BlackFive

Many, many of you have emailed me about this story.

Basically, Specialist Leonard A. Clark is in Iraq as part of a Arizona National Guard MP Company.  He's run for office a few times before and is going to run for Senate when he returns to Arizona.  However, there are regulations that stipulate that military members must notify the DOD before announcing candidacy for office.

Also, there's the fact that Specialist Clark has been posting criticisms of the War on Terror, and the Kos-sacks have been eating it up.  The reason(s) behind the  investigation, whether it's because he's violated rules with regards to seeking public office or because he was critical of the War on Terror or critical of his commanders or if he disclosed Operational Security (OPSEC) Information, is the question.  (It should be known that he really just left audio files and a lefty blogger encouraged him to start a blog - it appears the lefty blogger wrote the blog based on Clark's emails and voice mails).

From the Army Times reprint of an Arizona Republic article (Bienz is the National Guard's spokesperson):

...Bienz said she could not say whether the investigation in Iraq focuses on Clark’s blogging or issues related to running for political office.

Whatever the specific focus of the Army’s investigation — and regardless of whether Clark intentionally may have instigated this controversy to gain more attention for himself — the intensity of the Internet chatter about his situation is giving him some national notice.

For instance, the online magazine Daily Kos has been providing updates...

And then here's a quote from an email post on the Daily Kos.  Maybe you'll see why this Soldier may be a problem:

...Now, fellow activists, let us keep up the non-violent fight against the terrorists and the tryants at home who are needlessly endangering my fellow soldiers and causing many of them to die needless deaths in this lie we call the Occupation of Iraq. We need to let the three-piece-suited politicians and their crooked lackeys know that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!...

Clark's webmaster has removed content from his blog.  However, here is a Google Cached blog post from Clark's blog:

From his webmaster Kevin Spidel
On that note… I will be taking specific “operational” material down which Lenny’s commanders instructed him to do. He has called me and told me the specifics of the material that needs to be taken down. I will take it down in the next 48 hours. For now… pray for him, and keep our brave troops in your hearts on this July 4th.

Here's a Google-Cached link to his audio files.  You can listen to him here.  Among other things, he discusses corruption in the Iraqi police (the ones he's supposedly training), the twelve month troop rotation cycle and how it is destroying families, and how we are trying to steal Iraqi oil...His last email says he was physically threatened by his Sergeant Major.  His leadership asked him to stop his voice mails and his blog for security reasons. 

So it's very possible that he posted OPSEC info on his blog.

Anyway, I don't have confirmation on Clark's MOS or what is his role in Iraq.  I don't know if he's gone outside the wire and volunteered for turret duty as he has claimed.  According to Clark, he's in Camp Victory with the 860 MP Company (42nd MP Brigade).

I do know that he's unhappy, he doesn't sound like he's focused on the mission at hand, he's got a martyr complex, and he seems a bit unhinged and paranoid.  That's not someone you want covering your six.

If anyone at Camp Victory has info about Clark, please email me.