On March 20th, 2009, Army Ranger 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing Ali Mansur, a known Al Qaeda operative while serving in Iraq. Mansur was known to be a member of an Al Qaeda cell operating in the lieutenant’s area of operation and was suspected to have organized an attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon in April 2008 which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more. Army intelligence ordered the release of Mansur and Lt. Behenna was ordered to return the terrorist to his home.
During the return of Mansur, Lt. Behenna again questioned the Al Qaeda member for information about other members of the terrorist cell, and financial supporters. During this interrogation, Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense. The government subsequently prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder. He is currently serving a 15-year sentence at the United Staes Disciplinary Barracks in Kansas.
You may not agree with the politics of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, but its policy was that there are no war criminals in the field. They reside in Washington. When the government sends troops into a murky war by mistake and with vague or hidden purposes the results are rarely pretty. Lt. Behenna's case deserves a second look.
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