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The
Mysterious Case of Jack Idema: Was the Former Green Beret
a Bounty Hunter for the US in Afghanistan?
The Mysterious Case of Jack Idema: Was the Former
Green Beret a Bounty Hunter for the US in Afghanistan?
Two weeks ago an Afghan court convicted two former U.S.
soldiers and an Emmy Award-winning journalist and sentenced
them to 8-10 years in prison for torturing Afghan prisoners
in an illegal, private jail. Their U.S. attorneys are accusing
the Afghan court system of conducting a sham trial. At the
trial the attorneys attempted to introduce video evidence
that indicates one of the defendants, Jonathan "Jack"
Idema had close ties to the Pentagon and made personal calls
to the office of Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, who
has a history of leading special operations. But the Afghan
judge refused to play the video. Today, in a broadcast exclusive,
we air these tapes and speak with an attorney in the case,
the brother of the jailed journalist as well as officials
from the Pentagon and inside Gen. Boykin's office.
We're going to spend the hour today looking at a story that
hasn't gotten much attention here in the United States. Last
Wednesday, a court in Afghanistan convicted three Americans
of torturing Afghans in an illegal private prison. The alleged
ring leader of the operation is a former Green Beret named
Jonathan "Jack" Idema. He was sentenced to 10 years,
as was another former US soldier Brent Bennett. An Emmy-award
winning journalist who spent extensive time filming the men
received an 8-year sentence. On the surface, the story appears
to be a case of private bounty hunters operating independently.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
said: "The Afghan government held the trial in accordance
with Afghan law. Their decision was handed down by an Afghan
court after a full trial had been conducted."
But Jack Idema, the former Green Beret tells a very different
story. He says he was working with the US military with the
approval of the Pentagon and the Afghan government. His lawyers
have produced videotape showing Idema meeting with several
key commanders of the Northern Alliance. Among them, the commanders
of the Northern Front, the Southern Front and a number of
commanders from Eastern Afghanistan. The tapes also show Idema
meeting with the Afghan Minister of Defense Marshal Fahim.
On the tape, Idema is describing to the Minister an assassination
plot against Fahim that Idema says he has uncovered. Idema
also had in his possession a letter of introduction addressed
to an Afghan commander. The letter was on army stationary
and signed by a New York based officer.
During the trial Idema's attorney planned to play a video
shot by Caballero as part of his documentary project in an
attempt to establish a connection between Idema and the Pentagon.
But the judge ordered the screening to be stopped before
a portion that purportedly shows Idema calling the office
of the controversial General William Boykin. In the video,
Idema speaks with a Pentagon employee named Jorge Shim who
promised someone from the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency,
would call Idema back on his cell phone.
- Jonathan "Jack" Idema speaking from Kabul,
Afghanistan to Jorge Shim of Gen. William Boykin's office.
We contacted Shim yesterday and he confirmed that he had
spoken to Idema on more than one occasion.
- Jorge Shim, employee at Gen. William Boykin's office
At the trial attorneys for Idema and Caraballo also attempted
to show another clip of Idema speaking with someone identified
as Shim"s supervisor from General Boykin's office. Idema
made the call after wanted posters for his arrest were put
up around Kabul. During the conversation the unnamed official
indicates the Pentagon is attempting to put up a firewall
between his boss -- that is General Boykin -- and Idema in
order to shield Boykin from more press criticism.
After Democracy Now obtained copies of these tapes yesterday
we contacted Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Christopher Conway
to clarify the connection between the Pentagon and Idema.
Conway said "We did not employ, sanction or sponsor Mr.
Idema."
- Lt. Col. Christopher Conway, Pentagon spokesperson
While Conway claimed that the relationship between Idema
and the Pentagon was largely one sided, attorneys for Idema
have released a video that appears to show Idema making arrangements
with a Pentagon official about handing over a suspected terrorist
that he had caught.
Democracy Now! asked Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Christopher
Conway about this and he confirmed that Idema had indeed helped
the Pentagon capture a suspected terrorist. But again Conway
denied any formal relationship between Idema and Pentagon.
In our studio today we speak with attorney Robert Fogelnest
who as just returned from Afghanistan as well as Edward Caraballo's
brother, Richard.
- Robert Fogelnest, attorney for journalist Edward Caraballo.
In April and May of this year Fogelnest worked in Kabul
with Legal Aid Afghanistan where he mentored, trained and
supervised a team of eight Afghan public defenders. He is
the former president of the National Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers.
- Richard Caraballo, brother of jailed journalist Edward
Caraballo
Articles Written by Juan Gonzalez on the Case:
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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