Justice for Jack Idema Blogburst 5/9/2007

It's been a very eventful week in the case of still-imprisoned US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema.

While Jack's passport remains in the hands of the State Department and Jack remains stuck in Pulacharke, the legal proceedings back in the US have kicked into high-gear:

MINUTE ORDER. Respondents shall file a reply to [48] Petitioners’ Response In Part and Request for Reconsideration by no later than May 16, 2007. Signed by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan on May 8, 2007.

This effectively gives the US Government one week to either produce Jack Idema or explain why he is still unable to return to the US.

This is, of course, the second time Judge Sullivan has made this demand of the State Department -- Last time around, the story the US Embassy in Karbal ran with was that since Jack had been released by Afghan authorities, they weren't responsible for, or able to, march him into a US courtroom. This was only technically true. On paper, Jack has, indeed, been held by Afghan authorities, and has, indeed, been 'released' from their 'custody'. What the State Department failed to point out, however, is that this happened way back in March 2005, when an Afghan Appeals Court overturned the original convictions against Jack and Brent and ordered the men released.

Since that time, Jack Idema has been held, not by Afghan authorities, but by goons loyal to Karzai acting at the behest of the US Embassy.

Perhaps sensing that the whole 'released man won't leave prison' line wasn't going to work indefinitely, this week saw the State Department walking into Judge Sullivan's court with a different, though equally hair-brained, excuse:

"Moreover, because Mr. Idema effectively controls his own freedom at this point – and could effectuate his release by arranging for his travel out of Afghanistan – his continued detention pending deportation should not provide the basis for continued habeas jurisdiction. As set forth above, the Afghan authorities have indicated that while they intend to deport Mr. Idema, they expect him to make his own travel arrangements. Birsner Decl. And the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is prepared to assist Mr. Idema in making such arrangements, including assisting with procuring Mr. Idema a passport, making flight arrangements, and even providing Mr. Idema a loan in the event that he cannot pay for a flight himself. All that it would take for Mr. Idema to be released from custody, therefore, is his taking the necessary steps to get a passport and a plane ticket out of Afghanistan."

Uh-huh.

It really is quite difficult to know where to begin with this. Perhaps by pointing out that there appears to be a rather large discrepancy between the State Department's previous claim that Jack was free and their present insistence that he is yet to be 'released from custody'. So that's one thing.

Another is the bizarre claim that although Afghan authorities are desperate to deport Idema, they're willing to have him occupy a wing of their most maximum-security prison on the grounds that neither they nor the US authorities can be bothered to put Jack on a plane. Seriously, there are guilty six-year-olds capable of devising more believable excuses than these.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Jack Idema remains stuck in Afghanistan, unable to return home until the passport his own government stole from him is returned.

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this, as we're still terribly short on takers. If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

Technorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Cao's Blog, Rottweiler Puppy, Causes of Interest, Stuck On Stupid, You Don't Know Jack, Right Voices, Causal Nexus, A Real Man and GM's Corner.

Justice for Jack Idema Blogburst 5/2/2007

It's been over three weeks since the news broke that US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema had been released from nearly three years of illegal-detention in Afghanistan. Since the initial flurry of articles in MSM that followed this announcement, however, the usual silence has descended over the Idema case.

... Which is strange if one considers that, when it comes to some other detainees, MSM have plenty to say.

Take, for example, the BBC's coverage of David Hicks, the Islamofascist fighter (trained, amongst other things, in assassination and 'martyrdom operations') who was recently transferred from Guantanamo Bay to a prison in his native Australia. During the two-month period between the announcement of the date for Hicks' tribunal and his eventual move, the BBC produced no less than sixteen articles on the case. Granted, some of these are legitimate (though typically-slanted) news stories. The majority, however, are clearly designed to do nothing more than keep Hicks' story fresh in readers' minds.

How different things are for Jack Idema, whose release drew only one report from AP, three weeks ago, and then silence. While Hicks' (disproved) claims of ill-treatment are picked over in detail, there has still been no mention of the (very real) torture Jack and his men suffered after their arrest. While Hicks' family are given every opportunity to put their case (such as it is), no one in MSM has ever bothered to contact Jack's WWII veteran father and ask how he feels about his son's imprisonment. While the press-pack devote thousands of column-inches to debating the legitimacy of Gitmo, there is little-to-no interest in the fact that Jack Idema has been held in absolute violation of both Afghan and US law for two, full years. And while no one doubts Hicks' guilt (which even he accepted), Jack Idema not only maintains his innocence, but proved it when he and Brent were acquitted on appeal -- Something else that MSM have never bothered to fully report on.

This matters, and not just in terms of how well it illustrates Big Media's obsession with terrorists and its indifference to US troops. See, the constant barrage of (mainly supportive) press Hicks received helped to keep the issue of his incarceration alive. Arguably, it also helped to net him an unjustly-light nine-month sentence.

Right now, Jack Idema could use some of that kind of press. Instead, it begins to look as though MSM have flushed his name back down the memory-hole, leaving him to struggle on alone against the State Department's obstruction tactics.

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this, as we're still terribly short on takers. If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US.

Technorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema.

Justice for Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Cao's Blog, Rottweiler Puppy, Causes of Interest, Stuck On Stupid, You Don't Know Jack, Right Voices, Causal Nexus, A Real Man and GM's Corner.

Jack Idema Gets US Judicial Support

Just when it seemed as though things couldn't get any worse for illegally-imprisoned US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema, they suddenly -- Got a Whole lot better:

The following transaction was entered on 3/21/2007 at 11:59 AM and filed on 3/21/2007

Case Name: IDEMA et al v. RICE et al
Case Number: 1:05-cv-2064
Document Number: 43

Docket Text: ORDER dismissing as moot habeas claims of petitioners Bennett, Caraballo, and Banderas, denying as moot [26] petitioners’ Life & Death Emergency Motion; denying [7] petitioners’ Motion for TRO and Other Relief and Rule 60 Motion; denying as moot [12] petitioners’ Motion to Compel; denying as moot [23] respondents’ Motion for Reconsideration; directing respondents to respond to factual allegations and show cause as to petitioner Idema by April 10, 2007. Signed by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan on March 21, 2007.

Or, to translate this from legalise into plain English:

My name is Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, and I couldn't give a don't frankly care what either President Karzai or the US State Department think. What I want to know, and all I want to know, is why a certain US citizen by the name of Jack Idema seems to have been tortured and falsely-imprisoned with the apparent complicity of the United States Government.

Here's the court's statement in full:

"Idema is the only individual who still remains incarcerated at Pulacharke Prison in Afghanistan. The Court is deeply troubled by the allegations raised in the habeas petition and various subsequent filings regarding the level of U.S. control over petitioners’ arrest, conviction, appeal, and confinement.
"While this Court is keenly aware of case law suggesting that it does not have jurisdiction over a habeas petition stemming from a foreign conviction and sentence, petitioners’ claim does more than simply challenge a foreign conviction. Petitioners allege that United States officials ordered their arrest, ordered their torture, stole exculpatory evidence during their trial and appeal, exerted undue influence over Afghan judges, and either directly or indirectly ordered judges who found petitioners innocent not to release petitioners from prison."

"These facts are alleged in a habeas petition and later statements of fact and affidavits that have all been verified as true and correct by petitioners under penalty of perjury."

"The Court cannot simply ignore petitioners’ alleged facts and find that it lacks jurisdiction without any response to these troubling facts by respondents. Indeed, the respondents have invited the Court to seek further information from respondents regarding the facts in this case. Accordingly, the respondents shall respond to petitioners’ factual allegations and show cause why this Court should not grant a writ of habeas corpus to petitioner Idema by April 10, 2007."

All good stuff but for those of us who feel the Truth ought to be sum-uppable in a single line, here's what Jack's second-in-command, Captain Brent Bennett had to say about this judgement:

Reap the whirlwind.

Well. Yes. After four long, agonizing years, maybe the storm-clouds are finally building.

Free Jack Idema Blogburst 3/7/2007

It has now been five weeks since anyone heard from illegally-imprisoned US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema. All those of us who are involved with the campaign to bring Jack home remain deeply concerned.

Alongside bloggers, of course, Jack's cause has always been backed to-the-hilt by the Special Forces soldiers he has served with throughout his long military career.

The most public aspect of this side to the Free Jack campaign is the SuperPatriots website, which is administered, on Jack's behalf, by US Special Forces personnel. These are the men who refused to just let Jack disappear from public view after his arrest in 2004, and have worked hard to keep the Idema case alive.

Back in 2004, it must be remembered, MSM were relentlessly pushing the State Department's lies that Jack was:

• Barely-qualified as a soldier
• Virtually unknown to US Forces in Afghanistan

These (wholly false) accusations were very damaging to Jack, and would have continued to be so without the soldiers (both British and American) who've spent the last three years feeding us the evidence we need to disprove them.

For those who suggested that Jack was an 'unmotivated radio operator', anonymous British soldiers fed us photographs of Idema training with the SAS (Britain's elite Special Forces). And, for those who claimed that Jack had no contact with the US military in Afghanistan, there was the sequence of photographs, taken from security cameras, of a well-armed Idema being waved-through a checkpoint at a high-security US Army base.

Indeed, even when there is no new intel to disseminate, Jack's supporters take the time to honour him:

Jack Idema: The forgotten hero

So who do we believe? The US State Department's claims that Jack was an unprofessional nobody? Or the dozens of serving US and British soldiers queuing up to tell the truth about an honourable soldier betrayed?

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this, as we're still terribly short on takers. If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

Technorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Irate Nate, The Devil's Kitchen, Cao's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, Theodore's World, NIF, Rottweiler Puppy, Right For Scotland, Freedom Folks, The City Troll, Sacramento Boxing, Causes of Interest, Concatenation of Events, Hyscience, Stuck On Stupid, The Daily Blogster, You Don't Know Jack, Right Wing Nation, Ron's Musings, Right Voices, 7.62mm Justice, Special/Blown-It, And Rightly So!, Causal Nexus, Death To The Swiss and A Real Man.

Free Jack Idema Blogburst 2/28/2006

It has now been four weeks since anyone in the outside world has heard from illegally-imprisoned US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema. Since it seems likely (though by no means certain) that if Jack had been killed or seriously injured in clashes with Karzai's troops, news of this would have been released by now, those of us working to bring this man home have every reason to be more hopeful than was the case two weeks ago.

However Jack's inability to reach either a sat-phone or internet connection is still cause for concern. Indeed, this extended silence raises the possibility that he is no longer in his compound at Pulacharke at all but has been moved to Tawab Keef prison.

As anyone following this story will remember way back in October of last year, the following preparations for such a transfer were put in place:

At Tawab Keef prison near the US Embassy in Kabul, cells 2 and 10 await. The previous occupants, about 20 Afghans, were cleared out about two days prior to the dinner at Pulacharke with the Commandant. And everyone at Tawab Keef knew who the two Americans were who were about to arrive.

At that time of course, Jack's second-in-command, Brent Bennett was also being held in Pulacharke. Both men were expected to attend a dinner with the prison Commandant at which point they were to be ambushed and forcibly transferred to a pair of solitary confinement cells at Tawab Keef. By chance, however, Jack was unwell that day. Since Karzai's goons were unable to seize both men at that time, only Brent was captured. Faced with the prospect of Jack raising hell about Brent's whereabouts, Karzai was forced to settle for having him removed from Afghanistan.

Since then, Jack's compound at Pulacharke has been under siege from soldiers loyal to Karzai. In January this year, these troops renewed their attempts to dislodge Jack as evidenced by the last photos we have of him, fighting for his life with a baseball bat and Molotov cocktails.

So the question begs: After months of trying, have Karzai's soldiers finally managed to move Jack to Tawab Keef? This would certainly explain why no one has heard from, or of, him in a month.

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this, as we're still terribly short on takers. If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US.

Technorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema.

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Irate Nate, The Devil's Kitchen, Cao's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, Theodore's World, NIF, Rottweiler Puppy, Right For Scotland, Freedom Folks, The City Troll, Sacramento Boxing, Causes of Interest, Concatenation of Events, Hyscience, Stuck On Stupid, The Daily Blogster, You Don't Know Jack, Right Wing Nation, Ron's Musings, Right Voices, 7.62mm Justice, Special/Blown-It, And Rightly So!, Causal Nexus and Death To The Swiss.

Free Jack Idema Blogburst 2/14/2007

For my little two cents: Please keep praying...

As of today, it's been almost two weeks since anyone outside of Pulacharke Prison heard from Jack Idema, and four days since a reliable source emailed Cao the following, deeply disturbing, report from the Kabul Times. We'll quote the article in full:

(KABUL) Persistent rumors support an armed confrontation at Pul-e-Charki Prison in Afghanistan, which resulted in the death or serious injury of an American Citizen.

While the exact days are unclear, one unnamed source in the Afghan Ministry of Justice has stated an American held at Afghanistan's Central Prison was killed during a stand-off with government forces. Another source, in the paramilitary division of the Ministry of Justice has stated that although the American appears to be seriously wounded, he is still barricaded inside his prison area and holding off a large ANA, Afghanistan National Army, contingent sent to extract him by President Hamid Karzai.

Dead Americans
American casualties are climbing everyday in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of those are military personnel, and some are DOD civilian contractors. That they are killed by Taleban and al-Qaeda insurgents goes in Hamid Karzai's favor. It means more sympathy to his cause, more aid, and more professionally trained foreign soldiers.

If an American was killed at Pulacharke by Karzai's ANA, or even wounded, Karzai could find himself facing a backlash of support, regardless of the reasons behind the event.

General Mohammed Tawab, the former security commander at Pul-e-Charki, which houses more that 3,000 prisoners, almost all without water or electricity, says his people have reported that "the ANA was ordered by the palace to fire on the American. I liked him, Mr. Jack was a very good person who helped Afghanistan in bad time. I do not agree with how he was dealt with."

That comment is the only time the American's name has ever been mentioned during inquiries, referring to Jonathan "Jack" Keith Idema, a former Green Beret who was arrested with two other Americans and several Afghans, for entering the country illegally in 2004, and running a private jail. During his two and half years in Afghanistan's most notorious prison, Idema has had more than his fair share of publicity, capturing headlines around the world as a mercenary, a freedom fighter, and most of all, a fraud. General Mohammed Kaiz at the Ministry of Justice claims "Mr. Jack freed our people, the terrorists hated him. They tried to kill him many times. The people of Bamiyan will miss his him and remember his courage." Bamiyan is a province dominated by the Hazara tribe in western Afghanistan. Kaiz would not comment on the actual fate of Idema, only offer his sympathy to Idema's family, quite possibly the only comment needed to sort out the mystery.

President Karzai's press secretary has refused to comment, simply saying, "I cannot give you any answers. This is an American matter. Afghans die every day and the world does not even know their names. One American dies and we get 500 calls to the palace. You people think you deserve to live more than Muslims."

He did augment his comments with the disclaimer that this was his personal view, "not Mr. Karzai's view, His Excellency has no opinion on this matter. Afghanistan will not tolerate Christian insolence.

The mystery deepens
Sources inside the National Police say they escorted the body of American from Pul-e-Charki to Bagram Air Base on September 25, 2007. The Ministry of Interior spokesman says it was a Nigerian prisoner, not the only American at Pul-e-Charki who is well cared for.

General Ezmerai of the ANA, still suffering from desertions and corruption, stated that "our American friend was not attacked by my forces and will not be attacked by my forces. This is a matter between the American Embassy and Mr. Jack."

Pul-e-Charki is not allowing foreign visitors this week, and reports of fires, hunger strikes by Afghan inmates, and gunfire and rocket propelled grenades fired into Idema's block have been confirmed by at least a dozen witnesses. From a distance, the private floor Idema was housed in shows evidence of extensive fires, bullet holes, and what appear to be rocket impacts.

Idema's weekly radio show from Pul-e-Charki Prison, often broadcast on ISAF and Coalition radio stations, and laced with anti-Karzai venom, did not endear him to the Karzai-Pashtun controlled government. If Idema was killed by Karzai's new National Army, it would be a sad but fitting end to Afghanistan's most controversial character.

He once said, when contacted after an assassination attempt which left at least six dead and five wounded, "reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated."

Hamid Karzai, already on shaky ground with a failing government, deteriorating security, and the loss of substantial ground to the Taliban resurgence, might want to give the press corps a formal statement before rumors spin out of control, not uncommon in Afghanistan.

So what do we know for sure? Sadly, very little. The Kabul Times is Afghanistan's oldest English-language newspaper, but doesn't have an online edition. Since this story hasn't been carried anywhere else, and since no one on the ground has been able to get any information, the situation remains desperately uncertain.

Then there are the obvious inconsistencies in the Kabul Times report:

• Jack is reported as both barricaded in his compound and moved to Bagram Airbase.
• The Afghan military (ANA) are reported as attacking Jack, but they strenuously deny this and their commander on the ground describes Idema as a 'friend'.
• The date September 25, 2007 is mentioned, which makes no sense at all -- It seems odd, to say the least, that an established, English-language paper would get this detail wrong.

This much said, however, the last 'visual' we had of Jack showed him fighting off uniformed attackers with Molotov cocktails and a baseball bat. This would seem to tally with the Kabul Times' report of fighting in and around Jack's compound.

For now, and until we know anything definite, all any of us can do is keep Jack and his family in our thoughts and prayers. This is a very dark time indeed.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US.

Tecnorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema.

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Irate Nate, The Devil's Kitchen, Cao's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, Theodore's World, NIF, Rottweiler Puppy, Right For Scotland, Freedom Folks, The City Troll, Sacramento Boxing, Causes of Interest, Concatenation of Events, Hyscience, Stuck On Stupid, The Daily Blogster, You Don't Know Jack, Right Wing Nation, Ron's Musings, Right Voices, 7.62mm Justice, Special/Blown-It and And Rightly So!.

120 Political Prisoners escape NK gulag

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Some 120 inmates escaped from a political concentration camp in northeastern North Korea several months ago in an unprecedented prison break, news reports said Tuesday.

The prisoners escaped from Hwasong camp in North Hamgyong, a province close to the Chinese and Russian borders, in December, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday.

Read the rest of the CNN article here, or read it here if that link is no longer accessible.