The court case concerning the video of six Marines urinating on Taliban corpses in Afghanistan has taken a bizarre turn toward the truly weird.First, the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos recently came under fire for allegedly exerting undue influence over the case and, for such, is reportedly under investigation.But then Hope Hodge of Marine Corps Times reported a true humdinger late Thursday when one Maj. James Weirick was relieved of his post "following allegations of harassment via email."First.
Weirick, staff judge advocate at Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., sent emails to Amos' former defense attorney accusing Amos of misdeeds and advising his lawyer to "come clean" about them.
That's not the weird part though. Throughout the entire communication, Weirick refers to himself in the third person. From Marine Times:“You are being offered the opportunity to unburden yourself. Weirick sleeps well every night knowing that honesty allows such freedom. You too can know this freedom. Just be honest,” Weirick wrote.Hodge reports that Weirick ended with a threat: “He can’t offer you protection from Weirick. That protection can’t be offered by anyone. Ever," Weirick writes.
In the email, Weirick repeatedly refers to himself in the third person.
“Come to the side of the honest and truthful. Delay, obfuscation, and intimidation are not working. Those tactics will never work against Weirick,” he writes at one point. “Do whatever you want. Hunker down with the dishonest and hope for the best. Best of luck. You will need it.”
Aside from being relieved of command, Weirick has turned in his weapons and been asked to enter a voluntary psychiatric evaluation.
I don't believe a press release coming out of the Commandant's Office. He has proven that he will lie and spin to make himself look better.
Second.
I believe this Major is being railroaded. This is the first time in my memory that I can remember the Military Justice System bucking an Officer of Amos' rank...of course we expect better behavior from those that sit in his chair but you get the point. We can all applaud this Major's courage but he is paying the price for it.
This Commandant is a disgrace. He has adopted the Administration habit of causing some type of crisis every few months to get attention off himself and onto a divisive issue.
Hopefully Amos will be investigated and relieved. Hopefully.
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ReplyDeleteOn the face of it, the three Marines involved in the urination exercised poor judgment, but -- big but -- we don't know (but we can imagine) the exact stress they were under (as well as the medications that might have been prescribed for them because of that stress).
ReplyDeleteGeneral Amos, on the other hand, was in no such combat stress environment when he allegedly told the disposition authority, Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, that he wanted the Marines "crushed." That sort of language indicates a deep failure of a leader to appreciate the situation of the men under him and support them in every way possible, not destroy them, just as General Amos expects support from those men. The support is mutual, or should be.
I suppose that Major Weirick, in his own weird way, is motivated by devotion to the Corps, which is good. Regarding General Amos, besides being an unfit leader (not supporting and wanting to destroy his Marines) he is in violation of the UCMJ and should be sacked.
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
ART. 37. UNLAWFULLY INFLUENCING ACTION OF COURT
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/ucmj/blart-37.htm
we're reading things the same way.
DeleteMajor Weirick is probably one of those true believers that takes Honor, Courage and Commitment as more than a motto but a way of life. this must be crushing to him. worse though is that Amos doesn't see how jacked up he is.
HE NEEDS TO GO!