Former Fortuna resident faces 20 years in Afghan prison

[seemslikeadream]

Andrew Bird
The Times-Standard

FORTUNA -- To most of the world, Brent Bennett has been a mystery.
For the past month, ever since his arrest in Afghanistan with two other Americans for allegedly running a vigilante prison in Kabul, the international press has had no clue where the 28-year-old came from.


The mystery that most concerns Bennett's family and friends now, is the fate of the young man who joined the Army right out of high school, who, if convicted in an Afghan court, faces 20 years in prison in one of the world's most primitive countries.



But, Tiffany added, there are "behind the scenes negotiations" involving American officials and prominent Afghans who are attempting to get the trio's case moved to the World Court at the Hague or to the United States.

Another mystery that neither Tiffany nor Bennett's family has been able to answer is how Bennett, who received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army a few years ago, came to work for Idema, who owns a Fayetteville, N.C., company called Counter Group.


Tiffany said he is compiling "an incredible amount of evidence," videos, audio tapes, photographs and documents, that will prove his clients were working with the U.S. government, which has disavowed any knowledge of the trio's activities in Kabul.

"It could be embarrassing" to the U.S. government, Tiffany added.
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http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2313666,00.html

[struggle4progress]

1. An Afghan prison might be a good place for him. eom