Family members of a Marine who was killed by an Afghan rebel on a U.S. military base back in 2012 has kicked off a lawsuit against the Corps, accusing top officials of concealing details regarding the attack.
The New York Post first reported that family members of Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr., who was 21 when he died, have uncovered details about the killer that the Marine Corps did not willingly release — namely, that the shooter, Ainuddin Khudairaham, was actually a “tea boy” for an infamous Afghani police chief.
And that this police chief, Sarwar Jan, was a known drug dealer and arms trader with the Taliban, but was actually allowed to work in the Helmand province, regardless of his shady reputation, the family said, the New York Post reported.
Khudairahm was working for Mr. Jan on the base when he simply walked into a gym and shot and killed Buckley, along with two others — Cpl. Richard Rivera and Staff Sgt. Scott Dickinson. He then called himself a jihadist while being arrested, the New York Post reported.
The family members said in their court suit filed in Brooklyn that Marine commanders “should never have allowed Jan or the murderer to enter, let alone operate out of” the base, the New York Post reported. The family also alleges they weren’t informed of Khudairaham’s trial in Afghanistan that revealed he was only sentenced to seven years in prison, as a juvenile.
Buckley’s father and aunt say they’ve asked Marine Corps representatives repeatedly for information related to the killing, but they have been ignored, the New York Post reported. Their suit demands access to the full documentation of the killings.
“Gold Star families shouldn’t have to beg or sue to get the respect, information and assistance to which they are legally and morally entitled,” said Michael Bowe, the lawyer for the family, in the New York Post. “This is a sad and shameful day.”
The New York Post reported the Marine Corps didn’t respond to questions about the lawsuit.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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