Guest: Vicky Behenna /The Michael Behenna Story- UPDATE Guest- Vicki Behenna An update on the story of Lt. Michael Behenna and what has happened to his case, since we last spoke.

During the return of Mansur, Lt. Behenna again questioned the Al Qaeda member for information about other members of the terrorist cell, and financial supporters. During this interrogation, Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense. The government subsequently prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder. Not only is this a miscarriage of justice on the behalf of Lt. Behenna, who was acting to prevent further loss of life in his platoon, it is demoralizing to the U.S. troops who continue to fight on behalf of the freedom and security of our nation. Whether it is U.S. border patrol agents, members of the armed forces, or FBI agents, no individual who is serving on the frontlines in the War on Terror should be so blatantly mistreated. We urgently need your help to correct this terrible wrong against a loyal and faithful soldier. Please contact your congressman and ask them to intervene on behalf of 1LT Behenna. Below is a brief recap of the relevant aspects of Lt. Behenna’s case. September 2007: 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna deployed to Iraq for his first combat experience April 21, 2008: Lt. Behenna’s platoon was attacked by Al Qaeda operatives. The attack resulted in the death of two of Lt. Behenna’s platoon members, two Iraqi citizens, and wounded two additional soldiers under Lt. Behenna’s command. May 5, 2008: Known terrorist Mansur was detained at his home for involvement in the attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon May 16, 2008: Without explanation Army Intelligence orders the release of Mansur Lt. Behenna, who lost two members of his platoon just weeks earlier, was ordered to transport Mansur back to his home Lt. Behenna attempts a final interrogation of Mansur prior to his release During the interrogation, Behenna is attacked by Mansur and is forced to defend himself by firing two shots which kill Mansur Lt. Behenna panics and fails to properly report the incident Three days after Mansur’s death the Army issues a Kill / Capture order for Mansur for his terrorist activities (not knowing he was already dead) July 2008: The U.S. Army charges Lt. Behenna with premeditated murder for the death of Al Qaeda operative and terrorist Ali Mansur. February 23, 2009: Lt. Behenna’s trial begins Government and defense experts agree on the trajectory of the bullets killing Mansur On the evening of February 25th, prosecution expert witness Dr. Herbert MacDonnell tells the prosecution attorneys that based upon the evidence he has seen the only logical explanation for what happened was that Mansur had to be standing, reaching for 1LT Behenna’s gun when he was shot. This contradicted the prosecution’s argument that Mansur was executed while seated on a rock. On February 26th 1LT Behenna tells the jury that while he was interrogating Mansur he turned back to his interpreter and when he did so Mansur lunged for his gun. The 1LT moved to the left and fired a control pair of shots. This explanation was identical to what prosecution expert witness Dr. MacDonnell had told the prosecution team the night before. During a recess after 1LT Behenna’s testimony Dr. MacDonnell meets with the prosecution team (Megan Poirier, Jason Elbert, and Erwin Roberts) in their meeting room and tells them that what Michael had just testified towas exactly what he had demonstrated to them the day before and that Michael Behenna ‘must be telling the truth’. He told them that in the interest of justice they should put him on the stand. They looked at him coldly and said they no longer needed his services and were flying him home that night. On his way out of the courtroom he tells Jack Zimmerman, defense counsel, that he would have made a great witness for 1LT Behenna. Zimmerman asks him why and Dr. MacDonnell says he can’t say because he was still an expert witness for the government, but to ask the prosecutors. The first thing the next morning Zimmermann asks prosecutors if they have any exculpatory evidence that should be provided to the defense as a result of Dr. MacDonnell’s comment. Prosecutors deny having any such evidence despite having been told by their own expert witness that Lt Behenna’s explanation was the only logical explanation. In closing arguments on February 27th prosecutor Jason Elbert argues that 1LT Behenna’s testimony that Mansur was reaching for his gun was ‘impossible’ based upon the evidence (despite knowing that his own expert witness had told him it was the only logical explanation.) Later that Friday night Lt. Behenna is convicted of unpremeditated murder and assault by a military panel of seven officers, none of whom had combat experience. Dr. MacDonnell sends an email to the prosecution team requesting that the information provided in his demonstration be turned over to the defense. One of the prosecutors provides such information late Friday night, after a verdict was rendered, but prior to sentencing. At the request of the presiding judge, Dr. MacDonnell provides his information to the court via telephone The judge orders both sides in the case to file briefs relating to a possible mistrial After reading the briefs the judge set an additional hearing and ordered additional briefs, including one from the defense requesting a new trial On March 20, the judge denied both defense motions to declare a mistrial and to order a new trial. 1LT Behenna is given 30 minutes to say goodbye to his family and is taken to the county jail A week later Lt. Behenna is paraded in handcuffs through the Nashville airport, the Milwaukee airport, and the Kansas City airport en route to Fort Leavenworth Prison Lt. Behenna’s attorneys are appealing the verdict on the basis that he did not received a fair trial Lt. Behenna is currently serving a 15-year sentence (the 25 year sentence was reduced five years by the commanding general of 101st Airborne and reduced another five years by the Army Clemency Board.) The earliest he would be eligible for parole is after serving a third of his sentence. Without parole or a new trial Lt. Behenna will get out of prison for the shooting an Al Qaeda terrorist in self defense when he is 40 years old. 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was an excellent officer. He received his call to serve his country while attending the University of Central Oklahoma. He is from a family of public servants, his mother being an Assistant United States Attorney and his father a retired Special Agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. He has served the Army and the United States with honor and dignity. To sacrifice the life of this Oklahoma soldier over the death of a known terrorist, is a breech of faith with all who are serving our country. Please stand with us and demand justice for this American hero!!! He fought for you; now please fight for him!

 
Copyright 2009, 2010 the "A Call to Rights Show" is property of Steve Kates / All rights reserved

Author: Col. Richard H. Graham Flying The SR-71 Blackbird In The Cockpit On A Secret Operational Mission Pacific Flyer, August 2008 "For anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird has the answer. Retired SR-71 pilot and squadron leader Graham takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced...Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird cres, turning their unique avation talents to account in an unprecedented way. Arguably the world's foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham details, as no one else could, what an SR-71 mission entails, from donning a pressure suit to returning to base...Flying the SR-71 Blackbird is the ultimate play-by-play journey into what is involved in an operational mission of one of aviation history's most prized, and top secret, aircraft." Product Description For anyone who has ever wondered what its like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, this book has the answer. Flying the SR-71 Blackbird takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced. The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird, was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Skunk Works. The aircraft flew so fast and high that not one was ever shot down, even by a missile. SR-71 pilot and instructor Colonel Richard Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird crews, turning their unique aviation talents to account in an unprecedented way. Arguably the worlds foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham details, as no one else could, what an SR-71 mission entails, from donning a pressure suit to returning to base.

Author: Robert Spencer The Complete Indfidel's Guide To The Koran "Call to Rights" October 31, 2009 From the Inside Flap The Koran: It may be the most controversial book in the world. Some see it as a paean to peace, others call it a violent mandate for worldwide Islamic supremacy. How can one book lead to such dramatically different conclusions? New York Times bestselling author Robert Spencer reveals the truth in The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran: not many Westerners know what's in the Koran, since so few have actually read it -- even among the legions of politicians, diplomats, analysts, and editorial writers who vehemently insist that the Koran preaches tolerance. Now, Spencer unveils the mysteries lying behind this powerful book, guiding readers through the controversies surrounding the Koran's origins and its most contentious passages. Stripping out the obsolete debates, Spencer focuses on the Koran's decrees toward Jews, Christians, and other Infidels, explaining how they were viewed in Muhammad's time, what they've supposedly done wrong, and most important, what the Koran has in store for them. http://www.jihadwatch.org

Guest: Former LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman (Pre-Recorded) New Book: The Murder Business: Crime stories fascinate the public. But between factual news stories, overblown "human interest" reports and salacious murder mystery expos?s, it's difficult to tell where news ends and entertainment begins. Mark Fuhrman, best-selling author of Murder in Brentwood, explores this fine line and how it is increasingly being crossed, revealing new and shocking details on such highprofile cases as JonBenet Ramsey, Martha Moxley and Chandra Levy. In The Murder Business, Fuhrman argues that the media's approach to covering crime ("if it bleeds, it leads") has allowed many criminals to get away with murder and impeded the search for justice. The Murder Business presents a compelling plea for journalists, cops and citizens to demand higher ethical standards in the pursuit of justice

New Guest: Mr. Zimmermann represents clients at trial and on appeal in state, federal, and military courts, as well as before professional licensing boards. He is the co-chairman of the Military Law section of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the former chairman of the Criminal Law and Military Law sections of the American Association for Justice, a former director of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and the former President of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association.
Mr. Zimmermann lectures on trial advocacy and serves as a motivational speaker across the country. He has been a guest on national TV programs such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Nightline, Larry King Live, and Rivera Live. He founded the firm in 1984, and has been a shareholder since then. Mr. Zimmermann has been board certified in criminal law since 1980 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and since 1981 by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Zimmermann is a co-author with the former dean of the William and Mary Law School of "Criminal Procedure in Practice." All lawyers in the firm contributed to this effort. He is editor of the Federal Criminal Defense Volume of case forms distributed by Pro Doc Inc.
He served as lead counsel in the "Dairy Queen Case," where the widow of the son of the former governor of Texas was acquitted of murder. He was lead counsel in the "Water Torture Case" where the sheriff of Walker County, Texas was acquitted of perjury. He also served as lead counsel in a nine defendant three month bank fraud trial where the former chairman of the board of a bank and all others were acquitted when the federal judge dismissed the charges when the government concluded its case, and held the prosecutors in contempt of court for withholding favorable evidence. He was lead counsel in the "Cheerleader Mom" re-trial, where a mother was given probation for solicitation of capital murder of her daughter's cheerleading competitor after receiving 15 years confinement when represented by another firm at the first trial.
Mr. Zimmermann was counsel for a leader of the Branch Davidian religious group involved in the shootout with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the subsequent 51 day stand-off with the FBI near Waco, Texas. He spent two days inside Mt. Carmel Center before it was attacked with tanks and CS gas, with 76 people perishing in the fire that erupted. Mr. Zimmermann later testified before Congress in nationally televised hearings.
Mr. Zimmermann served as lead counsel in the "Border Shooting Case" where two state grand juries and one federal grand jury refused to indict the active-duty Marine who returned fire, killing the man who fired on his patrol. Mr. Zimmermann served as co-counsel on a writ of habeas corpus for Gary Graham, a man who was executed after 19 years on death row despite compelling evidence of innocence. This case focused the nation's attention on the problems with the death penalty and led to legislative reform of the court-appointed lawyer system in Texas. Mr. Zimmermann represented a client in a complex white-collar case in which the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that the district judge's finding of fact on remand was clearly erroneous. The appellate court reversed the conviction and 20-year sentence and ordered the charges dismissed. He served as lead counsel in a two-and-a-half week federal trial where the client was acquitted in 45 minutes of conspiring to steal government property worth more than seven million dollars, and in a state case in which a felony arson charge against a Sheriff's Sergeant was dismissed on the eve of trial. Mr. Zimmermann was lead counsel for a Marine accused of killing a high-ranking Iraqi official after he was captured. All charges were dismissed after a six day Article 32 preliminary hearing.
Mr. Zimmermann was appointed as a Special Prosecutor to investigate the judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers involved in the "fake drugs" scandal in Dallas, Texas. Click here to read his report. He was co-counsel with Jim Lavine for an Enron Broadband Services executive, where the 14-week trial ended in a hung jury and a mistrial on 15 of the 17 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud. Two counts were acquittals entered by the judge. After a retrial, Mr. Zimmermann and Mr. Lavine filed a motion to vacate all convictions, which the trial court granted. Mr. Zimmermann was co-counsel with Jim Lavine for a Duke Energy trader, where the nine-week trial led to acquittals on seven counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and false reporting. After nine days of deliberations, the jury hung on twelve counts. These counts were dismissed on the motion of the Government. Mr. Zimmermann was lead counsel in the court-martial of an Army surgeon, who was cleared of 19 specifications of distribution of controlled substances, obstruction of justice, false official statement, and orders violations. The military jury deliberated for 45 minutes. A military judge acquitted an Army Special Forces officer of rape and indecent acts where Mr. Zimmermann was lead counsel.
Mr. Zimmermann was lead counsel representing LCpl Stephen Tatum, USMC, who originally was charged with the murder of Iraqi civilians during a counter-attack in response to an ambush in Haditha, Iraq. Click here for a description of the Article 32 Investigation hearing featured in the Texas Lawyer. All charges were dismissed with prejudice on the first day of trial in this case that had drawn international media attention. Mr. Zimmermann was recognized every year from 2003 to 2009 by Law & Politics as a Super Lawyer (an outstanding lawyer who has attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement), published in Super Lawyers Magazine. Mr. Zimmermann and Mr. Lavine were named attorneys of the year for 2005-2006 by the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association and were also named as the outstanding lawyers in the state for 2005-2006 by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. In 2007, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association presented Mr. Zimmermann the Warhorse Award for life-time achievement as a trial advocate, the highest reputation for ethics and honesty, a teacher of trial advocacy, and leadership of the trial bar. Mr. Zimmermann is married and has two grown children and four grandchildren.
The latest battle in the administration’s war against success is the shakedown on executive pay put forth by Obama’s pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg. The much anticipated move follows the bullying of the AIG producers, as well as the Chrysler and GM bondholders last spring. In the case of the upcoming pay cuts, salaries are expected to be slashed as much as 90 percent on average and total compensation will drop by about 50 percent, underscoring an enormous decrease in the amount that many executives will be receiving this year. In other words, the pay cuts will continue until performance improves.
It is certainly reasonable to argue whether or not the existing compensation packages are excessive, especially if we are picking up the tab. But, it is also reasonable to debate how these firms will keep their most talented people with the new anti-market ceiling in place. After all, isn’t it the point to make these executives successful? What is difficult to debate, however, is the administration’s Chicago-esque display of raw power in furthering its economic agenda, in breaching or renegotiating existing contracts.
For those who believe this step represents justice, ask yourself if you really want the government to become accustomed to injecting itself not just into the private sector, but into preexisting contracts? We know this is not the first time, and we can be confident it will not be the last. In a similar move, the Federal Reserve is planning to exercise veto power over pay policies at thousands of banks including many that never received a bailout.
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Amanda Vega/ Amanda Vega Consulting Impact Of Social Media/ 1st Amendment Rights:Amanda Vega began her career at AOL as a chat moderator over 15 years ago. During her tenure at AOL she directly helped to develop and rollout Instant Messenger and Love@AOL (now Match.com’s technology.) Amanda has an MBA from Columbia University, and known industry-wide as an insightful and honest speaker that doesn’t talk AT people, but instead talks with them. After selling her second interactive agency to Ogilvy in 1999, she moved to New York City and opened Amanda Vega Consulting which works with agencies and clients directly helping them optimize and integrate the ongoing stream of new technology and marketing options growing in the online space while also more effectively integrating those into their traditional programs.
Amanda is the CEO of Amanda Vega Consulting, a firm of over 120 people in 15 countries in four languages that handle interactive strategy and implementation for companies such as Publicis Modem’s Betty Crocker and General Mills, Banana Republic, First Juice and more. Her firm is technically one of the oldest social media management company with engagements in the industry dating 10 years.
Amanda is a published author of “PR in a Jar” and contributor to the best selling book “The Social Media Bible. She’s a frequent industry expert speaker at such conference as Search Engine Strategies and Ad:Tech. She has additionally been featured on Oprah and spoke for the White House Press Core about social media. She is a board member for many local and national non-profits and professional organizations. Amanda was one of the first bloggers on the Internet and helped shape many of the “social media” tools we have today – well before they had a name.
Click here for more information about this guest on our show !..more links: http://www.amandavega.com http://amandavegaconsulting.wordpress.com/
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