Jack Idema

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[[File:Idema.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Idema at his trial in Kabul.]]{{crimenav|1}}
{{cquote|[Idema was] a true [[sociopath]]. A charmer who was [[omnipotent]] and the epitome of [[evil]].|||Penny Alessi, who was Idema's ex-girlfriend.<ref name="torturerdeath">[https://www.wired.com/2012/01/vigilante-dies-in-mexico/ "Vigilante torturer dies in Mexico"] - ''The Wired''. Published January 2012.</ref>}}
{{cquote|According to an aid director, Idema announced that his aim in the country was “to kill every Afghan I see.”|||''New York Magazine''<ref name="desertfraud">{{cws|https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/10121/|Keith Idema's Operation Desert Fraud|New York Magazine}}</ref>}}
'''Jonathan "Jack" Idema''' (who also went by his middle name of '''Keith''')<ref name="desertfraud"/> {{lived|1956|2012}} was an [[United States|American]] former [[United States Armed Forces|soldier]], [[vigilante]], [[mercenary]], and [[War on Terror]] [[con artist|grifter]] who is best known for [[extrajudicially]] [[torturing]] suspected "[[Islamists]]"{{efn|Translated from [[asshole]] speak: Random schmucks he kidnapped off the streets of Kabul.}} in [[Afghanistan]]. He claimed at various times to be a [[business]]man, author, [[Irony|"super-terrorist" hunter]], [[drug]] and [[gun]] smuggler, security consultant, and [[CIA]] [[paramilitary]] operator. He ran cons all the way from Kabul to [[Uzbekistan]]. This con-artistry continued even after his retirement as a war criminal and terrorist, until he eventually died of [[AIDS]] in [[Mexico]] in 2012.<ref name="mcclatchy">[https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article24722962.html#storylink=cpy "Jack Idema, jailed for torturing Afghans, reportedly dies in Mexico"] - ''Raleigh News and Observer''. Pub. Jan. 2012. By Jay Price.</ref>

==Military service==
[[File:Idemaberet.png|right|180px|thumb|A younger Jack Idema, presumably while he was still with the Green Berets.]]

From an early age Idema was obsessed with the military. As ''Rolling Stone'' explains:

{{quotebox|As a child, Idema saw the John Wayne Vietnam War movie ''The Green Berets'' and immediately decided to drop his dream of becoming a veterinarian in favor of becoming a Special Forces soldier.<ref name="shadow">{{cws|https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-shadow-warrior-jack-idema-232967/|The Shadow Warrior: Jack Idema|Rolling Stone}}</ref>}}

Idema liked to claim that he served with distinction in the {{wpl|Green Berets||.}} While it is true that Idema served with the Green Berets, what he actually did was far less glamorous than front-line duty.<ref name="records">{{cite news |last=Robberson |first=Tod |date=2004-08-30 |title=Records seem to discredit self-proclaimed Special Forces expert. ... .Out of service since '84, man accused in Afghan case never saw combat |newspaper=Dallas Morning News |url=http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies204.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=2007-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041027110556/http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies204.htm |archive-date=2004-10-27 |quote=According to a copy of his military records, Mr. Idema trained and qualified for Special Forces in 1977. Mr. Idema then switched to reserve status, where he remained until he left the Army in 1984. There is no record of any combat service.}}</ref> Idema was reported by the brass as being a lazy and incompetent soldier. In particular he was cited for "failure to obey orders, being derelict in the performance of his duty, and being disrespectful to a superior commanding officer."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060211103231/http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/img/2005/ep01/fi_parolereport.pdf Florida parole report for Jack Idema]</ref> One officer, Captain John D. Carlson, once remarked that Idema was "without a doubt the most unmotivated, unprofessional, immature enlisted man I have ever known."<ref>Young Pelton, Robert (2006). ''Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror.'' (2006) Random House. {{isbn|9781400097814}}</ref>{{rp|241}}

Idema's qualifications ''did'' include identification as a pistol expert and badges for "scuba and parachute training," but as mentioned above there is no evidence Idema ever heard a shot "fired in anger" during his time in the military.<ref name="shadow"/> 

After a ''very'' short stint with the Green Berets, Idema entered reserve. He remained in reserve until he was discharged in 1984.<ref name="records"/>

According to Idema, after he left the military he served as a "US military advisor" in [[El Salvador]] and Honduras during the mid-1980s, and claimed that while he was supposedly "serving" in Honduras he served as part of an "SMU," meaning "Special Missions Unit."<ref name="shadow"/> While Idema was never able to actually provide ''proof'' for these claims,{{efn|Because why would he?}} there were supposedly classified military records{{efn|To quote Idema: "The ones they don't want to give to anyone."<ref name="shadow"/> Convenient, that.}} that would prove his claims.<ref name="shadow"/>

Surprisingly some of Idema's stories ''can'' be independently verified. Idema did actually train guards to protect American interests in [[Haiti]] during the 1980s, and he "worked in some capacity" with the [[Thai]] military.<ref name="shadow"/> The verification for these exploits came in documentation provided to Peter Bergen by Idema's former [[business]] partner Thomas Bumback. During the 1980s Bumback and Idema ran a "counterterrorism training facility" that catered to a diverse clientele, including, of all people, [[Saint Ronnie]]'s son.<ref name="shadow"/>

==Idema's (domestic) criminal career==
{{main|Crime}}
Idema was wanted by the [[US]] [[government]] for a standing warrant in [[North Carolina]] until the time of his death in [[Mexico]]. Idema went into business selling military clothing after being discharged from service, and in the 90s was charged with fraudulently running a shell company bilking suppliers "of items valued more than $200,000." Idema served four years in [[prison]] for {{wpl|wire fraud||.}} After Idema was released from prison he would maintain that the [[FBI]] were out to [[persecution complex|get him]], a claim he would maintain until his death.<ref name="mcclatchy"/> To quote ''McClatchy DC'':

{{quotebox|According to records, he was charged with more than three dozen other crimes in North Carolina, among them assault on a female, assault with a deadly weapon, passing worthless checks, assault by pointing a gun and reckless driving.<ref name="mcclatchy"/>}}

==Lithuanian nuke smugglers==
Idema was contacted by the [[Lithuania]]n authorities in 1993 to train their [[police]] forces. While there, Idema claimed to have uncovered "evidence" of a [[nuclear weapon]] smuggling ring.{{efn|Specifically, a plan by the [[Russian]] [[organized crime|Mafia]] to smuggle nukes out of the country.}} This was complete [[bullshit]] of course, but that didn't stop Idema from contacting the FBI about this. The FBI requested Idema provide his sources. Idema refused, claiming the FBI was [[red-baiting|infested]] with [[KGB]] goons who would [[murder|kill]] his sources if they were exposed.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

Keep in mind that Idema was ''actively being investigated'' by the FBI for the aforementioned wire fraud during this time, showcasing just how much of a colossal dumbass Idema really was.<ref name="shadow"/>

According to David Albright, one of the world's foremost experts on nuclear profileration, the [[urban legend]] that nukes were being sold in suitcases was just that: an urban legend.<ref name="shadow"/> This didn't stop Idema from peddling this nonsense, of course. Never let [[fact]] get in the way of a good story and all that.

==Marriage and 9/11==
While in prison for the aforementioned wire fraud, Idema began a correspondence with a woman he never met, named Viktoria Running Wolf. Running Wolf eventually [[married]] Idema.<ref name="shadow"/> After being released from prison, Idema and Running Wolf, both being [[dog]] lovers, decided to start a pet hotel business. Of course, [[9/11]] came and went, and Idema lost his fucking mind.<ref name="shadow"/> Idema became "obsessed" with the idea of vengeance against nebulous brown-skinned foreigners after that:

{{quotebox|I had a house and a hot tub, and I had a beautiful wife. I was making good money... And then they blew the fucking World Trade Center up; my whole life changed. I’m a fucking New Yorker. I’m going to kill every goddamn one of them until I drop dead.<ref name="shadow"/>}}

==Afghan misadventures==
===The Road to El Dorado===
Shortly after 9/11, Idema contacted a friend of his from ''[[National Geographic]]'', a television producer by the name of Gary Scurka. Idema asked Scurka if he "wanted to document some humanitarian work [Idema] was planning in Afghanistan."<ref name="shadow"/> Scurka said yes, of course. However, almost from the get-go things went to shit. In October Idema and Scurka had arrived in Uzbekistan, only to be detained for "not having passports."<ref name="shadow"/> Idema worked his contacts in the American government and got the intrepid duo released.<ref name="shadow"/> Idema and Scurka then traveled to [[Tajikistan]], where they met up with cameraman Neil Barret. Barret recalled thinking, upon meeting Idema:

{{quotebox|This is the guy who is going to take us into Afghanistan? ... One of his first comments to me was: Did I have an exit strategy? And I’m thinking, ‘I have walked into a fucking movie.'<ref name="shadow"/>}}

Idema and co had finally managed to cross the border into Afghanistan when they met up with Ed Artis, a man who ran a private [[charity]] dedicated to providing relief work to "some of the most dangerous places in the world."<ref name="shadow"/> However, Artis quickly came to ''hate'' Idema, once calling him "the dumbest fuck I have ever met."<ref name="shadow"/>

Idema, according to Artis, actually intended to provide military supplies to the {{wpl|Northern Alliance||,}} which was a coalition representing the anti-Taliban resistance at the time. This ended up jeopardizing Artis' humanitarian work in a big way.<ref name="shadow"/> On the fourth day of filming, Scurka got shot in the leg, and had to be flown back to the US.<ref name="shadow"/> This quickly ended Idema's documentary prospects,{{efn|Especially as Artis refused to associate with this clown.}} but Jack was not to be deterred. A few weeks later Idema sauntered up to journalists covering the {{wpl|Battle of Tora Bora||,}} where bin Laden and al-Qaeda were holed up at the time. Many journalists were "pleasantly surprised" to find a dude who looked like a special forces operator willing to talk to the press.<ref name="shadow"/>

Among Idema's many dubious exploits, one particular amusing, if telling, one was when he once fooled an Afghan warlord into believing he was training his men on the US military's behalf, only to instead use these men as security detail for foreign journalists.<ref name="mcclatchy"/> Another one of the many dubious honors Idema can lay claim to is his successful hoodwinking of the mainstream [[media]] over alleged "tapes" he supposedly caught of [[Al-Qaeda]] training footage showing men in balaclavas training for raids{{efn|something that Al-Qaeda doesn't do, as most of their activity consists of bombings.}} and hostage-taking. ''60 Minutes'' was incredibly eager to get their hands on this obviously fake footage. In reality Idema hired local civilians to cosplay as terrorists so he could milk a fuck-ton of cash from credulous "journalists" in the heavily [[Islamophobic]] environment of post-[[9/11]] America.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

Idema's most infamous dishonor was where he ran an unsanctioned [[private prison]] in Kabul where he kidnapped Afghan civilians and tortured them in what has been called a "miniature [[Abu Ghraib]]."<ref name="desertfraud"/> To quote ''The New Yorker'':

{{quotebox|Early press reports indicated that three prisoners found in Idema’s custody during the raid were blindfolded and beaten and strapped to the ceiling by their feet; five others were tied to chairs with rope in a small, dark room down a hall that was littered with bloodied clothing.<ref name="desertfraud"/>}}

None of the men abducted and tortured by this wannabe vigilante [[psychopath]] were found to have connections to Al-Qaeda.<ref name="desertfraud"/>{{efn|Which is a major blow to the credibility of a man who fancied himself a "super-terrorist hunter."}} Just days before Idema's arrest, CBS received a video of Idema brandishing an assault rifle showing off his victims. CBS reporter Dan Rather hoped to travel to Afghanistan to interview Idema's supposed "terror suspects," and Idema had been in regular contact with Rather since 2002.<ref name="desertfraud"/> 

What allowed such a conman to operate so freely and openly? Part of the blame can be laid at Idema's charisma. He had managed to worm his way into even American military bases, but a lot more of it can be blamed on the frankly unregulated and unmonitored environment brought about by the hysteria following 9/11. Dan Rathers describes Idema as fitting right in with Afghanistan's "Wild West" character, and with it being difficult to tell if any uniformed agent was who they said they were, Idema did indeed fit right in.<ref name="desertfraud"/>{{efn|It didn't help that any calls for adequate monitoring would've been met with cries of "{{wpl|treason||"}} and "anti-American sentiment."}}

===The Fraudulent Hunt for bin Laden===
[[File:Huntforbinladen.jpg|right|180px|thumb|How to successfully grift a world famous author in three simple steps!]]

Idema had even managed to hoodwink famous author and wartime correspondent {{wpl|Robin Moore||,}}{{efn|Who even wrote the book that Idema's favorite movie was based on!<ref name="shadow"/>}} who wrote a book based on Idema's bullshit titled ''The Hunt For [[Bin Laden]]''. It portrays Idema as a "titanic presence" on the front, even claiming Idema was the "only Special Forces agent on the ground conducting intelligence."<ref name="desertfraud"/> Idema had actually provided most of the photography for the book, and could even be credited with ghost-writing the abomination.<ref name="shadow"/> Moore had even thanked an "anonymous Green Beret"{{efn|No points for guessing who that "anonymous" Green Beret was.}} for constant "day-and-night rewrites in the final months."<ref name="shadow"/>

To give an example of Idema's excessive self-aggrandizement, we're going to quote a section from the book as follows:

{{quotebox|In January, Jack uncovered an al-Qaida plot to kill President Clinton. In March, standing in the middle of a Kabul street armed with a Russian assault rifle and six hundred rounds of ammunition, Jack held off Islamic fundamentalists for four hours as they tried to take eighteen foreign citizens hostage, keeping them at bay until Engineer Ali and the Northern Alliance arrived to back him up. By the end of March, Jack was in a Northern Alliance helicopter on his way to the Nahrin earthquake, where the Associated Press photographed the lone American rescuing a little girl. She wasn’t the first child he would save, or the last.<ref name="desertfraud"/>}}

Idema claimed that all of this was true, despite there being no independent evidence for it.<ref name="shadow"/> Of course, one thing Idema ''did'' leave out that ''can'' be independently verified is when he shot at a skeptical journalist at a Kabul bar.<ref name="shadow"/> We even have the testimony of the journalist Idema had shot at:

{{quotebox|This reporter was five feet away from Mr. Idema on April 20, 2002, when he drew a pistol during an argument and fired a bullet that went through a couch and lodged in a wall behind me … missing my heart by about eight inches.<ref name="shadow"/>}}

When asked if this was true, Idema said it was, although he stressed that the journalist was on the other side of the room from Idema when it happened.<ref name="shadow"/>{{efn|As if that makes literally ''shooting'' at someone during a bar argument okay.}}

The book quickly became a best-seller, but Moore was soon to learn that he had been scammed. Critical reviews (including by some Special Forces agents) led Moore to seek review and advice from ''actual'' operators, but when Moore went to his publisher to try to get them to issue these changes, they refused. Idema retaliated, as usual, by alleging [[conspiracy]], claiming that a shadowy cabal of special forces agents had "allegedly threatened and coerced 77-year-old Robin Moore, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, into submitting the changes to the already copyrighted bestseller."<ref name="desertfraud"/> Idema filed suit against these and several other groups, including [[Fox News]], who had dropped Idema as an expert consultant when they realized he was too full of shit even for them.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

Coasting off the financial success of this book, Idema founded a company called "The Hunt for Bin Laden LLC." Over time, Idema's behavior became "increasingly erratic." He reportedly bulldozed his apartment living room with a "samurai sword," [[domestic violence|choked]] his girlfriend, and forged a letter from [[Fox News]] to justify his lawsuit against the network.<ref name="desertfraud"/> Idema would soon be charged with mail fraud for all this bullshit.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

Idema responded by fleeing the country, back to his usual stomping grounds in Kabul. Once there, Idema was quick to set up his own paramilitary group/gang of thugs ostentatiously called "Task Force Saber 7" consisting of him, another former soldier named Brent Bennet, and TV cameraman Eddie Caraballo, who Idema had hired to film a "[[schlockumentary|documentary]]" featuring Idema's "exploits" in the war against Al-Qaeda. Idema hired four local mercenaries, and began rounding up Afghan civilians as "suspected terrorists."<ref name="desertfraud"/> Horrifyingly, [[NATO]] forces assisted Idema in at least three of his raids, and on at least one occasion US troops took into custody a "suspect" Task Force Saber 7 had abducted from the streets.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

===Trial===
[[File:Rs-19150-rectangle.webp|right|180px|thumb|Idema being escorted to a Kabul courtroom by Afghani policemen.]]
What would finally do Idema in, however, was when he fell for the same hubristic trap that the soldiers at Abu Ghraib did. He took photos and then sent them to various US-based friends. These photos contained graphic content of Idema and his hired thugs brutally torturing Afghan civilians, and one of these friends forwarded the files to American authorities. Soon afterwards, wanted posters of Idema would be posted all over Kabul. Idema was arrested on May 5th, where Afghan police found the incriminating evidence.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

Idema claimed throughout his trial to be acting with NATO sanction{{efn|To be fair, it's hard to argue against that when NATO partook in some of his raids and accepted some of Idema's captives.}} but the judge presiding over the case summarily dismissed these arguments and found Idema guilty. There was some footage presented that had audio of Idema engaging in talks with US General William Boykin's office over a planned raid on a terrorist facility. Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt as Idema is demonstrably ''not'' a reliable character, having faked footage before for his own gain.<ref name="desertfraud"/>

The trial itself would prove especially surreal. There was "only one good microphone," which would be moved from lawyer to judge depending on "who was talking." Idema would often light [[tobacco|cigarettes]] and then give impromptu news conferences while he was supposed to be at trial.<ref name="chicago">[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-09-16-0409160230-story.html "3 Americans get prison for torture"] - ''The Chicago Tribune''. Published September 9<sup>th</sup>, 2004.</ref> At one point, Idema grabbed a copy of the [[Qur'an]] and kissed it, prompting the largely Afghan audience to break out into a cheer of applause. One of Idema's accusers even shouted out "[[Allah|God]] is great!" at the sight of this absurd display.<ref name="chicago"/>

On the sixth day of the trial Idema would on occasion take control of the entire courtroom. At one point he even explained the "goals" of his Afghan adventurism to the judges in a manner as if they were children.<ref name="chicago"/> Idema's world was "one of spies and intrigue, of good guys and bad guys." Idema would mention that his passport was given by a "special agency in [[Washington, DC]]" that he could not name. He would talk about his missions, including one mission to deliver a "package," a supposed [[jargon|term of art]] for "high-value target".<ref name="chicago"/> His defense even featured footage of a blacked out person, who remained anonymous for "security reasons".<ref name="chicago"/>

As mentioned above, the judges would summarily dismiss Idema's defense. At one point the chief judge Abdul Baset Bakhtiari told the defense team that the judge team could not read the statements of the defense team. Bakhtiari also refused to allow Idema's defense to provide documentation that Idema alleged would show evidence of NATO sanctioning.<ref name="chicago"/> According to the ''Chicago Tribune'' the only sign of "recent communication" between the FBI and Idema was a package sent by the Feds to Idema, but it is "unknown" what the package contained.<ref name="chicago"/>{{efn|Although the fact that the Feds sent Idema a package at all is fairly suspicious... but not really conclusive evidence in and of itself.}}

Idema's defense team declared that the trial of the "Kabul trio" (Idema and his two American allies/co-conspirators) were not up to [[kangaroo court|international standards]].<ref name="chicago"/> The American authorities, however, declared that Idema and his fellow defendants should be tried by Afghan, and not American, law. In addition the US military, who had previously received inmates from Idema, distanced themselves from Idema and declared him to be a "fraud."<ref name="chicago"/> 

One wonders if this is because Idema's actions were "embarrassing" for the US. However, the US was not the only nation embarrassed to be associated with Idema. Afghan governmental officials were caught on camera meeting with Idema.<ref name="chicago"/> To be fair to these Afghan officials, Idema actively styled himself as a special forces operator, and many people did believe his bullshit.<ref name="chicago"/>

Upon being sentenced, Idema threatened violence:

{{quotebox|After being sentenced, Idema, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier once convicted of fraud, swore several times, suggested that he might kill a couple of people before any appeal and mentioned a "bloodbath."<ref name="chicago"/>}}

Idema proceeded to insinuate that the prosecution and presiding tribunal were affiliated with the [[Taliban]].<ref name="chicago"/> He even went as far as to insinuate that the prosecution had the "same sick sense of justice" as the Taliban, which is particularly ironic coming from a man who ran a private torture facility.<ref name="chicago"/>

Idema would ultimately be sentenced to ten years in prison. His co-conspirator Brent Bennet received the same sentence, while the journalist Idema had hired, Eddie Caraballo, received eight years.<ref name="chicago"/>

After the trial and sentencing, Idema and his co-conspirators were sent to Pul-e-Charkhi prison, one of the most dangerous jails in the world. Idema's stay in Afghani jail, however, was comparable to living in a mansion suite. To quote ''McClatchy DC'':

{{quotebox|Idema, though, somehow managed to land in an apartment-style cell with luxurious carpets, satellite television and a private bathroom and dining area. He had a pet dog, a phone and access to the [[internet]], which he used to make more mischief, tormenting his enemies and threatening legal action.<ref name="mcclatchy"/>}}

===Blame===
Idema's attorney, the [[New Jersey]]-based John Tiffany, also implicated the US government itself for enabling people like Idema to thrive:

{{quotebox|It’s unconscionable. The government announces $25 million rewards for terror suspects, then acts surprised when people run over to Afghanistan to hunt them. People like Keith Idema are indispensable to this war.<ref name="desertfraud"/>}}

Long before the War on Terror ever started, Idema had dreamed of being a "real-life {{wpl|Rambo||."}} ''The New Yorker'' argues that Idema's childhood fantasy is what led him on this stupid and pointless quest long past the point of reasonability.<ref name="desertfraud"/> To quote ''The New Yorker'' again:

{{quotebox|Instead, he replenished his morale with another tour of far more dubious duty on the Afghan fronts. There’s a certain tragic symmetry in Idema’s goading himself into ever greater and more reckless acts of self-dramatizing valor; in that sense, Idema was very much his own worst enemy.<ref name="desertfraud"/>}}

''The New Yorker'' also argues that the media played a role in enabling Idema just as much as the American government did. To quote John Tiffany:

{{quotebox|My client was all over the media. He was an expert on news programs. He was on the cover of a best-selling book.<ref name="desertfraud"/>}}

===Blowback===
{{main|blowback}}
[[Al-Qaeda]] was all too eager to use Idema's actions to paint all Americans in Afghanistan as "torturers." In at least two videos, they featured footage of Idema torturing his prisoners. One video Al-Qaeda released showed Idema threatening to kill one of his hostages during an "interrogation."<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5841873&page=1 "New Al Qaeda Tape Surfaces Despite US Efforts to Block It"] - ABC News. Published on September 19, 2008.</ref> Al-Qaeda used these videos to state that Idema's presence in Afghanistan was a case of state-sponsored terror, but the US denied any official connection with Idema.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090926023757/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090922/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_al_qaida_video/ "Al-Qaida predicts Obama's fall by Muslim nation"] courtesy of the Associated Press. Published September 22, 2009 at 5:45 PM (EST). [[Internet Archive|Archived]] from the [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090922/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_al_qaida_video/ original version.]</ref>

==Life after prison and death==
[[File:Idema2.jpg|right|180px|thumb|A picture of Idema provided to ''Wired'' by Penny Alessi.]]
{{cquote|...because of love & stupidity, my life will never be the same, whatever is left of it.|||Idema's ex-girlfriend Penny Alessi, who believes that Idema intentionally infected her with STDs.<ref name="torturerdeath"/>}}In 2007, Idema's sentence was commuted by Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai. Knowing that he still had outstanding warrants in the States, Idema at first fled to [[UAE|Dubai]], where he tried to set up a drug and gun smuggling ring. When these operations failed, he fled to Mexico.<ref name="mcclatchy"/> Idema settled in a Middle East-styled turreted house and worked as a pilot for tourist charter boats. Much of this would be funny if it weren't for the fact that Idema left a trail of victims in his wake. Idema was undeniably intelligent, as his ex-girlfriend Penny Alessi recalls. He would write most of his legal briefs himself.<ref name="mcclatchy"/> To quote ''McClatchy DC'' again:

{{quotebox|Few con artists could worm their way into helping Moore, the author of “The Green Berets,” write a book. And few could come up with such strong legal arguments for so many spurious causes, he said.<ref name="mcclatchy"/>}}

Idema's problems however "went beyond criminality," as he was a {{wpl|pathological liar}} who needed his victims to believe his bullshit. According to his ex-girlfriend, she was once on the phone with Idema and he said he "couldn't get AIDS" because he had "super-blood".<ref name="mcclatchy"/> According to Alessi, he really believed this shit:

{{quotebox|He told the same stories again and again, and even if he was drunk and stoned out of his mind, the details were always exactly the same, because he really believed these things, even that ‘superblood’ stuff.<ref name="mcclatchy"/>}}

Two years before Idema's death, he actually got in a stand-off with the Mexican authorities after allegations surfaced that he had held a woman against her will and [[rape]]d her over the course of several days.<ref>{{cws|https://www.wired.com/2010/08/convicted-torturer-vigilante-idema-in-mexican-stand-off/|Convicted torture, vigilante in Mexican stand-off|Wired}}</ref> Idema then skipped a court summons, at first fleeing to Belize, but he later returned to Mexico.<ref name="torturerdeath"/>

Idema regularly had unprotected sex while knowing he had STDs, and Alessi was infected because of it. In a bit of [[karmic]] retribution, Idema died of his AIDS infection.<ref name="torturerdeath"/>

==See also==
*[[Militia movement]]: Similar vigilante whackjobs to Idema but with a more domestic bent.
*[[Paramilitary woo]]: What motivated Idema to begin with.

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVGT8hoUehI ''The King of Stolen Valor''] - A documentary exposé on Jack Idema

==Notes==
{{notelist|2|80%}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Idema, Jack}}
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Militia movement]]
[[Category:Rape]]
[[Category:Shysters]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]
[[Category:Vigilantes]]
[[Category:War criminals]]

Categories: Conspiracy theorists, Convicted felons, Militia movement, Rape, Shysters, Terrorists, Vigilantes, War criminals