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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2012)
Local News Soldier continued from page 1 “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ERNIE F OSTER Founder/Publisher B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER Executive Editor T ED B ANKS Advertising Manager J ERRY F OSTER Account Executive L ISA L OVING News Editor H ELEN S ILVIS Multimedia Editor D AVID K IDD Graphic Designer M ONICA J. F OSTER Seattle Office Coordinator Terrorist J ULIE K EEFE S USAN F RIED Photographers continued from page 1 conduct of the United States gov- ernment through that intimida- tion.” Ressam, an Algerian national who had attended training camps for Islamic terrorists, was arrested Dec. 14, 1999, in Port Angeles, Wash. He had a bogus Canadian pass- port but his nervousness after arriving on a ferry from Canada prompted a search of his rental car. Authorities found more than 100 pounds of chemicals, along with timing devices and other equipment, to make a fertilizer- derived nitrate bomb. In April 2001, Ressam was con- victed of nine federal charges, including smuggling explosives and conspiracy to commit a terror- ist act. Sentencing guidelines rec- ommended 65 years to life in prison, but federal authorities offered lesser sentences if he would cooperate in other terrorist The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ- ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2011 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. C The 3rd Stryker Brigade, the brigade to which the accused sol- dier belongs, was the Army’s first brigade to use the Stryker. The brigade deployed three times to Iraq before sending 2,500 soldiers to Afghanistan for the first time last December. For this most recent deploy- ment, it left its 300 Stryker vehi- cles at home and, instead, has been using vehicles that were already in Afghanistan and are more resistant to roadside bombs. The source said the soldier was assigned on Feb. 1 to a village sta- bility program in Belambai, half a mile from one of the villages where the attack took place Sun- day. Villagers described an armed soldier moving through homes, shooting residents. The village stability operations are part of NATO’s efforts to tran- sition out of Afghanistan. They pair special operations troops with local villagers chosen by vil- lage elders to become essentially a sanctioned, armed neighbor- hood watch. Army officials are reviewing the soldier’s complete deploy- ment and medical history. In Washington state, Spc. Jared Richardson, an engineer at Lewis- McChord who served in Afghanistan, said the Army is working with soldiers to deal with their problems. But he said a decade of war has taken a toll on enlisted men and women. “We’re on uncharted territory now, and it’s taking a toll on sol- diers,” Richardson said. Jorge Gonzalez, executive director of Coffee Strong, a coffee shop near Lewis-McChord that doubles as a resource center for soldiers looking to leave the Army, said frequent Stryker deployments are taking their toll. “There is definitely fatigue, many are on their third, fourth deployments. Many can’t wait to get out,” he said. cases. He cooperated for two years but later recanted some testimony. The federal judge who sen- tenced Ressam said he looked at several factors, balancing the harm Ressam planned with the good his cooperation had done in fighting terrorism. But the appeals court said U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour in Seattle committed a “clear error of judg- ment.” “We acknowledge that 22 years is not a trivial period of time” but it is decades shorter than the rec- ommended sentence from federal guidelines, said the judges in the majority opinion. It noted that under the current sentence, Ressam would be only 51 when he is released from prison and still able to do damage. “Ressam demonstrated strongly held beliefs and a willingness to attack American interests. If and when he is released, he could try again to blow up LAX or to launch some other attack,” according to the decision. The case now returns to Seattle for resentencing. “Obviously, I’m disappointed that we have to go through anoth- er sentencing,” said Tom Hillier, the federal public defender who argued the case before the appel- late court in Seattle. “It’s been a long haul for Ahmed. But when it comes to terrorism cases, there are some fairly strong opinions on what should be” the sentence. He said the judge will have to impose a sentence longer than 22 years but the appellate court did not specify any specific length. Among the seven judges who voted to overturn the sentence, three said in a concurring opinion that the case was not that of a typ- ical crime and they were hesitant about whether it provided any precedent for ruling whether a sentence was unreasonable. “Acts of war are indeed differ- ent from ordinary crimes, and our current war with terrorism is indeed different from ordinary wars,” said the opinion by Judge Stephen Reinhardt, one of the court’s most liberal justices. “I am far from certain that our govern- ment or our citizens have yet determined how to deal with these differences.” Dissenting judges argued that the court majority was treating terrorism differently from other crimes and was not basing its decision on the legal merits. They argued that the sentence was reached properly and should stand. ward, the official said. Two U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the suspect had been trained as a sniper. The news about the killing spree was the latest difficult episode for Lewis-McChord over the past few years. Home to about 100,000 military and civilian personnel, it’s had a spate of suicides among soldiers back from war. And most famous- ly, four service members were convicted in the deliberate killing of three Afghan civilians during patrols in 2010. The soldier accused in Sunday’s shooting is not from the same brigade. Those soldiers were from the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which has since been renamed the 2nd Stryker brigade. O M M U N I T Y C A L E N D Associated Press writer Manuel Valdes contributed from near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Read the rest online at www.theskanner.com A R S EATTLE 2012 If you have an event you want to share with the community, email it two weeks in advance to The Skanner at info@theskanner.com Thursday March 15 TWEEN NIGHT. Calling all 5th and 6th graders. This is your night to kick it with your friends. This program offers a safe and fun place for Tweens to hang out with their friends. This event is free for all 5th and 6th graders. 5 – 8 p.m. Ravenna Eckstein Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave. NE TROY DAVIS: THE HUMAN FACE OF THE DEATH PENALTY. Award-winning documentary, filmmaker, author, and Seattle resident Jen Marlowe knew Troy Davis and his family and worked for years to prevent his execution. Marlowe will talk about Troy’s case and about the human beings behind the headlines. 5 p.m. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Place N. The event is free, but donations for the family will be accepted. Saturday & Sunday March 17 & 18 IRISH FESTIVAL AT THE SEATTLE CENTER. The festival explore the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Ireland through live performances, cultural displays, hand-on activities, food, drawings and much more. The festival takes place at the Exhibition Hall at The Seattle center. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday Hours are from noon – 6 p.m. Sunday March 18 Saturday March 17 DISCOVER CAMA BEACH. Discover Cama Beach Page 2 The Seattle Skanner March 14, 2012 will take place from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the honor of State Parks 99th birthday. This event features trail walks and beach walks, talks, demonstrations, dancing to live music and much more. Cama Beach State Park is located on Camano Island. Monday March 19 ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY CLEARANCE JOB FAIR. A career fair for experienced engineering and technology professionals. Free admission, free parking. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lynnwood Convention Center. Tuesday March 20 DAFFODIL GIVEAWAY. Think spring! Pike place market celebrates spring’s arrival with a daffodil giveaway! From 11:15 – 11:45 a.m. at 4th & Pine students from Pike Market Child Care and Preschool will hand out flowers until they need to return in time for lunch and a nap, other will stay until 1 p.m. or when all flowers are gone.
