Harroun to face death penalty
Athena sends us a link to the UK’s Telegraph which reports that Eric Harroun, a disabled former soldier, is facing the death penalty for joining in the Syrian Civil War with an al-Qaeda-linked group. According tp the article, Harroun’s best option is life in prison as a result of these charges;
Harroun faced the charges of working with Nusra and firing rocket propelled grenades while in Syria at a court in Virginia. The maximum penalty if found guilty is death, and the minimum is life imprisonment.
After his arrest, Harroun, 30, told the FBI that he had killed 10 people while fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Prosecutors also said that [Syria’s al-Nusra Front – which has been blacklisted by the United States] had tried to use Mr Harroun as an English-speaking spokesman. He returned to the US this year after travelling to Syrian in January 2013.
Harroun also has a plate in his head – the result of a non-combat injury that he sustained during his brief military service. I’m guessing that will play a large part in his defense and probably result in his release from the charges.
Category: Terror War
So; it’s ok for our government to arm the anti-Assad folks, but it’s not ok for one of our citizens to join that group and use the arms supplied by our government?? Got it.
That’s one of several reasons why we shouldn’t be involved in these ME wars. Throwing money and arms at who knows who, with the players (major and minor) constantly switching sides and changing names — you don’t know who ends up with the goods, and which way our weapons will eventually be pointed. Today’s good guys are tomorrow’s bad guys, and visa versa.
That said, Harroun was playing a dangerous and ultimately stupid game when he started down that road. And as we’ve all said, repeatedly, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
OT: You are once again failing to see the obvious. If/when the “committee” decides to do something it is dandy. You, a simple individual, do not have what it takes to reach the same conclusion based upon the same facts. It’s all about the collective, and how dare you question the concept. Or “them.”
/sarc
Beat me to it, OT. Maybe his defense attorney can subpoena Hagel and Baracka as witnesses. Hell, throw in Jawn F’ing sKerry and Hillary too.