https://taskandpurpose.com/green-beret-murder-charge/

This has been dragging on forever, but it seems to be pretty stupid to admit to a killing you have been investigated for as being a murder.

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The Army has charged Special Forces Maj. Matthew Golsteyn with murder for allegedly shooting a suspected Taliban bomb-maker in 2010.

This comes more than two years after Golsteyn admitted during an interview with Fox News that he killed the Afghan man because he feared the suspected bomb-maker would murder an Afghan tribal leader if released.

Golsteyn has been recalled to active-duty after being placed on excess leave following a board of inquiry’s June 2015 recommendation that he receive a general discharge, said US Army Special Operations Command spokesman Lt. Col. Loren Bymer.

“Major Matthew Golsteyn’s immediate commander has determined that sufficient evidence exists to warrant the preferral of charges against him,” Bymer told Task & Purpose on Thursday. “Maj. Golsteyn is being charged with the murder of an Afghan male during his 2010 deployment to Afghanistan.”

A redacted copy of Golsteyn’s charge sheet was not immediately available, Bymer said.

Golsteyn’s attorney Philip Stackhouse tweeted on Thursday that his client had been charged with pre-meditated murder, which is punishable by death.

It is the latest twist in a case that has dragged on for nearly nine years. Golsteyn first admitted during a polygraph test for a CIA interview that he had killed an unarmed Afghan man after a tribal leader told him that the man had built a bomb that killed two Marines.

Golsteyn believed that the Afghan man would kill the tribal leader in retribution for identifying him, so Golsteyn executed the man off base, the Washington Post reported. After initially burying the man, Golsteyn and two other soldiers later dug up the remains and burned them.

Army Criminal Investigation Command initially did not find enough evidence to charge Golsteyn, but an investigation was re-opened after the Green Beret talked about the killing during an October 2016 interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier.

When Baier asked Golsteyn if he had killed the Afghan man, Golsteyn replied, “Yes.”

“It is an inevitable outcome that people who are cooperating with the coalition forces, when identified, will suffer some terrible torture or be killed,” Golsteyn said.

In a statement to Task & Purpose last month, Golsteyn said the allegations him have already been resolved.

“This vindictive abuse of power must know no limit,” he said. “My hope is that Army leadership will stop this vindictive plan and effect the retirement that is pending.”

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Interesting. Just saw it, also. Why would you go on national TV and admit to killing, when the initial investigation could not find enough evidence to charge you?

Maybe he watched this before the interview...?

What ever happened to...

Shoot.

Shovel.

Shut Up.

[quote]Interesting. Just saw it, also. Why would you go on national TV and admit to killing, when the initial investigation could not find enough evidence to charge you?

The absence of good judgement combined with ignoring the advice of an attorney. Hubris may be an issue as well.

wasn't his job to go kill the enemy?

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
wasn't his job to go kill the enemy?

Yes. But what he apparently did was execute a captive.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
What ever happened to...

Shoot.

Shovel.

Shut Up.

And to break those rules on national TV is nothing short of stupid.

Of course executing a prisoner - if true - would be a serious matter.

He was Army strong but he’s definitely not Army smart.

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
wasn't his job to go kill the enemy?

http://www.historyplace.com/wo...timeline/malmedy.htm

And, on the Pacific front the not so friendly toward POW's Japanese drafted the "Enemy Airmen Act", August 13, 1942:

It is estimated that 132 Allied airmen who were shot down participating in the bombing raids on Japan in 1944–45 were executed after summary trials or drumhead court-martials. 33 American airmen were deliberately killed by IJA personnel at Fukuoka, including 15 who were beheaded shortly after the Japanese Government's intention to surrender was announced on August 15, 1945. Mobs of civilians also killed several Allied airmen before the Japanese military arrived to take the men into custody. Another 94 airmen died from other causes while in Japanese custody, including 52 who were killed when they were deliberately left in a prison during the bombing of Tokyo on May 24–25, 1945.

In July 1945, a flight of American B-24 aircraft were sent on a mission to bomb Japanese-controlled Singapore. As they flew over to the target, they were shot down by two Japanese warships, the destroyer Kamikaze and the minesweeper, Toshimaru. Seven survivors were picked up by the two ships and brought to the naval base at Seletar where they were detained for some time. On August 4/5, 1945, the flyers were executed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not really sure what that has to do with it.

Since it isn't WW2 and we aren't fighting Japan.

I feel zero sympathy for a Taliban bomb maker. However this guy is an idiot for not shutting up.

A quote from Ron White comes to mind.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
wasn't his job to go kill the enemy?

Yes. But what he apparently did was execute a captive.

Just for the record, I've come to learn that this was inaccurate. The man was not in captivity when he was killed.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Yes. But what he apparently did was execute a captive.

Just for the record, I've come to learn that this was inaccurate. The man was not in captivity when he was killed.

Has that been established? The report I read stated that the man was in custody and they were going to be releasing him, but Golsteyn took him off base and executed him instead.

From https://www.foxnews.com/us/for...t-taliban-bomb-maker :

quote:

Golsteyn and his men later found a suspected Taliban bomb maker nearby -- though he was not on a list of targets U.S. forces were cleared to kill.
...
After he was detained, Golsteyn said the man refused to talk to investigators. Under the rules of engagement, Golsteyn was ordered to release him. However, Golsteyn was concerned that if he did so, the suspect would have in turn targeted Afghans who were helping U.S. soldiers.
...
Golsteyn, according to Army documents obtained by the Washington Post, reportedly told the CIA that he took the suspected bomb maker off base, shot him and buried his remains in a shallow grave before returning to the site to dig up the remains and burn them in a pit used to dispose of trash.

If that's accurate, it sounds like he was effectively still a prisoner. Just because he transported the guy off base and may have said "You're free" just before he shot him doesn't really change the situation. The guy had been captured, was being escorted by an American soldier, and was unarmed and helpless at the time he was executed.

https://twitter.com/realDonald.../1074319076766433280

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Yes. But what he apparently did was execute a captive.

Just for the record, I've come to learn that this was inaccurate. The man was not in captivity when he was killed.

Has that been established? The report I read stated that the man was in custody. They were going to be releasing him, but Golsteyn took him off base and executed him instead.

Well, I don't know what to believe. His wife was on tv and had said that there has been a lot of misreporting (big shocker), and one of those things was that the man actually wasn't a prisoner at the time. I heard others on the radio remark that the man was released and then hunted back down by the green beret.

Anyway, I just don't know for sure.

I guess it isn't a good idea to admit killing someone if you have been investigated for killing said person in the past.



(1) Released detainee, then killed him, hid the event.
(2) Interviewing for CIA (polygraph, more than likely), either lies or talks about the killing, leading to (3)
(3) Army investigation into the death, but can't prove the event or chooses not to prosecute.
(4) Goes on TV and admits to killing the guy.

This guy isn't very bright, methinks.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Anyway, I just don't know for sure.

The one thing I know for sure is this Green Beret is a moron. That much is true.