Main reason why my blogging has been light over the past few days? I've been sick with an early bout of the flu. It has gotten so bad that I finally broke down and stayed home today (thank G-d I have some decent TA's who will actually follow my lesson plans). However, when I read this, my illness just got worse.
The Army has filed a criminal assault charge against an American officer who coerced an Iraqi into providing information that foiled a planned attack on U.S. soldiers.
Lt. Col. Allen B. West says he did not physically abuse the detainee, but used psychological pressure by twice firing his service weapon away from the Iraqi. After the shots were fired, the detainee, an Iraqi police officer, gave up the information on a planned attack around the northern Iraqi town of Saba al Boor.
(.......)
An Army official at the Pentagon confirmed to The Washington Times yesterday that Col. West has been charged with one count of aggravated assault. A military source said an Article 32 hearing has been scheduled in Iraq that could lead to the Army court-martialing Col. West and sending him to prison for a maximum term of eight years.
First and foremost, yes LTC West did violate the UCMJ, you will not get any argument from me on that one. However, are we at war or aren't we? Did LTC West actually kill this prisoner? No. Did he violate some part of the Geneva Convention pertaining to captured POW"s (although the argument could be made this Iraqi policeman is a foreign combatant, and is thus not subject to the Geneva Convention), yeah he probably did. However, LTC West's men had already been attacked, and LTC West himself had been made a specific target of an assassination attempt.
An informant reported that there was an assassination plot against Col. West, an artillery officer working with the local governing council in Saba al Boor. On Aug. 16, guerrillas attacked members of the colonel's unit who were on their way to Saba al Boor.
An informant told the soldiers that one person involved in the attack was a town policeman. Col. West sent two sergeants to detain the policeman, who was placed in a detention center near the Taji air base. The interrogators had no luck at first, so Col. West decided to take over the questioning.
Already attacked once, and now the subject of an assassination attempt. LTC West response to all this? Fire his sidearm (a Berreta 9mm) twice. He did not point his sidearm at the prisoner, nor did he verbally threaten the prisoner's life. He knew this Islamist idiot had information that he needed, and he was going to get it by any means necessary. That my friends is what you are supposed to do when the lives of the men you lead are in danger. I would be willing to hazard a guess that LTC West's men would now be willing to go off and die for this man. Since he got the inforrmation, he saved their lives. Leaders do that sort of thing.
The Army's treatment of LTC West just flat out makes me sick. Retire him? No way. Imprison him? Uh-uh. Court Martial him? Nope. Give him a medal and sent him back to Iraq, with his old unit? You bet.
Semper Fi -- LTC West
*Rear Echelon Mother Fucker
Hat Tip Raging Dave
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