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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Since the commission in 1962 of the United States | ||||||
| 3 | Navy Sea, Air and Land Forces, commonly known as the Navy | ||||||
| 4 | SEALs, the organization's members have distinguished | ||||||
| 5 | themselves as a highly-skilled and disciplined maritime force | ||||||
| 6 | and have played a significant role in U.S. military operations | ||||||
| 7 | around the world, including the current wars in Iraq and | ||||||
| 8 | Afghanistan; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Among the members of the Navy SEALs are 3 | ||||||
| 10 | courageous men who have honorably served our nation in a time | ||||||
| 11 | of war, including tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; Petty | ||||||
| 12 | Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, originally of Perrysburg, | ||||||
| 13 | Ohio, served on the amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood before | ||||||
| 14 | training in special warfare; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan | ||||||
| 15 | Keefe, originally from Yorktown, Virginia, enlisted in 2006 and | ||||||
| 16 | began his SEAL training that same year; and Petty Officer 1st | ||||||
| 17 | Class Julio Huertas, originally from Blue Island, Illinois, who | ||||||
| 18 | enlisted in 1999 and has served in special warfare units since | ||||||
| 19 | 2002; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Recently, these 3 Navy SEALs were arraigned and | ||||||
| 21 | are facing court martial after a detainee complained to Iraqi | ||||||
| 22 | authorities that he suffered a "bloody lip" while in the | ||||||
| 23 | custody of Americans; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, After the 3 SEALs refused to accept non-judicial | ||||||
| 2 | sentences, they were charged with dereliction of duty and | ||||||
| 3 | making a false statement; in addition, Petty Officer McCabe was | ||||||
| 4 | charged with one count of assault on a detainee and Petty | ||||||
| 5 | Officer Huertas was charged with impeding an investigation; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, The charges stem from an incident in early | ||||||
| 7 | September of 2009 after the 3 Navy SEALs captured and allegedly | ||||||
| 8 | punched in the stomach Ahmed Hashim Abed, a man believed to be | ||||||
| 9 | the mastermind behind the killing and mutilation of 4 United | ||||||
| 10 | States contractors in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, In light of the widespread belief that these | ||||||
| 12 | charges are the result of an overly sensitive reaction by | ||||||
| 13 | military officials to allegations of detainee abuse, there has | ||||||
| 14 | been a great outpouring of support for the 3 SEALs, including a | ||||||
| 15 | campaign led by several members of the United States Congress | ||||||
| 16 | urging U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to intervene in | ||||||
| 17 | this matter; therefore, be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 19 | NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 20 | recognize the sacrifices made by our brave servicemen and women | ||||||
| 21 | in the United States military and the extraordinary | ||||||
| 22 | circumstances they encounter in combat environments every day; | ||||||
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| 1 | and be it further
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| 2 | RESOLVED, That we urge all relevant United States military | ||||||
| 3 | officials to reconsider the charges brought against U.S. Navy | ||||||
| 4 | Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer 2nd Class | ||||||
| 5 | Jonathan Keefe, and Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas; and | ||||||
| 6 | be it further | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 8 | presented to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the | ||||||
| 9 | members of the Illinois congressional delegation.
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