The return of an unhinged IVAW member

By Michelle Malkin  •  April 1, 2008 07:36 PM

1ivaw.jpg

Three weeks ago, I told you about the violent postings of Iraq Veterans Against the War member Evan Knappenberger, who threatened the Gathering of Eagles and advocated my assassination. I offered thanks to an IVAW official who announced that Knappenberger had been indefinitely suspended. Well, now that IVAW’s Winter Soldier hearings are over, it looks like things are back to normal.

“Normal” for the nutroots, that is.

Bellingham Herald reporter/blogger Sam Taylor reports that Knappenberger has been reinstated by the group.

Evan Knappenberger, a local Iraq War veteran who did the Stop Loss Tower Guard vigil last summer and started the local Iraq Veterans Against the War chapter was suspended from the group, but reinstated after four days, for making threats online against pro-war activists two weeks ago.

Knappenberger, who initially suffered an indefinite suspension, told me on the phone this morning that he had received an apology from the IVAW board for what he called their “arbitrary decision” to suspend him in the heat of the moment.

A reminder of the posts he published:

1goethreat.jpg

1threat2.jpg

1assass.jpg

There’s your poster boy for peace–once again a good member in standing with Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Gen. Wesley Clark, you must be so proud.

See what others have said

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Comments


  1. #277286
    On April 1st, 2008 at 7:45 pm, brooklyn red said:

    Wow, somebody needs a vacation at Club Gitmo… where are the authorities?

  2. #277293
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:03 pm, Armigerous said:

    Sheesh…..this clown needs a nice Drano enema

  3. #277297
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:14 pm, hadsil said:

    Apology acceptance revoked.

  4. #277301
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:22 pm, JHSII said:

    I never accepted the apology because I knew it was a lie, and I believe I said so at the time.

    Surprise level: 0.00

  5. #277306
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:25 pm, JammieWearingFool said:

    What padded cell did he spend his “suspension” in?

  6. #277309
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:31 pm, Boomer said:

    I want to see this sick kid’s DD Form 214 before I even think he could be a real veteran. If he is then he needs to spend some time in a VA Hospital getting some serious Psychiatric help before he should be released back out as part of the general public.

  7. #277313
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:34 pm, Richard Romano said:

    A sick, twisted, deranged, and violent kook — par for the course for the left.

    Show me even one conservative blog who talks and smears like this guy does; you won’t find it.

  8. #277314
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:34 pm, DBNinKY said:

    I know the IVAW is jealous of GOA’s support and success, but Knappenberger is carrying it to the extreme. What’s his problem anyway? Is he in need of publicity for the”cause,” and hoping to hitch his star to MM by involing her name in a headline grabbing free speech issue; or is he just bitter and feels the need to “spread the hate?”

  9. #277319
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:41 pm, amystitz said:

    has anyone vetted this guy? all I can find on him are his stop-loss protesting, tower-guard thing…I’m curious about where he actually was, what he actually did and saw, etc…

  10. #277320
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:44 pm, rooster said:

    So I guess it would be foolish to think this nut was investigated by any of our law enforcement.

  11. #277322
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:45 pm, almeehan said:

    Nice guy. Must teach Sunday School at the Trinity south side church.

  12. #277324
    On April 1st, 2008 at 8:47 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

    A child gets suspended from school for drawing a stick figure with something the teacher interpets as a gun.
    This nutjob posts online threats and encourages assassination. He nutjob friends suspend him for four days then apologize to him for doing that “in the heat of the moment.”
    Which one should be in jail?

  13. #277329
    On April 1st, 2008 at 9:00 pm, LC said:

    Has anyone notified the local authorities of this guy’s threats? He seems like a real danger to himself and others. Not to mention that inciting violence has never been an excuse for “free speech.” You must be over the target, Michelle. Because you’re sure taking flak.

  14. #277330
    On April 1st, 2008 at 9:03 pm, zorro said:

    Evan Knappenberger needs to choose his next words very carefully at this point.

  15. #277336
    On April 1st, 2008 at 9:07 pm, Chief RZ said:

    boomer, I’m with you. Maybe he is another Jessee Mc..
    I ran into one of these guys in Columbia, SC. I asked him a few questions and don’t think he was ever in country.

  16. #277375
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:08 pm, granite said:

    How nice.
    Our own domestic barbarian savage.

  17. #277382
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:15 pm, olsantaroy said:

    Like Boomer, I want to see this nutcase’s discharge papers. If he ever was in the military anywhere, it would shock and appall me. He absolutely needs help or incarceration.

  18. #277386
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:21 pm, PBoilermaker said:

    I concur with all who said they would like to see this kid’s DD 214 long form. I wonder if his discharge was honorable.

    Regardless, he has some serious problems.

  19. #277387
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:23 pm, FloridaBill said:

    Unhinged loon now back in flock.

    I hope you reported this to the authorities, Michelle. I also hope someone – ANYONE – can get this guy the help he so clearly needs (especcially if he is a vet).

    Be safe!

  20. #277390
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:33 pm, JJwclink said:

    Liberalism is a mental disorder. He needs to take himself out of his own misery.

  21. #277391
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:37 pm, Jiobaobubai said:

    And THESE are the “people” promoting peace?

    If you need body guards Michelle, just let us know.

  22. #277397
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:58 pm, right_on said:

    This is the type of ego-driven whiner that “survives” warfare, while those I believe are far more deserving of living, die in the cause of freedom.

    I doubt he realizes that he has the freedom to whine, complain, treat, and otherwise show himself off as the pathetic life form to which he has de-volved, exactly because of the sacrifices of others.

    He, in my humble opinion, doesn’t deserve to be an American citizen, much less, to be called “hero,” simply because he served. If this is what we get, then I DON’T appreciate HIS service!

  23. #277398
    On April 1st, 2008 at 10:59 pm, Bogtrotter said:

    What does it take, legally, to see a persons service record? I would love to learn that if this guy was in the service it was with something like……
    …the 999th Shoe Repair battalian, based in Nebraska or something. Not knocking stateside service by the way. I myself spent my AF years 71-75 as a extermnator in civil engineering, N. Dakota & Alaska. LOL

  24. #277399
    On April 1st, 2008 at 11:04 pm, jeanie said:

    I thought that sort of thing was illegal?

  25. #277402
    On April 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pm, right_on said:

    From the Democracy Now! website:

    EVAN KNAPPENBERGER: I was on Camp Taji, which is north of Bagdad, I ended up in Iraq I did 97 nights in this tower, pretty much ten hours a night, guarding an empty field and a few shepherds. I used to think when I was doing that, what it would look like if I was guarding American soil or doing something actually worth while, in my opinion.

    AMY GOODMAN: Did you fire your gun in Iraq?

    EVAN KNAPPENBERGER: No, I never fired my weapon in Iraq.

    Well, that just about says it all, now doesn’t it? Remember? HE FOUGHT IN IRAQ!

  26. #277408
    On April 1st, 2008 at 11:49 pm, DaveC said:

    that justifies everything for him… ‘I FOUGHT IN IRAQ!!!’

    not for anyone else who was there.. only him..

  27. #277420
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 am, Branden-in-escalon said:

    I will respect anyone who served in our military, since I did not, but I think he is using that fact to justify his over the top rantings. Why is this guy not being picked up on a 72 hour psych hold?

    His using his service as an excuse to behave like a jerk (and a potentially dangerous one at that) is an insult to every man and women in the service who has actually fought in the trenches in Iraq and elsewhere.

  28. #277421
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 12:26 am, Tantor said:

    I’d say it’s time for your attorney to send a nasty lawyer note to the IVAW holding them responsible for their member’s actions. It’s also time to file a police report. Maybe a friendly visit from the police might squelch this. A complaint would document his behavior for future legal action should it all get out of hand.

  29. #277423
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 12:26 am, jimC said:

    I would bet that his “suspension” was to get the heat off of the winter soldier sham. They knew his posting would cause bad publicity, so they had to do something to him. My guess is the conversation went something like this.

    We’re going to suspend you while winter soldier is going on, but never fear… we’ll let you back in after it’s over. Your blog posting brought some serious heat down on us, and we can’t afford that right now.

    As Michelle has said time and time again THEY DON’T SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!!

    Jim C

  30. #277429
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 am, bayou22 said:

    I know it may be that Google (blogspot) isn’t willing to do anything, but can’t he be shut down by his ISP/hosting portal for these threats? That should be investigated as a criminal matter. He’s not exercising free speech, he’s advocating and inciting violent and threatening behavior.

  31. #277438
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 am, Miss Ladybug said:

    bayou~

    Did you read Sam Taylor’s piece that Michelle linked to? When I read it earlier this evening, Sam noted that Evan initially made his blog private, and now he’s deleted it altogether…

  32. #277440
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 am, Miss Ladybug said:

    I don’t think Evan is another Jesse MacBeth. According to Cassandra over at Villainous Company, she was contacted by someone with IVAW to inform her that IVAW now requires a copy of the DD-214 in order to become a member. Her editor’s note is towards the bottom of the post, where is has mentioned Jesse MacBeth and Jimmy Massy.

  33. #277443
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 3:08 am, Subsailor688 said:

    The statements made by this individual are considered criminal acts in most states. I am concerned that the relavant authorities are not treating this as a serious matter. Ms. Malkin, please review your security plan and alert your local police to this obviously deranged individual.

  34. #277451
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 4:20 am, graysonret said:

    Criminal behavior is treated with a slap on the hand. If one of us here did that, the MSM would have a field day and we’d be looking at years in prison. It’s disgusting. He’s no veteran. When you turn against your buddies for politics, it’s the lowest of the low.

  35. #277454
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 4:38 am, bit_boy said:

    EVAN KNAPPENBERGER: I was on Camp Taji, which is north of Bagdad, I ended up in Iraq I did 97 nights in this tower, pretty much ten hours a night, guarding an empty field and a few shepherds. I used to think when I was doing that, what it would look like if I was guarding American soil or doing something actually worth while, in my opinion.

    This is a huge red flag and contrary to military guard/security protocols. There is no point in providing shepherd security, watch duration is usually four hours on four hours off with transport to and from the guarded sight, assignment rotations, and at least one day off a week. Unless your an MP, 97 nights without days is not believable. If the IVAW is composed of genuine Iraq war vets they should have vetted Knappenbergere as other than one of them and if not then perhaps they all are not what they want to be.

  36. #277464
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 5:36 am, graysonret said:

    Bit_Boy, he was probably put there because of his attitude. With a “screwup” like him, what better place to keep him busy, than “guarding and empty field and a few shepherds.” If I was his LT, I couldn’t think of a better place for him, so he doesn’t end up killing some members of his platoon on a patrol. Either that or assign him to permanent KP.

  37. #277476
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 7:36 am, bloghooligan said:

    can’t the military take action against a vet who engages in such behavior? i mean afterall, he is still on the gov’t dime.

  38. #277480
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 7:54 am, gunslingerpatriot said:

    Guys-
    I checked out military.com and this clown doesn’t show up at all. I found six pages of knappenberger’s; none with the first name evan.

    The site lists all profiles that people have set up, and shows a brief DOD profile with name/homestate/rank-rate/grade and military MOS/NEC.

    Barring some act of lunacy, it is my assessment that either this “guy” is a veteran/active duty using a pseduomimn (sp?) or he’s a military wannabe that couldn’t pass the basic entrance requirements to get into the service and did not serve a single day in uniform.

    GSP

  39. #277484
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 8:11 am, DesertLover said:

    Has anyone else noticed that once we dig into the backgrounds of a large percentage of these “anti-war vets” we find such huge discrepancies … ranging from they were never in Iraq or that they were in places where they never really saw any of the “action” they expected …

    Many of these “vets” come across to me as sour grapes espousing and disillusioned “John Wayne Wannabes” who are graduates and devout followers of the principles learned at the Hillary Clinton School of Embellishment and Self-Aggrandizement …

    If this guy really was “guarding an empty field” I can guarantee you there was a reason … it was either an Al Qaeda suspected infiltration route … or an assembly area … or something that had intelligence or activity value to our forces … Most likely a PFC would not be included in the reasons for the assignment … and like others I find the “97 nights” story to be totally implausible …

    How many combat tested vets would have liked to have never had to fire their weapons? … How many vets would have liked to have never seen the death and injuries to their friends and fellow service members? … How many vets would have liked to have never been attacked and fired upon? … The answer is simple … All of us!

    There is no glory in war … those that have been there will tell those that have not to forget the Hollywood images in their heads and get real … “War is Hell” is the simplest and most profound description ever put forth … and it is true …

  40. #277485
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 8:12 am, Beaker1214 said:

    I believe calling for the assassination of a person is conspiracy to murder. Have the authorities been notified? I hope Michelle has taken this nut’s rantings to the police or FBI. These kinds of people do concern me due to the fact that they are so outside the fringe that they might actually do something. They believe, just like the terrorists, that they are doing right.
    Again, I hope Michelle forwards this to the authorities.

  41. #277489
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 am, mycroft69 said:

    These traitors are giving us no choice in our response.

  42. #277501
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 8:50 am, 509th Bob said:

    Beaker, he has been reported to the authorities. I, among others, reported him.

    If he is suffering from Post Traumatic Shock Disorder, then he no longer may lawfully possess firearms. I can’t recall whether this idiot, or his other buddy, is the one who posted claims about smuggling weapons back from Iraq, and possessing many others.

    So, Evan, if you read this, expect some visitors. If you have any guns, sell them now.

  43. #277502
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 am, michele hampton said:

    Michelle,

    You be careful out there, I worry as you have young children. We need you and so does your family. I will pray for your safety and strength to do battle everyday with these nuts. Thanks for what you do in telling the truth.

  44. #277528
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 am, emjem24 said:

    Is anybody really shocked by this development? Did we really think there were any reasonable people in this “organization?” The IVAW is a bunch of a)military posers, b)disenchanted ex-military members who’ve been discharged. I don’t take anything this group does/says seriously, just as I don’t take take what a troll on this blog says seriously.

    *One important note: if you threaten the life/lives of people like the Gathering of Eagles or Michelle, you should be on a terror watch list. Threatening people is what terrorists do, not reasonable people. Oh, I’m sorry, they’re exercising their “freedom of speech.” My mistake.

  45. #277627
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 am, Army said:

    509thBob, simply being diagnosed with PTSD is no call for the Lautenberg clause. He MUST be adjudicated to a mental health facility. Only then will his name be put on the list of mental incompetents.

    PTSD is a crutch abused far too often, IMHO.

  46. #277631
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 11:02 am, DakRoland said:

    Glad you took screenshots, apparently the blog is no longer available.

  47. #277806
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm, greenfairie said:

    The fact that IVAW suspended the guy for only four days and apologized to him shows you everything you need to know about these phonies. They had no problem with the guy making threats against GOE or Michelle, they just didn’t want to risk any media flak for it.

  48. #277927
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm, ScoopPC11 said:

    I was going to mention that his blog was no long around. When this first happened I flagged his blog everyday, hoping that Blogger would do something. For awhile, he put it on “private.” Glad to see that they did something.

  49. #277947
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm, Pickle said:

    Good. Letting psychopathic scum like him back into their little group reinforces the argument that in addition to being traitors, IVAW is also a terrorist group.

  50. #277967
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm, shark said:

    I knew plenty of idiotic soldiers during my 5 years in the Army, trust me, they’re not all patriots and good guys. Most, but not all.

    Being an Iraqi Vet does not make you a moral authority on the war, any more than John Kerry was an authority on… anything.

    It just meant you went there, and gained nothing from your experience. Congratulations, you’re a failure. I have no doubt you were a failure in the military, which is why you were put on an irrelevant guard duty in the first place – because no one trusts you.

    Obviously his warning to the Gathering of Eagles was more of his boastful, meaningless drivel. I’m just happy he’s on the watch-list now, I hope he enjoys all of his email, phone, and written communications screened.

  51. #277997
    On April 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm, md1964 said:

    Rereading the wonderful posting of this unassuming, John “Christmas in Cambodia” Kerry version 2.0 just makes me so proud of the love and tolerance from the Liberal mind.

    (For all the liberal, hyperventilating on their own howard dean anger, and can’t figure it out readers…that was called sarcasm)..

  52. #279079
    On April 3rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm, jeffislouie said:

    MM should report this to the FBI.
    Period.
    It is irresponsible (and illegal) for anyone to make threats of bodily harm, then say “I don’t intend to act.”
    And calling on imams for a fatwah against a united states citizen is an act of terrorism.
    Period.
    Why is it that liberals are incapable of disagreeing with opinions without displaying their most violent, disgusting, and sexually tinged views?
    I’m starting to think that it’s time someone found this guy and hurt him (not that I would do that- see, it’s disingenuous!).
    And you get my thanks for your service, jackass, but not my respect. Serving in Iraq was very patriotic. But that service doesn’t mean that you can’t be wrong, can’t be crazy, and can’t be an ass.

  53. #299948
    On April 24th, 2008 at 9:55 pm, Billy Mays said:

    SOUNDS LIKE HE NEEDS A (((HUG)))

  54. #327640
    On May 20th, 2008 at 1:17 pm, Chuck said:

    Desert Lover said:
    …If this guy really was “guarding an empty field” …

    From the sounds of this clown if I was his platoon sergeant I’d have had him guarding an empty field with an empty weapon. I might have even forgot to notify him of his DEROS. :-)

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