Veteran Decries Inconsistent Justice
The story of Zalmay Naizy of Iowa Falls has been well-publicized. He was an interpreter for US forces in Afghanistan for several years, has lived in Iowa Falls for several years, where he has become a valued and respected member of the community. He is now facing deportation back to Afghanistan because his visa has expired. This is all happening as the US is ending its military operations in Afghanistan and is attempting to deal with visa requests from 18,000 Afghans who have served as interpreters for the US and now fear for their lives. On Thursday, July 8th, President Biden said “there is a home for you in the US, if you so choose, and we will stand with you just as you stood with us.” Only a Pulitzer Prize-winner of the Fiction award could concoct such a ludicrous and obvious inconsistency.
Less obvious and more removed from the public eye is the contrast between the cases of Marine Major Christopher Warnagiris and Air Force veteran Daniel Hale. Warnagiris participated in the January 6th assault on the US Capitol, and reportedly physically attacked Capitol defenders. He has been charged with multiple offenses, but is still on active duty at the Quantico Marine base while awaiting trial. Daniel Hale, involved with weaponized drones while stationed in Afghanistan, has been in jail for several months and may be sentenced for up to ten years. His offense? He made public details about the use of US weaponized drones,
including the fact that, contrary to our government’s official statements, the drone program
killed many more civilians than targeted “terrorists.”
I hope by the time this article appears that Zalmay Naizy has gotten a green light to stay in the US as long as he wishes. And I hope that the July 8th words of President Biden regarding Afghan interpreters bear fruit in reality. I also hope that Major Warnagiris is promptly removed from active duty. If found guilty, part of his punishment must be a dishonorable discharge from the Marines. As for Daniel Hale, a truth-telling, non-violent veteran, I hope that Judge O’Grady imposes a very lenient sentence on July 27th, and that President Biden grants him a pardon.
History will not treat kindly the US involvement since 1980 in Afghanistan. But at least we need not further dishonor our country’s reputation by ignoring the plight of these victims. Naizy and the Afghan interpreters who worked with the US military served veterans nobly. Hale, asserting the rights of US soldiers to speak truth, honors veterans. Warnagiris, if found guilty, should be punished even more than his January 6th peers because of the high responsibility he has, as a senior officer, to defend the Constitution. He has dishonored veterans.
P.S. On July 27th, Daniel Hale was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison.
Ed Flaherty
Less obvious and more removed from the public eye is the contrast between the cases of Marine Major Christopher Warnagiris and Air Force veteran Daniel Hale. Warnagiris participated in the January 6th assault on the US Capitol, and reportedly physically attacked Capitol defenders. He has been charged with multiple offenses, but is still on active duty at the Quantico Marine base while awaiting trial. Daniel Hale, involved with weaponized drones while stationed in Afghanistan, has been in jail for several months and may be sentenced for up to ten years. His offense? He made public details about the use of US weaponized drones,
including the fact that, contrary to our government’s official statements, the drone program
killed many more civilians than targeted “terrorists.”
I hope by the time this article appears that Zalmay Naizy has gotten a green light to stay in the US as long as he wishes. And I hope that the July 8th words of President Biden regarding Afghan interpreters bear fruit in reality. I also hope that Major Warnagiris is promptly removed from active duty. If found guilty, part of his punishment must be a dishonorable discharge from the Marines. As for Daniel Hale, a truth-telling, non-violent veteran, I hope that Judge O’Grady imposes a very lenient sentence on July 27th, and that President Biden grants him a pardon.
History will not treat kindly the US involvement since 1980 in Afghanistan. But at least we need not further dishonor our country’s reputation by ignoring the plight of these victims. Naizy and the Afghan interpreters who worked with the US military served veterans nobly. Hale, asserting the rights of US soldiers to speak truth, honors veterans. Warnagiris, if found guilty, should be punished even more than his January 6th peers because of the high responsibility he has, as a senior officer, to defend the Constitution. He has dishonored veterans.
P.S. On July 27th, Daniel Hale was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison.
Ed Flaherty
