‘Safety and security of our military members should trump the agenda of a handful of power hungry bureaucrats’

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

The first five-star customer review of THE CLAPPER MEMO appeared online yesterday under the headline, Blockbuster – A Must Read for Those Fighting Terrorism. The wording of that review, submitted by “Case Officer,” appears unedited below except for minor formatting changes:

Bob McCarty has connected the dots to a story that otherwise would not have seen the light of day. He has exposed the ongoing and unceasing activities of a small group of US government bureaucrats that should outrage the entire US population.

It is unconscionable that administration-after-administration has allowed this national disgrace to continue unabated for the past 50 years. The safety and security of our military members should trump the agenda of a handful of power hungry bureaucrats. The absolute faith by these bureaucrats in a scientifically flawed device – namely the polygraph – appears to have caused significant damage to the international reputation and security of the United States.

Further, the stamp of approval given to the polygraph by the US government appears to have also caused serious damage to other nations as well – Iraq, Afghanistan and Mexico to name a few. The true extent of the damage caused by polygraph will perhaps never be known, since the US government does not publicly admit to such gross maleficence and failures. However, the cases brought to light by Bob McCarty are a damning indictment against continued support of the polygraph by the US government.

It is amazing that otherwise world-class agencies such as the FBI, CIA, DOD, and DHS continue to rely on a 100 year old technology that is scientifically proven to be worthless for intelligence screening operations. This book should be required reading for all involved in the “War on Terror” both at home and abroad. Bob McCarty should be commended for exposing this pseudoscientific government-backed fraud.

You can order a copy of THE CLAPPER MEMO in paperback or ebook versions from Amazon.

Bob McCarty’s first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, is also available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon.com.

SEAL Team Six Families Back Up Findings of THE CLAPPER MEMO

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

During a morning news conference today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six family members said a flawed vetting process is partly to blame for the deaths of their loved ones in Afghanistan. In my just-released nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, I reached the same conclusion based on four years of in-depth investigation.

Though I was unable to attend today’s news conference in person, the NPC web page for the event contained an outline of seven items family members said they would reveal while highlighting “the government’s culpability in the deaths of their sons in a fatal helicopter crash in Afghanistan following the successful raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound.” One of those items appears below and is particularly relevant:

#6. How Afghani forces accompanying the Navy SEAL Team VI servicemen on the helicopter were not properly vetted and how they possibly disclosed classified information to the Taliban about the mission, resulting in the shoot down of the helicopter.

In THE CLAPPER MEMO, I not only expose major flaws in the eight-step vetting process currently being used to vet Afghans before they are allowed to don their uniforms and work alongside Americans assigned to train and mentor them, but I trace the problem back almost ten years to the issuance of the first of three Department of Defense memos. All three memos deemed the polygraph the only credibility assessment technology approved for use by agency employees (i.e., military and intelligence personnel). One was issued by James R. Clapper Jr., now our nation’s top intelligence official.

You can order a copy of THE CLAPPER MEMO in paperback or ebook versions from Amazon. It comes highly recommended.

UPDATE 5/10/2013 at 10:18 a.m. Central: Watch the compelling video of the SEAL Team Six Families News conference. It’s long, but extremely compelling. I hope you’ll share it.

Bob McCarty’s first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, is also available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon.com.

American Combat Troops Deserve the Very Best, Right?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by

If you’re like me, you believe U.S. military and intelligence professionals deserve the very best equipment available when it comes time to interrogate enemy combatants and suspected terrorists and vetting others who work alongside Americans in places like Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of the 150-plus people mentioned in my recently-published second nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, seem to think otherwise.

Your challenge, now, is to take a look at the list of names below — which, by the way, includes top government officials, Islamic terrorists, university professors and top-level politicians — and determine which side you believe each person is on when it comes to wanting the best for our troops in harm’s way:

A thru C — Dante Acosta, Rudy Acosta, Shia Ahmed, John R. Allen and Mohammed al-Khatani; Aldrich H. Ames, Rob Andrews, Tariq Aziz, Brian Badura and Christopher Daniel Bagley; Allan D. Bell Jr., Catherine F. Bishop, Bradley Blackburn, Christopher ‘Kit’ Bond and Jeffrey Bordin; Bryan D. Brown, John C. Brown, George W. Bush, Stephen A. Cambone and John G. Capps; Michael H. Capps, James L. Chapman, James R. Clapper Jr., John Cook and John Evader Couey; Robert J. Cramer, Christina R. Crossland, Michael Crow, Stephanie Crow and Jimmie E. Cummings; and Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Chris Cuomo.

D thru G — Kelly R. Damphousse, Steven Davis, Bill Dedman, Mike DeFrancisco and Martin E. Dempsey; Jeff Deskovic, John Deutch, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Robert Dodd and Glen Doherty; Heath Druzin, Donnie Dutton, William F. “Bill” Endler, Anders Eriksson and Chris Fausett; Thomas E. Feucht, Sheri Flynn, Wilson H. Ford, Dave Foster and Gary Gallagher; Christopher Garver, Robert Gates, Edward I. Gelb, Larry Greenemeier and Bill Greenwalt; and James Gregory and Glenn Greenwald.

H thru L — Wayne V. Hall, Daniel Halper, Mark Hansen, James Harnsberger and James Harrison Jr.; Jolene Hernon, Seth Hettina, Lori Hodge, Harry Hollien and Paul R. Hollrah; Jim Holmes, Frank Horvath, Charles Humble, Saddam Hussein and Ernest Istook; Patrick J. Jones, Janet Joyce, Hamid Karzai, Marty Kauchak and Norman Kempster; Ronald Kessler, Donald J. Krapohl, Francisco Lacerda, Ulf Laessing, Indira A. Lakshmanan and Wen Ho Lee; and David Lerman, Som Lisaius, Natalie T. Lu and Mark Lunsford.

Q, R and S — JonBenet Ramsey, Ronald Reagan, John Redfield, Drew Campbell Richardson and Geraldo Rivera; Robert W. Rogalski, Brian Ross, Donald Rumsfeld, Andrew H. Ryan Jr. and Wilberto Sabalu; Catherine Sanders, Rick Santorum, Diane Sawyer, George Schulz and Sediq Sediqqi; Stuart Senter, Scott Shane, Larry Shaughnessy, Kendall Shull and “Commander Simon”; and Sean Smith, Jeffrey St. Clair, Marigo Stathis, Mark Stephenson and Christopher Stevens.

T thru Z — Jim Talent, Bruce G. Taylor, Marisa Taylor, Clarence Thomas and Sheila Tillery; Len Tria, Deidra Upchurch-McCloud, Greta Van Susteren, Thomas F. Veale and John Anthony Walker Jr.; and Milton O. ‘Skip’ Webb, Tim Weiner, John Wendle, Tyrone Woods, R. James Woolsey and David Wyllie.

Based upon limited information, it’s difficult to make such determinations, isn’t it?

For more information, I suggest you order a copy of THE CLAPPER MEMO in paperback or ebook versions from Amazon. It comes highly recommended.

Bob McCarty’s first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, is also available in ebook and paperback at Amazon.

Author to Make Talk Radio Appearances

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

During the next few weeks, I’ll be making the rounds on talk radio programs around the country to talk about my just-released second nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO. The talk radio tour begins in St. Louis.

On Saturday morning, I’ll be a guest of Dr. Randy Tobler on FM News Talk 97.1‘s The Randy Tobler Show. The segment is slated to begin at 6:45.

On Wednesday night, I’ll make a guest appearance on Missouri Grassroots Radio, hosted by Lisa Payne-Naeger. The segment is set to take place during the 7 o’clock hour.

I hope you’ll listen to both programs and call in with your questions.

To order a paperback copy of THE CLAPPER MEMO, click here.

To order a Kindle ebook version of THE CLAPPER MEMO, click here.

UPDATE 5/03/2013 at 10:12 p.m. Central: Today, I added another radio appearance. On Tuesday, May 21, at 10 a.m., I’ll make an appearance on Commonsense Coalition Talk Radio with host Beth Ann Schoeneberg. The program airs online and on 33 stations in a dozen states. Hope you’ll tune in for that one, too!

On Sale Now: THE CLAPPER MEMO

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

My second nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, is now on sale in paperback and ebook!

In THE CLAPPER MEMO, I take readers behind the scenes of a 40-year turf war and share what I learned about polygraph loyalists and their no-holds-barred campaign to eliminate competing investigative technologies that threaten to put them out of business. Most importantly, I connect the dots between three Department of Defense memos — including one signed by James R. Clapper Jr. before he became the nation’s top intelligence official — and hundreds of American casualties resulting from “Green-on-Blue” (a.k.a., “Insider”) attacks in Afghanistan during the past six years.

The product of an exhaustive four-year investigation, this book has already received three major endorsements (shown below):

• “Bob McCarty’s book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, represents perhaps the most thorough investigative reporting I have encountered in years. I direct the attention of the so-called major media to it. This is how it’s done!” — David P. Schippers, former director of the U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime Task Force in Chicago; Chief Investigative Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives during Clinton Impeachment Hearings (1998); and author of the book, SELLOUT: The Inside Story of President Clinton’s Impeachment.

• “Any American with a sense of fair play and a desire to see that our intelligence and vetting personnel have the best information possible should read THE CLAPPER MEMO… clearly an unconscionable cover-up.” — Capt. Larry W. Bailey, U.S. Navy SEAL (Ret.), former commander of the U.S. Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs Training Program (a.k.a. “BUD/S”) and co-founder of Special Operations Speaks; and

• “Bob McCarty has uncovered a high-tech ‘turf war’ pitting those who want the best for our troops against others who seem to be focused on their own self-interests. Sadly, it seems the wrong people are winning this war. I highly recommend THE CLAPPER MEMO.” — Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, U.S. Army (Ret.), former deputy commander, U.S. Army Pacific now serving as chair of two organizations, Stand Up America and Nemo Arms, Inc., he became well known as a senior military analyst on Fox News Channel from 2000 to 2007.

Trade paperback versions of the book will be available online at Amazon and a number of other online locations, and I will update this post as each site “goes live.”

As was the case with my first book, Three Days In August, you will be able to place orders for paperback copies of THE CLAPPER MEMO from most local bookstores after it enters the distribution system. In addition, the paperback will become available at more online retailers during the next few days.

I hope you’ll order a copy of THE CLAPPER MEMO today! Thanks in advance!

Senator Claire McCaskill Continues Assault on Military Justice System

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) continued playing her legislative role in support of DoD’s War on Men, the no-holds-barred effort seemingly aimed at convicting any male serviceman accused of sexual assault and making an already-flawed military justice system worse.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)

During the lunch hour today in the nation’s capitol, according to this media advisory, she was scheduled to be flanked by “more than 100 survivors of sexual assault pushing for changes in the military justice system” as she delivered the keynote address during the Service Women’s Action Network’s Summit on Military Sexual Violence at the Hyatt Regency Washington.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t believe some of the so-called “survivors” suffered some sort of sexual assault; instead, I tend to place more trust in what I learn by reading actual investigation reports, Records of Trial and transcripts from hearings held before and after courts-martial took place. Why? Because I don’t trust politicians who use people as props, and I don’t trust lawyers. Senator McCaskill matches both descriptions!

Even after reading that one civilian defense attorney specializing in military justice cases believes 90 percent of military sexual assault cases would be thrown out of civilian courts due to lack of evidence, I’m inclined to cut his estimate in half. When I do, I find 45 percent is still too high a number when the lives of men like Army Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, a highly-decorated Army Green Beret and combat veteran, are at stake.

Stewart, whose life story is chronicled in my first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, faces living the rest of his life as a convicted sex offender — unless a presidential pardon comes his way — because the convening authority in his case, Brig. Gen. Steven L. Salazar, opted against ordering a new trial or overturning his conviction. His decision came despite the testimony of three individuals — people who did not know Stewart but knew his accuser — during a post-trial hearing. They said the accuser had lied multiple times during Stewart’s trial!

Since publishing the book in October 2011, I’ve been contacted by dozens of people connected by birth, marriage or friendship to men serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, men facing or already convicted of crimes under the banner of sexual assault.

The most recent case involves Air Force Lt. Col. James H. Wilkerson III, a fighter pilot who was on the fast track toward general officer status until Kimberly Hanks accused him of aggravated sexual assault. NBC News aired a version of the case (see video below) that included an interview arranged by the group, Protect Our Defenders.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig A. Franklin, commander of Third Air Force and the convening authority in Colonel Wilkerson’s case, reviewed the case in full before tossing out the conviction after the colonel had served several months behind bars. After his decision made news and Senator McCaskill surfaced as one of three senators wanting General Franklin fired, the general went so far as to voluntarily write a six-page letter (pdf) letter to Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and put case documents online for all to read.

A friend of Colonel Wilkerson contacted me recently and advised me to look at “Defense Exhibits Q,” a short video showing the room in which the alleged assault took place and the path leading to the upstairs quarters where the colonel and his wife, Beth, said they were sleeping.

“Pay attention that the overhead lights are the only lights in that room,” the friend wrote, including a photo of the room (above). “Then read her testimony. Completely exclude (Colonel Wilkerson) and look at what she said occurred, and it’s simply not possible.”

Her testimony is available on the Air Force Freedom of Information Act website.

Included, but certainly not alone among the documents and videos, is one of special interest to me as the author of another soon-to-be-published nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, because it relates to the polygraph.

While court records show Colonel Wilkerson volunteered to submit himself to a polygraph exam, he did so under the mistaken belief that it would help him clear his name. Like most Americans, he was unaware of how unreliable polygraph exams can be. Fortunately for the colonel, General Franklin is familiar with the polygraph and cited its “inherent unreliability” in his letter to Secretary Donley. And he’s not alone!

So far, two high-ranking former military officers, one a retired Army two-star general and the other a retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander, have endorsed my soon-to-be-published book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, as an exposé that shines necessary and long-overdue light on the polygraph.

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, U.S.A. Ret.

“Bob McCarty has uncovered a high-tech ‘turf war’ pitting those who want the best for our troops against others who seem to be focused on their own self-interests,” said Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, a retired Army officer most Americans recognize as the senior military analyst who appeared so many times on Fox News Channel from 2000 to 2007. Referring to those of the polygraph-only mindset, the man who now heads Stand Up America added, “Sadly, it seems the wrong people are winning this war. I highly recommend THE CLAPPER MEMO.”

Capt. Larry Bailey, U.S. Navy SEAL Ret.

“Any American with a sense of fair play and a desire to see that our intelligence and vetting personnel have the best information possible should read THE CLAPPER MEMO,“ said Capt. Larry W. Bailey, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who once served as commander of the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs (a.k.a., “BUD/S”) training program and now serves as a founding member of Special Operations Speaks. Later, he described what I reveal in the book as “an unconscionable cover-up.”

This is not the first and will not be the last article in my series, DoD’s War on Men, so stay tuned!

EDITOR’S NOTE: In case you don’t think I have a heart, let me share a story. When I was a young second lieutenant on my first assignment in the Air Force, I had to handle a sexual assault case. A senior enlisted member of my staff had attempted to sexually assault a junior enlisted member of my staff inside her on-base quarters. After an investigation, he was able to avoid court-martial proceedings by accepting a demotion, a sizable reduction in retirement pay and an immediate and sizable financial penalty. The accuser was satisfied with the outcome, and justice was served.

Bob McCarty is the author of Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice, a nonfiction book available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. It chronicles the life and wrongful conviction of Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart. His second book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, is coming soon.

Gun Rights, National Security and Mental Health

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

Especially since the deadly shooting in December at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., efforts to tighten laws on gun ownership have increased in many localities. Some have even pushed to prohibit military veterans from obtaining firearms if they have been treated for any mental health issues — notably, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to wartime service. Now, it appears Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. has issued new guidance that makes one wonder, “What was he thinking!”

James R Clapper Jr.

Admittedly, gun ownership — and Second Amendment rights in general — is a topic I never expected to address on this website where I focus on topics related to my soon-to-be-published second nonfiction book, THE CLAPPER MEMO. When I read a news release from DNI Clapper’s office today about new guidance that applies to all executive branch departments and agencies, I couldn’t help but share my concerns in this space.

New security clearance guidance, according to the news release, will support victims of sexual assault who have consulted with a health care professional. In short, DNI Clapper issued the interim guidance which will allow victims of sexual assault who hold or wish to hold a government security clearance to opt out of disclose specific details about their counseling.

What does that mean? It means that individuals who’ve undergone mental health counseling of one kind or another will be able to disclose that fact by answering “Yes” to a question on the test. In turn, they will be able to avoid having to answer some of the background investigation questions.

According to the news release, DNI Clapper’s interim guidance also reaffirms the following:

• Strict enforcement of an individual’s privacy protections. Everyone involved in the personnel security process, including the individual completing the questionnaire, must be fully aware of the guidance and the specific protections it affords individuals.

• All information pertaining to mental health treatment shall be handled on a strict need-to-know basis. Any misuse of the information by investigators, adjudicators, supervisors, or other personnel is punishable under applicable regulations, policies, and privacy laws.

• Improper questions about an individual’s mental health counseling may result in administrative or other appropriate disciplinary action.

So, unless I’m misunderstanding something, the following is true: The federal government, per DNI Clapper, stands willing to grant security clearances to individuals who’ve undergone mental health counseling without knowing the nature, reason for, or scope of that counseling; and, at the same time, they want to take away gun ownership rights from veterans who have undergone mental health counseling of virtually any sort. Something’s wrong with this picture!

What if a woman who has undergone some kind of serious mental health counseling applies for a position which will require her, as part of her everyday duties, to carry a firearm. If everything else checks out, it appears she could land the position despite the possibility that the mental health issue(s) for which she received counseling could make her more likely to compromise national security secrets. Meanwhile, a veteran who’s simply trying to return to the “new normal” after serving in combat could have his Constitutional right to own firearms rescinded — perhaps, for life. Yes, something is very wrong with this picture!

Someone needs to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee before things spiral out of control even more.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) applauded DNI Clapper’s work in a news release I received via email today. No surprise, though. She seems to be on the wrong side of a lot of issues, including DoD’s War on Men.

UPDATE 4/8/2013 at 6:48 p.m. Central: It seems Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has bought into Sen. Claire McCaskill’s bad plan to take away commanders’ authority when it comes to courts-martial. Here’s a link to Hagel’s latest action.

Bob McCarty is the author of Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice, a nonfiction book that’s available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. It chronicles the life and wrongful conviction of Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart. His second book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, is coming soon.

36 Reasons to Read My Next Book, THE CLAPPER MEMO

Posted on February 23, 2013 by

36 Reasons to Read my Next Book

As we inch closer and closer to publishing my second nonfiction book, I decided to share 36 reasons why you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO:

1. If you have ever had to submit to a polygraph examination in order to land or keep a job, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

2. If you hold a security clearance and are subject to periodic polygraph examinations, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

3. If you are now serving in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

4. If you are a veteran who served in any branch of in the Armed Forces of the United States, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

5. If you know someone who has served in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

6. If you are considering joining the Armed Forces of the United States, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

7. If you have ever been subjected to a polygraph examination as part of a criminal investigation, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

8. If you expect to undergo a polygraph examination as part of a criminal investigation, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

9. If you know someone who was convicted of a crime based upon the results of a polygraph examination, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

10. If you have ever wondered about the validity of the polygraph, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

11. If you are interested in learning about countermeasures that enable anyone to beat the polygraph, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

12. If you are interested in reading details of what I learned about a non-polygraph credibility assessment technology for which no countermeasures exist, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

13. If you are interested in what I learned during my exclusive interview with the man who interrogated Tariq Aziz and other members of Saddam Hussein’s infamous “Deck of Cards,” you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

14. If you are interested in what I learned during my exclusive interview with the former Army Green Beret who set the record for the most interrogations (500+) of enemy combatants in Iraq, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

15. If you are interested in what I learned during my exclusive interview with a man who has used covert interrogation methods to help resolve more than 300 kidnapping cases in Mexico and send 450 criminals to prison, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

16. If you are interested in what I learned by reading hundreds of email messages exchanged between top Justice Department officials and the academics they paid to conduct taxpayer-funded studies, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

17. If you are interested in understanding one of the root causes of the deadly “Green-on-Blue” attacks against American warfighters in Afghanistan, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

18. If you are interested in reading about apparent conflicts of interest and ethical lapses by some of our nation’s top intelligence officials, you might want to read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

19. If you are interested in reading an example of why ABC News’ Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross has been labeled “America’s Wrongest Reporter,” you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

20. If you are interested in reading what I learned about how U.S. Government agencies made a mockery out of the Freedom of Information Act during the four years I spent conducting research for my book, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

21. If you are interested in reading what I learned about how U.S. Government agencies dole out research dollars in the form of non-competitive grants to academics, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

22. If you are interested in learning about a non-polygraph technology that, despite being embraced by more than 1,800 local and state law enforcement agencies is banned for use by Department of Defense personnel, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

23. If you are interested in reading about how a top Department of Defense counterintelligence official used his position to promote his private investigation business, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

24. If you are interested in reading about a non-polygraph technology proven to accurately detect stress in the human voice, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

25. If you are interested in what senior interrogation officials at Guantanamo Bay had to say about the non-polygraph technology that was taken away from them after proving very successful, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

26. If you are interested in what several members of our nation’s Special Forces community (i.e., Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets) had to say about the non-polygraph technology that was taken away from them after proving very successful, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

27. If you think the United States should use the best technology available to interrogate detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

28. If you think the United States should use the best technology available to interrogate enemy combatants, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

29. If you think the United States should use the best technology available to interrogate suspected terrorists, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

30. If you think the United States should use the best technology available to interrogate criminal suspects, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

31. If you think the United States should stop relying upon century-old polygraph technology, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

32. If you find it difficult to believe members of the American Polygraph Association are objective in their criticism of non-polygraph technology, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

33. If you want to read the bloody details of a technological “turf war” that’s been raging quietly for more than 40 years between backers of the polygraph and those behind competing technologies, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

34. If you trust people who put their lives on the line for their fellow citizens more than you trust academics, bureaucrats and politicians, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

35. If you appreciate thorough investigative reporting that relies upon one-on-one interviews, thorough research and thousands of documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act and various state “sunshine” laws, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

36. If you want to find out why the face of Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., our nation’s top intelligence official, appears on the cover of this book and why his name appears in the title of this book, you should read THE CLAPPER MEMO.

BONUS: If you enjoyed reading my first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, you’ll love reading THE CLAPPER MEMO.

To receive the latest updates about THE CLAPPER MEMO, subscribe to the book’s website feed by clicking here. The book should hit booksellers everywhere next month. Stay tuned!

‘Three Days In August’ Marks One-Year Anniversary as Second Book Nears Completion

Posted on October 20, 2012 by

Chronicling the life story and wrongful conviction of Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, “Three Days In August” turned one-year old this week. At the same time, my second book, “The Clapper Memo,” is inching closer and closer to publication.

During the past 12 months, I’ve had many opportunities to share the basics of Stewart’s story and have found many Americans nod their heads and empathize with the highly-decorated combat veteran’s plight but refuse to engage — by reading the whole story, that is — and speak out on behalf of those in uniform who have been victimized by the military justice system. I hope that changes.

Regardless, I will continue to tell Stewart’s story and to tell the stories of others who, after reading “Three Days In August,” have approached me with stories of their loved ones — usually husbands and sons — that are eerily similar to Stewart’s. In addition, I will begin sharing details of another story.

My second nonfiction book, “The Clapper Memo” is set for release this fall and tells the story of a 40-year-old turf war few Americans even realize is taking place.

What started out in April 2009 as a 27-day effort to obtain answers from the Pentagon about the deployment of new interrogation technology to combat zones turned into almost four years of research, investigation and interviews during which I learned more than I ever imagined I might about the people, products and problems inside the interrogation area. And, trust me, it contains details high-ranking government officials would rather not see made public.

Most importantly, I learned how wrong decisions made by some of those aforementioned government officials have resulted in dozens of American soldiers and citizens being injured or killed in Afghanistan, the victims of so-called “insider” or “green-on-blue” attacks. One of those people bearing some responsibility is Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.

People from all walks of life shared insights, insider information and occasional doses of insanity related to their personal experiences in the arena.

People from across the United States as well as around the world — in places like Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Mexico — shared. They shared during scheduled and unscheduled interviews. Through official and unofficial channels. By phone, email message, Facebook message, Twitter and “snail mail.”

Some shared without being asked. Most told the truth. Some did not.

Some were forthcoming with information. Others forced me to use the federal Freedom of Information Act and state “sunshine” laws as tools for flushing out answers.

More than anything else, it was old-fashioned detective work that produced results.

I hope you’ll make plans now to read it. Meanwhile, you can still order a copy of “Three Days In August.” It’s available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com.

Note: “The Clapper Memo” is the working title of this book but, for reasons I will explain in the near future, will change upon publication.

Convicted Army Officer Loses Final Military Appeal

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

Short of a presidential pardon or a United States Supreme Court ruling in his favor, which isn’t likely in this day and age, it appears Army Ranger 1LT Michael C. Behenna will remain behind bars at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., until he turns 40 years old. The Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., has upheld the 29-year-old Edmond, Okla., native’s conviction stemming from a May 16, 2008, shooting in Iraq.

Clockwise from upper left: Michael’s family; Michael; Michael as a youngster; and Michael and his girlfriend, Shannon.

The sad news arrived shortly after 6 p.m. Central Thursday, almost 11 weeks after the five-member CAAF panel heard Lieutenant Behenna’s final appeal of the verdict that found him guilty of unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative in Iraq.

It is beyond comprehension how multiple levels of the military justice system were able to reconcile the lieutenant’s conviction with the fact that the government’s own expert witness reached the conclusion that the lieutenant acted in self defense — see this post and this post for more details — but they did. And by a 3-2 margin.

Below is the cruxt of the majority opinion in the decision:

We granted review in this case to determine whether the military judge provided complete and accurate self-defense instructions, and whether the Government failed to disclose favorable and material information to Appellant’s prejudice. We hold that, although the military judge’s instruction on escalation was erroneous, it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because escalation was not in issue. Moreover, contrary to Appellant’s arguments, withdrawal also was not in issue. We further hold that, even assuming that the information Appellant asserts the Government failed to disclose was favorable, it was immaterial in regard to findings and sentencing because the evidence substantially overlapped with other evidence presented by other defense experts, Appellant was not entitled to an escalation instruction, and the members clearly rejected the Government’s theory of premeditated murder. We, therefore, affirm the judgment of the United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA).

Next, the dissenting opinion:

A death occurred in the theater of operations. A soldier has been convicted of murder. Was it murder or self-defense? By law, the responsibility for making that factual determination rested with the court-martial panel, not with this Court. The ambiguous, confusing, and incorrect instructions from the military judge deprived Appellant of the right to have a panel of officers make that decision. The military judge compounded that error by failing to take corrective action with respect to the Government’s failure to provide timely disclosure of exculpatory evidence. This Court should reverse the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals and authorize a rehearing.

The entire document, warts and all, can be found here.

Since June 4, 2009, I’ve written more than 60 posts about Lieutenant Behenna and fight for military justice, and this certainly will not be the last.

Below is a list of several posts I’ve shared about the lieutenant with whom Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man at the center of “Three Days In August,” became friends while both were in prison at Fort Leavenworth:

• Soldiers’ Hearings to Take Place Four Days Apart in April

• Top Military Court to Hear Army Officer’s Appeal

• ‘The Ballad of Michael Behenna’ Released Today

• Parents of Army Lieutenant Issue Urgent Plea for Support

• Why Should People Care About Kelly Stewart’s Story?

FYI: Stewart is still awaiting the outcome of his Army Court of Criminal Appeals hearing that took place April 19, details of which are mentioned in this post.

CORRECTION 7/6/12 at 10:58 a.m. Central: After publishing this post, I was informed that Behenna can appeal his case to the United States Supreme Court; therefore, I amended the lead paragraph to reflect that change.

ThreeDaysInAugust.com

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