Rally held to support charged SEALs

NORFOLK, Va. - Supporters of three Navy SEALs charged with mistreating an Iraqi detainee rallied outside Naval Station Norfolk's Gate 5 Tuesday.

The rally was originally scheduled to coincide with the trial of Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe. Last week, however, a judge moved McCabe's trial date to May 3rd.

McCabe, from Perrysburg, Ohio, is accused of punching Ahmed Hashim Abed, the suspected mastermind of a 2004 ambush that killed four U.S. security contractors in Fallujah.

While McCabe will stand trial in Norfolk, the two other SEALs allegedly involved, Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas and Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan E. Keefe, will have their trials at Camp Victory in Iraq.  Their trials are planned for April.

Huertas of Blue Island, Ill., faces charges of dereliction of duty, lying to investigators and impeding an investigation.

Keefe, of Yorktown, faces charges of dereliction of duty and making a false official statement.

Earlier this month, a military judge moved their trials to Iraq after government prosecutors said they would make the detainee available for deposition at Camp Victory in Baghdad but would not bring him to Naval Station Norfolk to testify. The judge, Cmdr. Tierney Carlos, ruled that Keefe and Huertas have a right to face their accuser in open court.

The three SEALs have received an outpouring of support from people who consider them heroes for capturing Abed. Several members of Congress have asked that the charges be dropped, and more than 100,000 people have joined a Facebook page created to support the SEALs.

More than a dozen ex-military, parents of military members, and civilians turned out Tuesday in Norfolk to show their support.

"These young men did their duty with honor and they need to have a medal and a heroes' welcome," said Russell Pope, one of the supporters outside Naval Station Norfolk. "Instead they're finding themselves in a court of law.

Added supporter Allison Patterson, "We ask them to go out here and put their lives on the line everyday and they come back to this. It's uncalled for, so I'm out here to support them to let them know I'm here for them. Hopefully everything will turn out for the best.

Terri Davis, Public Affairs Officer, Naval Station Norfolk, said of the rally, "They have the right to peacefully assemble and the Navy supports that right."

Tuesday's rally in Norfolk lasted from 8:00 a.m. to Noon.