(Washington, D.C., June 27, 2013). Today, four families of Navy SEAL Team VI and special ops forces brought suit in federal court in Washington, D.C. (Case No. 13-cv-974) over the death of their sons, whose helicopter was shot down by Taliban jihadists on August 6, 2011, in Afghanistan. Among those who died in the crash were 16 Navy SEALs and 8 special ops servicemen, including the sons of Charles Strange, Doug and Shaune Hamburger, and Sidh Douangdara.
As alleged in the complaint, the disclosures of classified information by Vice President Biden and then newly sworn-in Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that SEAL Team VI was responsible for the killing of Osama Bin Laden put a “target on the backs” of the now fallen heroes and their families. Predictably, the Taliban retaliated by blasting the helicopter out of the air and killing all on board.
Also joined in the suit is the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Islamic leader, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is alleged to have tipped the Taliban off about the coordinates of the Extortion 17 operation, the helicopter that was blasted out of the sky carrying our nation’s heroes. It has been widely reported that Iran pays a bounty of $1,000 to the Taliban for each American serviceperson killed.
Larry Klayman, the founder of Judicial Watch and now Freedom Watch (see www.freedomwatchusa.org), and former U.S. Justice Department prosecutor, legally represents these plaintiff families and observed the following upon filing suit:
“It is hypocritical and outrageous that while the Obama Justice Department can criminally charge Edward Snowden for allegedly disclosing classified national security information and wage an international manhunt for his arrest, Biden and Panetta get off scot free for their callous, cynical, opportunistic illegal release of the identity of SEAL Team VI in the Bin Laden killing – allegedly orchestrated to boost President Obama’s and Vice President Biden’s reelection prospects in the months leading up to the 2012 November 6 election. This underscores how the nation’s ‘leaders’ in Washington are not held to the same standards as are other citizens. It therefore falls upon the families of Navy SEAL Team VI and special ops servicemen to seek justice in the civil courts, as Biden and Panetta are ‘not above the law.’ The hard reality is that Biden and Panetta are alive ‘feasting’ on their ‘political notoriety,’ power, and wealth, while the brave heroes who gave their lives for our nation’s security are dead, thanks to them!”
To punish Biden and Panetta for their alleged criminal acts, the complaint asks for over $200,000,000 dollars in damages. If successful, the damage award will be used to aid and support the surviving families of fallen heroes like the plaintiffs’ sons.
To view the complaint, see www.freedomwatchusa.org.
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