Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 21 November 2019

SEALs face review following death of Islamic State militant

By JULIE WATSON and LO- ready planning on leaving
LITA BALDOR the service. Still it would be
Associated Press considered a mark on their
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Navy career that they were cast
officials on Wednesday no- out of the prestigious force.
tified a SEAL convicted of The Navy has revoked 154
posing with a dead Islamic Trident pins since 2011.
State militant and three of The other three officers
his superior officers during will go before three-per-
a 2017 deployment to Iraq son boards. Attorneys
that all four will face a re- for Breisch and MacNeil
view to determine if they could not be immediately
should remain on the elite reached for comment.
force. According to Portier's let-
Attorneys for Chief Petty ter, his review board has
Officer Edward Gallagh- been instructed to specifi-
er said the Navy is trying cally look at Portier's 2017
to remove his Trident pin, deployment in Iraq and his
designating him as a SEAL, actions through July 2019
in retaliation for President to see if he "displayed a
Donald Trump's decision gross lack of professional or
last week to restore his rank. personal judgment, lack of
Gallagher was acquitted moral or ethical behavior
last summer of a murder and/or conduct inconsis-
charge in the stabbing In this Tuesday, July 2, 2019, file photo, Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves a tent with the SEAL ethos."
death of the militant cap- military court on Naval Base San Diego. Portier was Gallagher's pla-
tive, but a military jury con- Associated Press toon commander and was
victed him of posing with the Naval Special Warfare with the case but not au- SEALs, according to the two charged with failing to re-
the corpse while in Iraq in commander. thorized to speak publicly U.S. officials. Gallagher can port the alleged murder.
2017. He also was acquit- It was the latest twist in disputed that and said appear once before the He denied the charges
ted of attempted murder what has been a tumultu- discussions about conven- board on Dec. 4 but with- and they were dropped af-
for allegedly shooting at ous case that has shaken ing a review board began out his lawyers. He can dis- ter the jury acquitted Gal-
civilians. the secretive SEAL com- shortly after Gallagher's pute the evidence given to lagher of murder.
His lawyers said Wednes- munity and revealed rifts conviction in July. the board that will include His attorney, Jeremiah Sul-
day they have filed a com- within its ranks after SEALs Eugene Fidell, who teach- his conviction and call wit- livan said Trump recognizes
plaint with the inspector testified against one of es military justice at Yale nesses. He also can ap- "the honorable sacrifices
general's accusing Rear their own. The case was Law School, said he's not peal the final decision that that my client has made in
Adm. Collin Green of in- dogged from the start with surprised the Navy would will be made by the Naval his combat deployments,"
subordination for defying the Navy's lead prosecu- call for a review. "I think Personnel Board, which will and that Green is chal-
Trump's actions and ask- tor being removed in the this would have happened take into account Green's lenging the "integrity of the
ing for an investigation into middle of the court-martial anyway to a SEAL with a input and the board's rec- president."
the Navy's handling of the after it was discovered the court-martial conviction," ommendations. Naval Special Warfare
Gallagher's case. Green is prosecution was tracking he said. In a letter from Green also notified three spokeswoman, Capt. Ta-
the defense team's emails. Green, obtained by The As- SEAL officers who oversaw mara Lawrence, said in a
Trump restored Gallagher's sociated Press, Gallagher Gallagher during the de- statement that Green "re-
rank on Friday after he was was notified that a peer- ployment — Lt. Cmdr. Rob- mains focused on deliver-
demoted from chief follow- review board has been ert Breisch, Lt. Jacob Portier ing a capable, ready, and
ing his conviction. "What instructed to determine and Lt. Thomas MacNeil, lethal maritime special op-
the bureaucracy is doing to whether he should remain according to the officials. erations force in support
him now is pure and simple a SEAL.The five-person Removing their Trident pins of national security objec-
retaliation," said Marc Mu- board will convene Dec. means they will no longer tives, which includes as-
kasey, one of Gallagher's 2 behind closed doors. It be SEALs but could remain sessing the suitability of any
lawyers. will include one SEAL offi- in the Navy, though Portier member of his force via ad-
Two U.S. officials familiar cer and four senior enlisted and Gallagher were al- ministrative processes."q