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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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March 2nd,
2008 - Groups Raise Funds for Service Members who Face Charges |
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Groups Raise Funds for Service
Members who Face Charges By Sonja Bjelland The Riverside Press-Enterprise March 2, 2008 The defense of a former
Riverside police officer and Iraq veteran facing war crimes charges has
gained national attention among some Web sites collecting money to pay his
court costs. The phrases "Semper
Fi" and "Ooh rah" are common among those leading national
fundraising efforts to support service men and women charged with crimes that
allegedly happened while they served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Several
Internet-based defense funds supported by different veterans groups raise
money and two have donated to Jose Luis Nazario. Nazario, who is scheduled
for a pretrial hearing today, has amassed $10,000 in Internet donations to
pay for his defense against voluntary manslaughter charges in the killings of
two unarmed detainees in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004. He has pleaded not
guilty in federal court and is out on bond. He was charged in federal court
instead of military court because he is no longer in the military. A fellow Marine, Sgt.
Jermaine Nelson, has been charged with murder in military court in the
Fallujah killings. Most sites have raised less
than $100,000 to support cases that can cost more than twice that for a
private defense. They have also garnered letters of support. The donations
largely come from veterans sending checks for $10 and $25. Inland Man’s Trial As a Marine, Nazario was
based in Camp Pendleton and served in Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine
Regiment. Eight members of the same company faced charges in the killings of
24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq. The cases helped start the Internet support movement. Nazario's attorney, Kevin
McDermott, also represented the captain in the Haditha case. Attorney Douglas
Applegate, who served in Fallujah, has joined the case. In today's hearing, the
attorneys plan to file several motions, including one that challenges the
separation of powers in the branches of government, and another seeking the
identities of the two victims. The federal indictment lists the detainees as
John Doe 1 and 2. Among those Internet-driven
groups supporting Nazario, the Marine/Iraq Defense Fund was started to help
the "Pendleton 8" charged in the Haditha case. Attorneys must file
applications for their clients to receive the money with a goal of good legal
representation, said veteran and Carlsbad attorney Rickard Borg. The veterans group is
building a new Web site and has disassociated itself with
www.marinedefensefund.com but still accepts donations by mail, Borg said. A second group, the Military
Combat Defense Fund, raises money not only through the Web site but also
motorcycle runs and guest speakers, co-founder Tom Bolinder said. The
Massachusetts-based group donated a portion of the $150,000 it raised to
Nazario. ‘Steamed About This’ They usually parse the money
out in $10,000 to $25,000 increments, Bolinder said. Donations have waned
recently but Bolinder said the group plans to continue to raise funds as long
as service men and women are charged with capital crimes. "There are a lot of
veterans that are really steamed about this and they'll make donations when
they can afford to," he said. The United American
Patriots, a group of veterans that formed more than five years ago, created
the Warrior Defense Fund after hearing about the Haditha case, said retired
Marine Maj. Bill Donahue. Families and attorneys can petition the group for
legal fees and aid for expenses such as travel. He said they have not
received a petition in Nazario's case. Since February 2007, the
group has raised $78,000 and dispersed more than 97 percent of the money,
Donahue said. This January, they started a direct mail fundraiser for two
specific cases and have already raised $12,000. Donahue said the group must
judiciously disperse the money because they assist 24 servicemen. "I know we're helping
the families," he said, by phone from his Greensboro, N.C., home.
"I know that they know we're out here as a public charitable entity to
do everything we can do to contribute money to their son's defense." External link: http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_D_nazario03.3e8b436.html |