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Aug-19-2012 01:53 TweetFollow @OregonNews U.S. Marine Arrested for Facebook Posts Feds retaliate against another critic of the U.S. government.

Brandon Raub is a decorated Iraq and Afghanistan War Vet. Photo courtesy: United Truth Seekers

(SALEM / RICHMOND) - A decorated U.S. Marine who served his nation in two wars, Brandon Raub, of Richmond Virginia, was arrested for airing his critical views of the U.S. government on Facebook this weekend. We just reported yesterday that a Human Rights activist in Bahrain is being prosecuted for six Twitter messages. Politically, this country is increasingly resembling Bahrain and other nations that arrest those who speak out critically over federal policy. His mother, Kathleen Thomas, says it is another case of the word 'terrorist' being applied to arrest and detain a citizen. You can hear the pride she feels for her son when she explains what he has been through, and by all counts Ms. Thomas makes her points loud and clear. The law enforcement officials rolled up to the man's home around 7:00 last night. "He was there, the FBI, Secret Service and Chesterfield Police showed up in a storm," she said. Thomas says her son was questioned about why he was writing certain comments, "He basically said 'I have some disagreements with the government and share this', and they said, 'You have to go with us'". "He was handcuffed, not read his rights, put into a Chesterfield Police Department vehicle and taken to John Randolph Psychiatric Hospital in Hopewell, Virginia," Thomas said. Agent Sherry Grainger with the Federal Bureau of Investigation called Kathleen Thomas, who described the conversation. She said, "I am with the FBI" and "We have taken your son. He has been arrested by the Chesterfield County Police Dept because he assaulted an officer and resisted arrest. He has been arrested and taken to the Chesterfield Police Department." The agent asked about whether her son was violent, Thomas explained that he was not, but that he loves his country. She asked the FBI agent if freedom of speech still exists in the United States. "Yes we still have freedom of speech", Grainger reportedly said. The FBI agent reportedly added, "The threats that he was making were terrorist in nature," telling Thomas roughly the extent of information that has been released so far, which is not much. Thomas was able to talk to her son on the phone. As to what he is being charged with, she said, "He does not know, he has no idea why he is being held, he is told he will see a judge on Monday." As referenced, the FBI agent, Grainger, reportedly told the woman that her son Brandon Raub was arrested for assault and resisting arrest… It was later when Grainger stated that the threat made by Raub was "terrorist in nature". We do not have a track yet on what the comments on the Facebook page were, or if this arrest and failure to charge and administer Miranda Right, is an aspect or development of the new U.S. federal government's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which has Americans bewildered, frightened and angry. Thomas said in regard to the political view she and her son share, "We're not violent but we're very serious about what we believe. He is a patriot, He basically said that they, the government, are lying."

Facebook Terrorism Perhaps what is most ironic about this 'facebook terrorism' stuff, is the series of stories I wrote a couple of years ago about a Palestinian man who owned Azzad's restaurant in Haifa, Israel. The man was an Israeli citizen. He had a well-established restaurant that always maintained a 'no uniform policy'. This applied with no exceptions. Then one day a young Israeli soldier and his girlfriend come to the restaurant and upon being informed that uniforms aren't allowed, the young Israeli was incensed that they would not make an exception for him, and it quickly turned into an international incident. Israelis turned against the restaurant in large numbers and a Facebook page was created where the Israelis began calling for the murder of the restaurant owner and his family to be murdered, and for the building to be burned. I personally went to turn this page in for inciting deadly violence and the button used to report the site was disabled. I mention this because the U.S. supports Israel while that government does nothing but use state terrorism toward its enemies, just like the U.S. There are things called international laws that are supposed to protect us, but the U.S. keeps the UN compromised and unable to function. Terrorism is the most misused word in this century. (see: Palestinian Cafe Owner Faces Closure and Death Threats for 'No Uniform' Policy - Tim King Salem-News.com) Our friend and fellow writer in Occupied Palestine, Siraj Davis, knows well that 'terrorism' is a label applied to those who resist fascist rule and decree. With regard to the arrest of this Marine, he said: I checked his profile out. This guy doesn't belong in jail :) The guy has a picture with his own personal firearm on his fb profile. Yeah okay, so do millions of people on Facebook, some I know personally. Some of the "seditious" things he said were 9-11 was done by the government (even going to such length, and an interestingly detailed thesis, of providing evidence to augment this), the War on Terror is a lie, Americans are killing innocent people in the ME, the current federal banking system is corrupt and unfeasible to Americans, and that the George Bush's family rapes little children :) I think there is circumstantial evidence to prove all of the above and none of what he says offends ME as an American. In fact if any American has publicly stated any of the above, you may be next. Personally, I think our tax money was just wasted toward arresting, detaining, and charging an innocent man who became victim to a witch hunt. This case is indicative of what I have been stating two years ago, I am sadly crying on the inside as I watch my own government terrorize some of its own people for thinking and living differently from the others. What separates the US government from World War II Germany and Japan!? I hope the best for this gentleman and that God protects and blesses him. This man only wanted to express his disapproval of everything happening in America and sought to provoke the minds to consider that if change does not occur, Americans all over the US will consider making the change themselves. Why should we punish a voice from one of our own who is stating what many are inured, scared, or too apathetic to state publicly? Oh!! Another thing, this guy liked playing rap music on his Facebook such as John Cena's WWE entrance theme. So I advise everyone to stay clear of that song. The video shows that the arrest was non-violent. Marines know when to employ self-defense and when to comply with an impossible situation. Brandon Raub is a Marine with serious background, but it is extremely noteworthy that he was a Sergeant of Marines and a fairly young one it appears. This is a sign of a tremendous individual capable of beating amazing odds. I personally think it makes the rambunctious agents in the federal government squirm when they consider the power and pull that current and former U.S. Marines have in regard to community leadership. They don't seem to find a great deal of comfort in the existence of Occupy Marines which we are proudly part of. People trust and respect the word of Marines far more than their overpaid cousins in law enforcement who lap from the public trough while working as the guard dogs of a government descending into non-existence due to its ridiculous policies that favor war over the poor. Brandon Raub, you're on point Brother, but we have your six- your Brothers and Sisters will see you are out of there soon enough... Facebook page for Brandon J Raub The President of the United States: Free Brandon Raub His arrest based on his patriotic Facebook posts is against the Freedom of Speech. He is in no way a terrorist and only wants to see this country turn around. Petition for his release and for everyone's freedom of speech. The government does not have our permission to monitor our Facebook posts and they do not have persmission to arrest someone for non-violent patriotic posts. Here is the link with all the information we have: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaE5zChbC5w Sign now!! TO SIGN PETITION GO TO: http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-... Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's. He holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross. Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu, India. The notorious list comprising Tim's ancestors includes Pedro de Alvarado, the lieutenant of Hernando Cortez of Spain; King Phillip IV, Eleanor of Aquitaine and William the Conqueror. Perhaps most interestingly, King John; the dark force in the story Robin Hood, and also the last Spanish governor of California, a real person fictionalized as the arch rival of the character in Zorro, are in reality both Tim's multiple-great grandfathers. Others include a Confederate officer in the U.S. Civil War and a decorated 'hero' of the Mexican-American War and the so-called 'Indian Wars'. In fact on the east coast, Tim's lineage with the Slaughter and King families, pre-dates the Mayflower and several members of his family were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. He says his family's past; some of which is very dark; some quite chivalrous, presents a certain responsibility, and that in part drives his desire to see that people in today's world are not exploited or allowed to suffer in silence as victims of Human Rights violations, as people of previous times were. In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005. Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions. Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tens of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide. You can write to Tim at this address: tim@salem-news.com. Visit Tim's Facebook page (facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter)

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