers....."
5
I did not watch the video. Those of us who have not served in the middle of these horrible wars do not have a clue. BUT, the photo of Gallagher holding a person by his hair, a clearly emaciated and broken person, speaks volumes. As obvious as trump's crimes, this photo does not scream 'exoneration.'
9
@Kathy Well said about those who have not served. Yet many, in their comments, would have us believe they have been on the battlefield and experienced that fog.
How low can it all go?
3
Gallagher and Trump are like 'birds of a feather,' vultures that is. They both do not possess a normal ethos of morality, and they both act without conscience. The Navy Seals describe Gallagher as, "freaking evil" and "toxic." Words that fit behaviors exemplified by Trump. I wonder why more of us are not seeing what is so very evident in the abnormal behaviors of Trump. Psychologists have described Trump's mental disorder, and I might note that they have stated the degree of his abnormality will only increase. Simply a close up view of behaviors, facial expressions, verbal mumbling and tirades is enough to convince every one of us that Trump is mentally ill and unfit to be President. Similarly Gallagher is unfit to be a member of the Navy Seals.
4
I see a lurking sub-text here--my growing paranoia from three years of Trump. Not only is it the pattern of claiming that the multiple accusers are bald-faced liars. More importantly, it is the message Trump is giving to the military that harsh treatment of "the other" is acceptable (Trump asking if border-crossers can be shot in the legs), but that anything that violates the mainstream norm will be forgiven. Is this a winnowing out of the honorable from the military, at the same time a building-up of aggressive supporters in the military who are willing to break rules, so that he has a coup-ready military to back him when the time comes?
4
So here we have a platoon of troops attesting to the brutality of their leader and I dare say that Trump will trash them because it does not fit his lying way of looking at Gallagher's conduct around whom he has built another lie. Trump will never apologize to these patriots as he never apologizes for anything no matter how outrageous his statements. But it is always the targets of his lies that suffer as he can do no wrong under any circumstances.
5
Gallagher sounds like a "man" after Donald Trump's own heart.
What more (or worse) can I say?
3
Another example of the shame Trump and his acolytes have brought on the US. I hope we can survive the next year. I hope there are enough sensible people in this nation who will take it back from the crazies.
5
Trump* deeply admires various dictators and murderers.
Common citizens like you and me, not so much.
2
The no-so-subtle subtext of Gallagher's pardon is that it is OK to indiscriminately kill brown people when in service to Trumpism.
4
Trump debases everything he touches, even the Navy SEALS.
7
..and the Trump "brand" spreads and continues to stain.
3
No "Blue Wall" for these professionals. When a colleague reports behavior like Gallagher's, everyone should listen and take action, or for the POTUS, no action in this case. Everything is seen as a political opportunity for this administration, even including reported murder of civilians as well as of enemy combatants. This POTUS once again shows himself to be a cowardly opportunist!
5
Watching him and his wife stroll out of the courthouse smirking told me all I needed to know about Gallagher. I feel bad for these men who are traumatized by his sociopathic actions. It will bother them their whole lives, while he believes he is a victim.
7
Trump has a nose for bad, unethical, people. He lauds them and defends whatever despicable thing they have said or done. When a Navy SEAL has lost the respect and trust of his fellow SEALS, it's apparent that person needs to go.
4
I knew reading this would make me sick, but I had to do it. I believe what these Seals have said and I'm sorry it all ended so badly. The monsters are supporting each other.
6
Now really, how can you believe these hundreds of men who served with Gallagher when your president knows from an unacquainted distance (and his own vast military experience) that the man is a great guy?
4
A man that sits in putin's back pocket is now protecting war criminals. How much is enough?
8
My Dad served in the Navy on a Destroyer Escort during WWII. His ship was hit glancing blows by Japanese Kamikase pilots on two occasions, but he survived. Unfortunately, my Dad is gone now. But he was a good, kind, honorable man and this would have horrified him.
11
He'll commit violence stateside and end up in a court of law again in less than 5 years. I'd bet money on it.
6
And to think that now Eddie Gallagher is starting a Navy SEAL themed clothing line? Does it come complete with hatchet and blood stains on the uniform? Time for a boycott of any store that would carry such an atrocity.
9
Trump deserves to be impeached for protecting Gallagher alone, irrespective of anything else. Is there really no bottom for Republicans?
4
Let's hope someone shows this to Trump..... NO ONE should be interfering with military justice .....
2
There is a human side to the sorid story about Cheif Gallagher. The Seals that served under him never lost their human values & turned him in.
If only there swere more Republicans with these honorable values, we would be rid of despots like Trump.
7
Absolutely horrific. Lieutenant William Calley (he of the My Lai Massacre) is alive and well, apparently.
4
@Richard Plantagenet Richard Calley never overcame the smear. Neither will Edward Gallagher. His entire life will be framed by this and it will be the first line of his obituary. He made that choice.
5
Just another proof of what once was but isn't anymore. A great America. I'm sure all this kind of hate happened in every war, it's just that the Seals are more respected and held to the highest bar. There's a deep state in our country but it isn't liberals it's white supremacy and hate factions that infiltrate even our armed services. No longer proud to be an American, haven't waved a flag since the right co-opted the flag as a symbol of hate and supremacy, the sun is setting on an America with ideals and principles.
3
So chilling to see DJT with one of his own. At least Gallagher gave him a flag for a souvenir--not a scalp!
This is the kind of values we want for this country?
4
I can do without watching the video; reading this piece was sufficient. Gallagher's fellow Seals are the whistle blowers, the first hand witnesses that put the lie to Trump's pardon of a war criminal.
I'm sure there were acts of sadistic violence among our soldiers in WWII, but as a group, the world saw them as good people who fought to save the world from tyranny. And they were led by FDR, a brilliant, educated, humane and politically skillful president who worked well with his generals and allies and also saw to the needs of the less fortunate at home.
After the war, the Americans put the Nazi generals and sympathizers on trial, further establishing the USA as a champion of justice. The Nuremberg trials were front page news and a major Hollywood movie further dramatized it.
It is unfortunate that most Americans did not get to live through the 1940's and 1950's as I did. It is my memory that tells me how far we have fallen from grace.
What would Trump have to say about FDR? I can see Trump mocking FDR's efforts to walk despite paralyzed legs, unsteady and saying, "I can't walk." This is how far we've fallen.
6
Little man syndrome at the crux of this?
3
Is there a provision in the UCMJ for a factual innocence determination? If so, it will never be utilized here.
This man must have had serious issues that led him to seek out a position that would allow him to act out his worst impulses-even illegally. He might have more problems in civilian life. He seems to be having his 15 minutes recently-as a guest of the president at Mar A Lago. Our president admires 'killers'.
3
That is the case with a lot of people who go into professions where power and control is given to them as part of the job.
Chief Gallagher certainly knew how to manipulate and “play” his audience .... Fox News gave him the forum and Trump was his primary audience.
If Trump had his way, the entire US Military would be transformed into evil killing machines who disregard the US Military Code and Geneva Convention.
3
......and then you have the Bush/Cheney neocons. Had they been Them and not US, they would have been convicted of war crimes. We should never forget.
4
Thanks to those members who did the right thing and turned Gallagher in. You represent this country well.
The members video descriptions of Gallagher sound interchangeable with Trump. "toxic" "evil" ...
It's no wonder Trump pardoned his BROTHER Gallagher, they are both Terrors of America and Terrorists!
3
I think it should be a military crime to pose with the dead body of a combatant and take a photo.
6
Dead kid as a war trophy just because he thought he was defending his home from the invaders. The military empire that would squash any country dare to oppose them. The military special unit train to kill, perfect for psychopath to enroll into and get his hands on bloods without consequences, so they thought. It takes a psycho to embrace another, and unfortunately they are in the government play with fire with citizens look on...
2
This is typical of our draft evader President. This is not typical of our SEALS, as is noted here!
3
"War is hell!" We need to pray more for all victims of war!
2
My son served two tours in Iraq as a Marine. Because I remember the My Lai Massacre and the subsequent military tribunals, I constantly reminded him of the Geneva Convention. He reminded me that his military training thoroughly covered war crimes and the rules of engagement. Of course, that didn't stop a mother from reminders. I am ever grateful for the commanding officers under whom he served. They were outstanding officers of great moral character. I thank God that there was no one like Gallagher commanding my son's battalion.
25
Another terrifying example of the American standard of extremes. Is this any different from Capitalism? We create environments that both breed and encourage behavior taken to an extreme end in the name of heroism, awards of honor, patriotism, etc., all the while expecting people to exist in a razor-thin ethical boundary between being a classic over-achiever without going too far. Why do we expect such things won’t happen when history has repeatedly given example after example that it does?
4
SEALs have operated just inside the lines the rest of us career Navy professionals knew we dare not cross.
Shoot, SEALs did it all the time. And ofter they went outside those lines.
The Navy "mans, trains, and equips" SEALs. US Special Operations Command, a functional combatant command, has operational control and tactical control of all special operates forces.
Believe me, we want SEALs operating right at the edge. We want them to live by the warrior's creed, to risk everything 150% of the time to accomplish the mission and then to not talk about it. Period. That's breaking down.
Post - Gallagher, I fear the admirals will push too hard in the other direction.
SEALs embody a certain élan vital not found in other parts of the Navy, long since focused on quality of life, and making sure sailors don't have to stay up too long.
Cheers
1
Setting aside Gallaghers crimes presented by his peers here...... And yes.. as his peers they are in the best position to both observe, assess by their own special operators code of conduct, and report.....
There is something seriously wrong with the command and control of Seal units while on deployment these days. This sort of thing does not happen and then continue to go unchecked until a groundswell of peers demand action if the Seal Teams are working as intended. Special Operations Command needs a top to bottom review and reform before it's integrity is destroyed by continuing war crimes by it's operators.
In my view.. Gallagher should have been pulled from further tours of duty BEFORE it went to the inhuman side of being a special operator. The kind of warfare they conduct, and the conditions in which they conduct them certainly take a toll on the operators over time, and as such they need a full workup and review after each deployment in order to pull them from operations before they go over the edge.
Besides.. Special Operations Forces were never designed for continuous deployment rotations over a period of years, and as such.. I don't think command and control is prepared for or able to manage the toll it takes on the operators.
9
The horror about trump is that his insanity of hate never ends. A coward that he is he awards a murderer as if we are in a war movie.
Jared helps get a Washington Post journalist killed and his father in law sells guns to the Saudi's/
How much money is enough for the Trump family, how much murder is enough for the Trump family ?
How much is enough for this incredible greedy dysfunctional family.
Before you Troll look at the Trump daily facts of insanity and God knows enough is enough. This family can be insane but the rest of America is normal
Nancy and our prayers must make a difference because their is a God and he realizes how much suffering is going on in this country and the world. He realizes that the Nazi working in the White House is destroying the lives of innocent people.
The Seals have to right this ship otherwise no one will trust the seals again. Mr. Gallagher should be in charge of death chambers since he is all about suffering and murder.
8
When The Japanese attacked Nanking they raped,murdered and beheaded the civilian population. We are better than that.
10
"combat in Iraq barely fazed the SEALs"?
Really? That's glib and false and lazy writing, and also totally unnecessary as a descriptor in this article.
4
What I don't understand in all this is why the Times decided to publish CONFIDENTIAL interviews with the Seals. Did these men all sign releases???
1
He was cleared in a court of law. Why is the NYT prosecuting his case?
Sick.
1
Reporting is not the same as prosecuting.
Besides, are you suggesting that every case decided in a criminal trial is settled justly? History is filled with wrongful convictions overturned. And the other way around.
8
@Chris He was convicted. That's why Trump issued the pardon.
5
War is hell. Bombardiers kill innocents on the ground. Truman nuked Japanese cities knowing women and chidren would be very cruelly incinerated. LBJ lied through his teeth about Vietnam, usung cluster bombs and Agent Orange. I’m ok with President Trump’s pardons.
42
@Brian
Despite the same end result of people being killed, there's likely a difference between "war" and "war crimes". (And both are heinous.)
146
@Brian I see. If war is hell, they you are OK with the devil.
102
@Brian This is what concerns me most about the current view of the President is that people are loosing their ability to see the difference of upholding your oath to your country and criminal behavior. Once we fail to see the difference there is no difference and criminality will be the norm.
170
This documentary evidence should have been given to Frontline, not a streaming service charging fees to watch. If it's really important why isn't the NY Times making sure all Americans can watch it.
27
@lzolatrov Amen!
2
See arrow? See words say, “play video?”
1
@Robert The video is only a short promo for the entire documentary that you can only see on Hulu . . . if you have a subscription.
1
This information should come out. Our citizens need to fully understand what war crimes look like and that they can happen within our own military. We know we have crossed a huge abyss in this country when the Commander-in-Chief pardons a man who essentially committed war crimes in our name.
As an American citizen I will condemn Donald Trump for his deep, deep hatred of our values as a nation. Of the many things Donald Trump has done to show his contempt for the rule-of-law; this action is his most disturbing and most egregious. How any Senator (military veteran or not) can support Donald J Trump after this pardon is beyond comprehension.
21
@Bryan
Yes.
Donald Trump consistently shows outright contempt for the values that make America what it has been since it’s founding.
It’s as though he despises America and seeks to destroy and remake it in his own image, which is to say, in an authoritarian mode common to many failed states throughout history.
The frightening aspect is that si many are also tempted by this foolish temptation.
2
Just more proof, if any were needed, that Donald Trump and his supporters are the true enemies of real American values. And they always will be.
21
"... his supporters are the true enemies of real American values."
The "true enemies of real American values" are the ones who fail to report and to read what Trump actually says.
From realDonaldTrump at Twitter:
"We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!" (re Golsteyn case, 12 Oct 2019)
"This case was handled very badly from the beginning [by the Navy]." (re Gallagher case, 21 Nov 2019)
Edward Gallagher is what Donald Trump would like to be.
And that’s a big problem for America and the world.
22
As I recall Chief Gallagher was acquitted of the murder charge but was losing his Trident because of the trophy photo he took over the captive’s corpse, which Trump felt he deserved to keep for his service in general. This story seems to go way beyond that strictly In order to disparage Trump likening his pardon to that for even an axe murderer.
2
You know, it’s a funny thing.
Let some black kid get off light because the evidence was fouled up or because some snitch recanted or some lawyer did their job, and it’s all, “See what the libs have done to JUSTICE,” from here to eternity.
But let this guy off light, and it’s, “Eddie did NOTHING! Why are you libs persecuting the man?”
Oh, well. Trumpists never figured out that Robert Mueller said,”I know the guy DID it, I just can’t take this mess to court.”
Exonerated, my left flipper.
7
@Robert, thanks, nice to feel someone gets my point.
@John Doe: Stabbing an barely conscious person in the neck has the same result as using an axe. Both are murders.
5
I guess it takes evil to pardon evil. One could infer from his unit's testimony that Gallagher could pose a threat to society.
15
Did any of those other platoon members stand up for Gallagher? The article notes that two testified that they did not witness any crimes. That is not a defense of of their leader. The fact that he cannot point to one member of his group as evidence of his superior leadership and heroism speaks volumes.
23
My father was a skinny, nerdy engineer who deferred college to volunteer for the Navy in 1945 while we were still pondering an invasion of Japan. Gallagher, for all his training and fitness, and Trump, for all his wealth and power, would not be fit to shine his shoes. These other SEALS would clearly have rather had him next to them in combat, if it came to it. He was actually quite a good shot.
23
The sanctimonious criticism being directed toward Trump for interceding in Chief Gallagher's fate might be understandable if those offering it were equally supportive of his attempts to extricate the US from the foreign cesspools into which presidents Bush and Obama sent Chief Gallagher and so many others. Given the chance they would rather side with the warmongers, as they did during his recently announced withdrawal from Syria. Instead of support, his critics accuse Trump of abandoning our "allies" and being Putin's puppet. Instead of ending US participation in the carnage they would rather perpetuate it if that means scoring some cheap political points.
2
You are not describing the facts and what they show in your opinion but just expressing your views of events.
The withdrawal of troops in Syria resulted in massacre. The announcement of talks with the Taliban resulted in the Taliban denying them. Both done without any consideration. Trump is not considering the consequences before acting and he’s creating a poor record from his decisions. He discusses talks before it’s prudent to do so and he’s acting impulsively which produces poor outcomes. He wants people to think that he’s a great problem solver but he screws up simple stuff with his poor judgment.
9
@tim k If he's so set on getting us out of "foreign carnage", why is he leasing our military personnel to the Saudis for their inhumane war on Yemen? He didn't "withdraw troops from Syria", he just repositioned them in the UAE.
3
He pulled out of Syria, so Turkey could walk in and murder allies and so Russian troops could move into American bases. Trump does whatever Putin asks of him, including allowing allies to be murdered. It's fine if you think that's okay, but the rest of the world now knows that America does not keep its word. It knows now that America can be bought. It knows now, that it needs to build defense against America. One move of pulling out of Syria (which was a move criticized heavily from BOTH sides), set forgien relations back so far it may as well be 1933. A world on edge just waiting for a mad man with a complex to take advantage. Will it be Putin? Will it be China? Will it be NK? guess we get to see. And no, I don't believe Trump is evil, or Hitler, or gonna start a war, I just believe he is super dumb and unable to actually see a big picture, unless someone gets up and turns his head from side to side for him.
There are occasions when I make an effort to humanize Trump, to go beyond the hatred of the man. And then something like this happens, where he depicts our war fighters as "killing machines" Sure, when we are at war, this is what the military is reduced to; those wearing the enemies uniform must be neutralized, turned into objects devoid of human qualities that may evoke empathy that would delay ending the carnage.
Yet, along with inducing such homicidal acts towards enemies, is the preservation of compassion to those who are not war fighters, who are civilians or who have surrendered.
Our country committed mass genocide in Cambodia towards the end of the Vietnam war, with no condemnation of the President who ordered it. Rather he was forced out of office for participating in a burglary.
Something to think about, perhaps.
13
'... he [Trump] depicts our war fighters as "killing machines"'
If you are going to criticize Trump, start with a COMPLETE quote:
"We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!" (re Golsteyn case, 12 Oct 2019)
1
Most of us, luckily, will never experience the psychological damage that this group has been through in our unending wars of questionable moral value. That said, I felt proud of those who tried to “do the right thing”, that could not have been easy and will, no doubt, hurt their military careers.
As for Trump, I doubt he was learned anything......or cares if he things this helps him personally.
We expect him to pardon any loyalists including, evidently, war criminals and other “ victims” like himself.
8
It has to be bad, really really bad and dishonorable for seven of one of the toughest combat units out there to come forward and report Gallagher.
I am truly sorry for the brave men and women who serve our country, believe its moral and ethical principles of humanity and human rights and the constitution to have someone such as Gallagher cast a shadow of disgrace across their service and the reputation and values they sought to uphold is another layer of tragedy across this situation.
The idea that we would hold up one bad actor and install them in a higher place then these seven or thousands who do serve honorably is a real disrespect to our service members and veterans.
18
It should tell people that only 2 people from his platoon testified on his behalf. 2 out of 22. 7 out of 22 or 1/3 of his unit spoke out against him. If he was so honorable of a leader why only 2 men?
19
The Navy, the president and us the American people failed these men who served us. They were courageous in coming forward and Gallagher is walking around free when he should be in prison. I personally thank them for coming forward and serving us with honor. If the president would like to honor a hero he should pick one or all of these men not a murderer.
20
The lack of trust in our institutions from military, law enforcement, judicial, media and others is one of the most egregious interjections to our culture from Donald Trump and his defenders.
7
As the daughter of a career Naval officer, my deepest respect and gratitude go to the members of Alpha platoon who had the courage to do the right thing when it was necessary by describing truthfully what they witnessed Chief Gallagher doing. You are true patriots, protectors of everything we as Americans value in our country, and the kind of men I hope my own two boys grow up to be. I know your mothers, sisters, and daughters are proud of you today.
65
The best thing Gallagher could have done for himself is retire in obscurity. But, given his self righteous attitude, there is no way he's going to do that. From early on in his legal proceedings, he had been noticed by certain republican politicians and had been singled out for special attention from the Trump administration. Rudolph Giuliani was one of Gallagher's lawyers and Trump actually interfered in the court martial by making public comments about Gallagher's innocence while the court martial was going on.
Gallagher's appeal to Trump and Trump's followers is that Gallagher's actions represent someone who is willing to commit the ultimate act of vengeance without regard for conventional rules of conduct, decency, or mercy. At the same time, Gallagher assumes the mantle of victimhood and is firmly, yet falsely, affirmed by the President himself.
The concocted Scott confession is so suspicious and unlikely, it would be implausible for a low budget 3rd rate Hollywood movie.
Trump thinks he has created a war hero that he can use on the campaign trail. But, when the facts of Gallagher's actions come out, he may be destroyed in the court of public opinion.
Gallagher is a veteran of 8 tours of duty; I think that perhaps his actions are a result of battle fatigue. He should have just taken the victory and gone home and quietly lived the rest of life the best he could. Instead, he's going to ride the whirlwind and this could turn out tragically for him.
37
People who experience repeated traumas as do those who must engage in combat are at risk of deep disturbances that show up as PTSD symptoms. One powerful defense is moral purpose and honorable conduct which assures the sad soldiers that they have done no more than circumstances required. What Gallagher is described as doing has and will cause deep and profound psychological disorders in most people because it is immoral and deliberately cruel beyond anything justified by circumstances. A leader like Gallagher is described can produce a platoon of disturbed individuals who may suffer for the rest of their lives.
16
Exactly. He should have been prosecuted to the fullest. One cannot equivocate w/evil.
2
I did not enter, “sad soldiers”, I entered, “soldiers”, the spell check is introducing words that make no sense or misrepresent.
Released text messages from Gallagher show him sharing the names of his accusers and urging others in the military to pressure the accusers to keep quiet.
Why is he not being charged with obstruction?
62
When a case is tried and a verdict rendered, it should be over. If something was wrong with the trial, appeals can be filed. This article presents only part of the evidence and testimony and so gives an incomplete picture. It is not the role of the news media to try or re-try a criminal case just because the verdict is not popular. That said, I am very disturbed by the president's interference in this case and by Gallagher's public appearances with him. Politicizing our military is very dangerous.
8
I think you’re missing something, the verdict was guilty. It was the president who exonerated him.
12
@CH No, he was acquitted by military jury of the murder charges and convicted only related to posing with the victim for photographs.
I salute the Navy SEALs who stood up for their principles, for their flag and their nation's honor.
Make no mistake that this dark moment in American history would lift soon enough, and there would come a time when these true AMERICAN heroes will be properly honored and celebrated for their courage and patriotism!
21
An obsession with killing is a sign of a person acting from unconscious motives, some one who has been overwhelmed by trauma and is feeling relief from it by committing violence upon others. The reports of preferring to target women and children would indicate wanting to remove the chances of retaliation from his targets. If these facts are true, Gallagher belongs in treatment and separated from weapons until he is cured.
8
The President of the United States has singlehandedly disgraced every one of our active soldiers and veterans. How can their commanders tell them with a straight face that they are risking their lives for something greater than themselves now? How can our allies justify sending their young people off to help fight our wars? There will be consequences for our national security for decades.
This used to be the kind of stuff that only our enemies did. American soldiers were held to a civilized standard befitting a great nation that proudly led the world. We’ve become a country that not only tolerates war crimes—we commit them, with full approval from the top. What is the USA if not a country that stands for human rights and freedom? The President has just made us smaller than we’ve ever been in our history.
33
sadly the United States has always been a country that commits atrocities and war crimes. 3 million dead in Southeast Asia, nevermind hundreds of thousands in a rack and innumerable other places attest to that. his actions aren't even the tip of the tip of the iceberg. we were born out of genocide and slavery and became an empire through mass murder like every other empire. would that he were the exception but in reality his actions Allen comparison to those of the commanders-in-chief under whom he served.
3
@mark Mark, I agree, and I think that we're both right in a way. Maybe the President has destroyed the illusion that we are different than other empires. And maybe the outrage over Chief Gallagher's war crimes—and the President's support of them—also exposed how strongly many of us believe that the USA should (and sometimes does) stand for something more than "might makes right."
The USA is badly imperfect. We have a long record of atrocities, starting with genocide against Native Americans and slavery (as you noted), which we still refuse to fully atone for. Plus countless unjust wars (300k dead Iraqis, for example), allowing crushing poverty inside our own borders, and pervasive violence here at home.
But I also think that our Constitution laid the framework for America to be a domestic and global champion of human rights and freedom (and protection of animals and the environment). Our economic, cultural, and military power allows us to lead the world by our just example, if only we can find the moral strength to do so.
1
I am not a supporter of the President and facts such as these remind me why. Instead, I support those loyal and patriotic Americans who not only risked life and limb for our nation overseas but risked their careers and reputations in attempting to right these egregious wrongs. The blatant disregard for their sacrifices, at the highest level, should be a concern to all Americans who believe the values we profess at home must be carried into war as well. The courageous men who testified should not be slandered or ignored but instead held up as an example for citizen-soldiers across the globe. Furthermore the purported actions of Chief Gallagher do not serve us in wartime, they serve the enemy. The conviction of our enemies grows when our values are demeaned while the conviction of our allies wanes. It is the SEALs who testified who should be the recipients of the Commander-in-Chief’s praise and honor, not an alleged war criminal, for it is they who are representative of American values and the better angels of our nature.
24
When our enemies use The Fog of War excuse in their dealings with our children who they capture then what? War and savagery are not the same thing.
9
The writer of this story and most readers of the story fail to consider and accept that the members of the court martial [the jury] heard all the evidence, considered the law, and rendered a decision based upon their duty to follow the law and acquit if the evidence was insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jurors often have reasonable doubt if the investigation presented to them by the prosecution shows the investigation was unfair or inadequate. The concern is the resulting investigation is tainted, perhaps the misconduct is proven, but not proven beyond a reasonable doubt because of the taint.
The accused and his counsel allude to what could be deemed an improper investigation. A proper interpretation of historical events is the jury in the court martial did a proper job of applying the law and facts to the burden of proof they were instructed to follow. Likewise, the accused’ s commanders also did a proper assessment of his fitness to serve as a SEAL based upon a lower burden of proof.
Given that both proceedings could have properly reached a correct decision, Trump should not have intervened.
One last comment: If SEALs are anything like police officers, flipping on a fellow officer is unheard of. The only law enforcement agency that police officers truly fear is the IRS, and there is no indication the IRS had anything to do with the SEALs coming forward to make complaints against the accused.
8
No other President I can recall, interfered with the military code of justice in peace time [or relative peace time]. The end result of his inability to leave things like this without intervening, is that it may destroy future military cohesion within this group, so vital to our security. However, trump will soon be gone and that ends the problem.
10
President Dwight Eisenhower warned the country about the dangers of the military industrialized complex in his farewell address - “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.” The Founders had a fear toward standing armies — large, permanent, professional military establishments because of the temptations for domestic oppression, international risk by those in power, drain on public resources & the frequent vile behavior of those in uniform. We have out-of-control federal spending to sustain the military industrialized complex & its activities. We should reflect & reevaluate the decision to abandon the founding principles regarding standing armies. We won’t because the military is too powerful & reflection is not our strong point. We have no money for we the people but always enough for a bloated military budget. None of us should be surprised by the vile behavior of this Navy Seal & the vile behavior of this so called President.
13
Trump understands what it's like in combat. I believe he injured his foot or something and that ended his military career at a young age.
17
He was deferred from military service, entirely. He’s never seen combat.
5
Yes, the injury was so severe it cause him permanent memory loss because when he was asked which foot, he was unable tor remember and respond to the questioner.
This is particularly sad since he has repeatedly told us he has the best memory.
11
The president doesn't just play golf. He scans the news, looking for places he can weigh in that will please his base, even if his interventions are desructive to the country and the world. This incident must have seemed like pure gold.
Now that the damage has been done, hopefully, the president's base will hear from the other SEALs and decide if they believe the men who where there, or Trump and Fox News.
15
@JR - I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for his base to believe the men who were there.
7
I once wrote that cruelty is the cancerous sin at the heart of the current U.S. administration. This story leaves no doubt about it. More, it confirms that Trump and those he shares affinity with take pleasure in that cruelty.
Thank you to the warriors who spoke the truth. We need more people with your courage, and we need an armed forces that rewards and promotes those who have such honor and courage.
19
And now Eddie Gallagher has said he will campaign for Trump in the 2020 election. Another quid pro quo.
25
Officer Scott was granted immunity for his testimony. So he changed his testimony on the stand and took responsibility for the death of the prisoner. This way neither he nor Gallagher could be convicted.
Nice trick.
18
My father and grandfather were both double veterans. They told me what they had seen in war and were relieved when I did not see service myself. There were very few people they would have described as "evil", and they were all distant enemies. The first (and only) veteran I ran across who described one of his fellow soldiers as evil was a Vietnam vet; the man he described was drummed out of the Corps. When active veterans speak of one of their own as evil, listen
28
This reminds me of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. Those despicable acts were carried out by more than one individual, but some of the elements are synonymous with what Gallagher did. Unarmed civilians including women and children were slaughtered in My Lai. Gallagher was carrying out much the same kind of carnage.
Gallagher's acts were not those of a highly trained military man doing what was necessary during the onerousness of war, but the act of a murderer who kills for sport. He brought dishonor to the Seals and to the country he serves. He is a disgrace to the military. He should not have been honorably discharged, it is a disservice to all who have been.
Those who came forward to testify were brave to do so, knowing that like with any whistleblower, their lives would be forever changed, and there would be no going back. What Trump did was a slap in the face to them, and to the men and women who have served our country with honor. But then again that was the intention.
21
Personally, I was not surprised by Trump's actions. Just look at all the pardons of real criminals he has made already. I am waiting until Trump is out of office and justice will go after his tail. Both civil and military courts alike will dispense justice.
13
Gallagher’s actions were so psychopathic that they made other Navy SEALs cry. That’s all I need to know to know that Gallagher is not morally aboveboard at all.
The whole point of not committing war crimes is to set a baseline for treatment of your own troops when facing the enemy. If you break that agreement, who knows what’s next. His actions toward helpless captives will directly threaten the well-being of American prisoners of war.
23
"Though combat in Iraq barely fazed the SEALs"! Combat affects everyone! No one escapes without injury. I applaud those SEALs who told the truth and followed their conscience in this matter. Gallagher was unfit to serve let alone command and his superiors should have known it.
13
Once Donald Trump leaves the White House, Mr. Gallagher will again face scrutiny from the Navy. At a minimum, he will lose both his Trident pin and his honorable discharge. It's also possible that he will be charged and tried for acts that were not part of the case in which he was acquitted on the murder counts and convicted on the abuse of corpse count. Either way, Eddie Gallagher should enjoy his pension, his fame, and his status as an honorably discharged veteran. They're not likely to last long.
12
War makes men do terrible things. However, we also have standards of conduct for members of the military. Clearly this man violated them.
Whether or not he should go to jail for things done in a combat deployment is open to debate. Whether or not he should be discharged from service to prevent him from doing such things again and to send a clear message to others that rules exist for a reason is not.
Those who defend him seem to be willfully trying to conflate the former and the later issues. Trump did not let him out of jail. He ordered the military to let him stay in the SEALs. If you don't think having a conspicuous, radioactive, rule-breaker like Eddie Gallagher in one of the military's most elite units is bad for moral, then I don't know what to say to you other than that you are sadly mistaken.
Sadly, there seem to be millions of people in this country that are literally incapable of disagreeing with anything the president does. This is terrifying to all truly patriotic Americans.
16
Blessed are the whistleblowers.
With our help and support, they will save us from the evil and cruelty that surrounds us.
17
Evidence made public out of the context of the court room proves little. But the picture presented here is not of a brutal and merciless warrior, As Trump the chump seems to think, but of a human being who has gone nuts and is deep into bloodlust and controlled by fear and desperate to regain control by acting with cruelty. The brave warrior does violence because it’s necessary not because it’s possible to do so with impunity.
5
At the very least, Gallagher has severe mental illness, and if that is the case could possibly be found not guilty be reason of insanity.
However, he is still a dangerous person, and should not be part of the general population.
This might be said of the President as well.
11
Of all the undoubtedly brave things these men did as Seals, coming forward to report on these atrocious acts must be among the bravest. Seeing such a criminal walk free must outrage and sadden them. But they deserve our greatest gratitude for doing the right thing.
13
"It is an unspoken rule among their teams that SEALs should not report other SEALs for misconduct."
Where does this ridiculous "rule" come from? It directly violates the military code of conduct and oath taken to defend the Constitution. I don't get it about these guys (or, say, the "blue wall of silence" among cops). It's a form of cowardice, and, ironically, with all our security forces, assumes that the USA isn't strong enough to deal with the truth. I applaud and respect the SEAL members who stepped up for what's right and reported Gallagher, whose name will live in infamy among the military and decent Americans.
9
Trump never, ever admits error. His defense of this war criminal was "perfect" in his eyes. I wouldn't be the least surprised if Trump tried to exact revenge on these brave men who are, in effect, questioning his judgement.
6
Anyone who murders a civilian or a prisoner of war or poses with the body of a murdered prisoner of war has committed a war crime. I will not be thanking them for their service and it is not patriotic to do so.
16
The media angle is that they can use this story to attack Donald Trump. They don't care about the war or its victims. I don't really think they have a genuine interest in whether or not Gallagher is a psychopath. Sounds like he might be, however, if it can be a story attached negatively to Trump it should be explored.The media angle is that they can use this story to attack Donald Trump. They don't care about the war or its victims. I don't think they have a genuine interest in whether or not Gallagher is a psychopath. Sounds like he might be; however, the critical point is if it can be a story attached negatively to Trump, it should be explored.
I must disagree. This story must be told because the USA must not stand for murder, torture, or humiliation of persons captured in combat, period. This is the story of Abu Grabe, and it’s horrible legacy. John McCain was the hero who would not let us forget what we must stand for. I am not a veteran, but am the son of a veteran of WW2, who served and was proud to do so, and he taught me right from wrong, and told me of the horror of war. This is what separates America from murderers. We must be the example for humanity, at all times.
13
@Redneck - And the pro Trump folks don't really have an interest in whether Hunter Biden did anything wrong in Ukraine. So now we're even?
2
@Redneck Please tell me why we *shouldn't* attack the actions of a man who regularly disgraces the country and the office he currently inhabits? He had no business interfering with the process of military justice and, as a result, he's loosed a murderous madman reviled by all of his decent colleagues all to make himself look good to his rabid base. If this behavior isn't worthy of "attack" I shudder to consider what you might find so.
2
It is already disturbing we live in a world that is so militarized and we are killing each other. But to engage in it as a celebration and to revel in it , to be proud of the killing is just beyond in human. to say this is ok is a degradation of what it means to be civilized and compassionate even in the "fog of war" which I cannot even imagine. I thank these men that came forward . this is what we do to keep what is already a horrible task and heartbreaking in the realm of comprehendable . to those that think he I a hero shame on you . to trump for quitting him shame on you , but the two go hand in hand a corrupt soldier and corrupt president trying to move the boundaries of what is decent and professional to a place of corruption and abuse of power. I am so distraught seeing. it is beyond hateful and cruel and utterly heartbreaking.
4
Receiving a pardon from this president can be a double edged sword. It is great to be pardoned but it may also leave an indelible stain on you that will follow you through the rest of your life. A Trump pardon means you will never be free.
7
A pardon involves an implicit admission of guilt.
7
@richard wiesner
In general, I agree with your statement. However, it is hard to imagine that even the Trump stamp of approval can have a measurably negative effect on a murdering psychopath's reputation.
Trump is many things, but, to the best of my knowledge, he has never stabbed someone in the neck and taken selfies with the corpse.
I think this is one of the few instances where Trump is actually the one tarnished by the association.
Trump only says and does what makes him feel good at the moment.
5
This is why Television, Movies, and video games train our people so not many care about the horrors of war and why we incur so many conflicts. From childhood to senior years, ask yourselves why don't I care about this? I do, but to those of you who think Gallagher was justified, you are the reason I am recommending that peaceful people leave for new lives in peaceful nations elsewhere. You ruined the Norman Rockwell, moral, and spiritually inclined nature of the nation.
1