This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Edward Gallagher's Troubling Legacy ¶
Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a decorated Navy SEAL, was accused of war crimes by his own men in 2017. The allegations, which included the murder of a defenseless ISIS captive, sent shockwaves through the Navy and reached the highest levels of the military.
According to confidential interviews with Navy SEALs, Gallagher was a reckless leader who prioritized violence over protecting Iraqi civilians. The SEALs, who had never spoken publicly about the incident before, revealed that they spent much of their time shielding civilians from Gallagher's actions.
A never-before-released video from the SEALs' deployment in Iraq shows Gallagher kneeling beside the ISIS captive moments before he plunged his knife into the prisoner's neck. The video, obtained by The New York Times, is a chilling reminder of the allegations against Gallagher.
Despite his acquittal on the most severe charges, Gallagher's case continues to roil the Navy. The public debate on Fox News and Twitter has widened the rift between President Trump and top military leaders, with some calling for Gallagher's pardon.
But the SEALs who accused Gallagher of war crimes remain unconvinced. In a shocking twist, one of the SEALs, Corey Scott, who claimed he had killed the ISIS captive, was medically retired from the Navy this fall for problems unrelated to the Gallagher investigation.
As the controversy surrounding Gallagher continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the Navy SEALs who accused him of war crimes will not be silenced.
