April 28–WASHINGTON — A Michigan congresswoman is joining other lawmakers in calling on the military to track and report on incidents after earlier raising concerns that abuse could have been a factor in the death of aU.S. Marine recruit from Taylor.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, on Wednesday signed on as a cosponsor of what’s being referred to as the Harry Lew Military Accountability and Prevention Act partly because of questions arising from the death of 20-year-old Raheel Siddiqui at Parris Island, S.C., on March 18.
In a letter written in April to Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller, Dingell noted concerns that “ may have been involved” in Siddiqui’s death 11 days into his training and asked for more information about the incident, also noting his Muslim faith.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating Siddiqui’s death, but a Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) spokesman said last month there were no apparent signs of foul play. Siddiqui died after a 40-foot fall in a barracks stairwell, but his family questioned a Marine casualty report they said indicated he’d committed suicide.
“This was an intelligent, loyal, patriotic young Muslim man — and class valedictorian — who loved his country,” Dingell said Wednesday, adding that during her search for information others contacted her about the issue of , leading her to support the legislation.
“While I am waiting to get a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death of my constituent, it is clear there have been issues in the past,” she said. “We have an obligation to bring more accountability to the system.”
The legislation is named after Harry Lew, a Marine who reportedly committed suicide in April 2011 after being by fellow Marines in Afghanistan who complained that Lew repeatedly fell asleep at his post. Lew’s aunt, U.S.Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., is the prime sponsor of the bill, which also includes U.S. Reps. Jackie Speier and Ted Lieu, both D-Calif., as cosponsors.
Earlier this year, the General Accountability Office released a report saying that while the military has put policies in place to cut down on , there are constraints on effective implementation and oversight throughout the Armed Services (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) and that they “may not have the accountability needed to help ensure efforts to address are implemented consistently.”
The legislation would establish a system for the collection of reports — including those filed anonymously — and require each service to survey personnel on the prevalence of annually. The services would then be required to report to Congress on anti- efforts each year as well.
“ has no place in our military,” said Chu. “It breeds fear and distrust within the ranks.”
Speier, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is also expected to propose the text of the anti- legislation as an addition to the annual National Defense Authorization Act, though the chances of its inclusion are uncertain.
Contact Todd Spangler: 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.
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Hmmm… so Rep Chu (D) from California thinks hazing has no place in the military. When exactly did she serve?
This guy is a non-hacker and wasn’t prepared to be a United States Marine. That in itself is a sad state to be in. The military is not an encounter group. Their job is to kill people and break things. IF there was a failure here it was that this young man shouldn’t have committed to a pathway he was unable to walk. Political correctness has no place in our plans to defend the enemies of this nation, even if they are in the legislative branch…no! ESPECIALLY if they are. BTFO (back the f*ck off), assholete!