[NYTr] "Loose Change" producer arrested for allegedly deserting the Army

[nytr at olm.blythe-systems.com]

sent by Mark Graffis (activ-l) 


Loose Change producer arrested for allegedly deserting the Army

Daily Star - July 25, 2007
http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2007/07/25/jprowearrest0722.html


Movie creator charged

By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer

ONEONTA _ An Oneonta man who helped produce a 9/11 conspiracy
documentary that became an Internet hit was arrested Monday for
allegedly deserting the Army.

Korey Rowe, 24, a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, was picked up by
deputies at about 10:45 p.m. Monday, Otsego County Sheriff Richard
Devlin Jr. said.

Rowe, along with Dylan Avery and Jason Bermas, are members of Louder
Than Words, a production company that is working on a third edition of
the movie "Loose Change," which contends the U.S. government was
involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That edition is intended to be
a theatrical release.

Rowe and the other members of Louder Than Words have appeared on radio
shows including The Alex Jones Show and have been mentioned in Time
magazine. Vanity Fair magazine published a feature story on the group
last August.

Since 2002, Rowe was interviewed by The Daily Star several times about
"Loose Change" and his experiences in the military.

"We developed information that he was at a county Route 47 residence in
Oneonta last night," Devlin said Tuesday.

Rowe was arrested on a "military warrant" that Devlin said was brought
to the attention of deputies by the Oneonta Police Department, who
received information from a source outside of that department.

Rowe was living at the Route 47 home, Devlin said.

City police officials who were able to comment on the case were
unavailable Tuesday night.

After deputies received the information from Oneonta police, they
reached out to the Army, and officials from Fort Knox faxed a copy of
the warrant, deputies said.

Rowe previously told The Daily Star he enlisted in August 2001. He left
the Army in June 2005, according to the Louder Than Words website.

He is being held without bail in the Otsego County jail and is waiting
to be picked up by U.S. Army officials, Devlin said.

The Associated Press reported last month that deserters are rarely
court-martialed by the Army.

Although 3,301 soldiers deserted in the 2006 fiscal year, there were
just 174 troops court-martialed.

The AP report said some deserters are returned to their units, while
others are discharged in non-criminal proceedings.

Desertion rates have been rising since 2004, but the Army does little
to seek out deserters and instead relies on a database that can be
cross-checked by local law-enforcement agencies during encounters such
as traffic stops, the report states.

The Department of Defense public-affairs office did not immediately
return a call for comment Tuesday.

A woman who answered Rowes cell phone Tuesday and identified herself
only as Kristy said Rowe was "taken" from a house Monday night.

The Louder Than Words website lists a Kristy Kissner as an
administrative assistant for the group.

"All we know is that he has been arrested," the woman said. "We know
nothing. We just hope that whatever happened comes out."

Rowes parents did not immediately return a message left Tuesday.

In media interviews, Rowe has criticized the Iraq war and the Bush
administration.

Desertion is defined under Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice as being when a soldier leaves his or her unit or place of duty
with the intent to remain away from there permanently or quits his or
her unit with the intent to avoid hazardous duty. It is considered a
felony.