WASHINGTON: ANavy SEAL platoon leader controversially pardoned of war crimes by US PresidentDonald Trump was described as "toxic" and "freaking evil"by veterans who served with him in Iraq, The New York Times reported Friday.
Video testimonyprovided to war crimes investigators and published by the newspaper showedformer members of Eddie Gallagher's elite commando unit accusing him ofshooting at a 12-year-old and discussing the accusations that Gallaghertargeted civilians. "The guy is freaking evil," special operatorfirst class Craig Miller, one of the most experienced members of AlphaPlatoon's SEAL Team 7, told the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
Another platoonmember, identified by the Times as special operator first class Corey Scott,said: "You could tell he was perfectly okay with killing anybody that wasmoving." "The guy was toxic," special operator first classJoshua Vriens added.
Gallagher deniesthe allegations, dismissing them as smears by platoon members who could notmatch his performance.
Cause celebre -
The sniper andmedic, now 40, was originally accused of premeditated murder after allegedlystabbing to death a captured, wounded 17-year-old Islamic State fighter in Iraqin May 2017. During his 2019 trial, the case became a cause celebre inconservative media and Trump voiced support for the SEAL. The presidentintervened in March to have Gallagher removed from jail and placed in a Navyhospital, where he had more freedom.
In July,Gallagher was acquitted of murder by a military jury but convicted of havingposed for a picture next to the body of the IS fighter. He was demoted, and theNavy moved to remove his official SEAL pin-sometimes referred to as a Tridentpin-a signal Gallagher had lost the respect of the elite group.
But Trumpintervened again, ordering the pin and rank be restored. "The Navy willNOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher's TridentPin," Trump tweeted November 21.
His comments cameas multiple US news outlets reported that then-Navy Secretary Richard Spencerhad threatened to resign over the affair, a claim he denied. "Contrary topopular belief, I am still here. I did not threaten to resign," the US Navychief said in November, adding he did not consider Trump's tweet to be a formalorder. "I need a formal order to act," Spencer told reporters. OnNovember 24, a Navy spokesman told AFP he could "confirm" the Navyhad been notified the White House would ultimately not intervene in the processagainst Gallagher.
Spencer was firedthat same day over the Gallagher dispute. Eventually, the NCIS began an inquiryand the platoon members were called to give evidence.
"My firstreaction to seeing the videos was surprise and disgust that they would make upblatant lies about me, but I quickly realized that they were scared that thetruth would come out of how cowardly they acted on deployment," Gallaghersaid in a statement to the Times issued by his lawyer. Last weekend, Trumphosted Gallagher and his wife at Mar-a-Lago, the president's Florida resort,where he is spending the Christmas holidays. -AFP