Lt. Col. West docked 2 month's pay

WND ^ | December 12, 2003 | Art Moore

[Nachum]

An officer in Iraq who used shock interrogation tactics to thwart an impending attack on American soldiers was punished with forfeiture of two month's pay, according to his lawyer.

Previously faced with the possibility of a court martial, Lt. Col. Allen B. West accepted Article 15 non-judicial punishment from the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at a hearing today in Tikrit, Iraq, said Neal A. Puckett, a retired Marine officer.

Puckett said the loss of pay amounts to $5,000.

"I'm pleased that it's over with," West told WorldNetDaily by telephone from San Antonio, Texas. "But I thought that taking $5,000 away from a guy who is about to retire was a little bit unnecessary.

"I didn't think that needed to be part of a sentence in order to send whatever message the commanding general thought he needed to send," he continued.

"Simply a letter of reprimand should have done it," Puckett insisted.

West will return to Ft. Hood, Texas, as soon as transportation can be arranged and will be assigned to the Rear Detachment of the 4th Infantry Division as he awaits the processing of his retirement request.

The punishment does not affect his eligibility for retirement and pension, Puckett said.

West's commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, had authority to accept or reject the recommendation of administrative punishment from the officer who presided over West's preliminary hearing in Tikrit last month, Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis.

At his preliminary hearing, West acknowledged he allowed two soldiers to beat an Iraqi policeman who refused to reveal details of an ambush plot and fired his pistol near the man's head, threatening to kill him.

As WorldNetDaily reported, under threat of an attack, West took charge of the interrogation of an Iraqi policeman, Yahya Jhodri Hamoody, determined to flush out details as he warned subordinates "it could get ugly." Threatening to kill the Iraqi if he didn't talk, West fired a pistol near the policeman's head.

The scared policeman then immediately disclosed the information, leading to the arrest of two Iraqis last August and cessation of attacks on West's 4th Infantry Division battalion.

At the hearing last month, West was asked by his defense attorney if he would do it again.

"If it's about the lives of my men and their safety, I'd go through hell with a gasoline can," he said.

"But that's what's going on out there in the streets here, and that's how I feel about my boys," he told the hearing, held in one of Saddam Hussein's lavish palaces. "There is not a person in this room I would not sacrifice my life for."

But Army prosecutors believe his actions in the town of Saba al Boor, near Tikrit, violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was charged with aggravated assault and faced a wide range of possible outcomes from no disciplinary action to a sentence of up to eight years in prison.

The prosecutors gave West a choice – face charges or resign within days of his 20 years of service, losing retirement benefits. West chose to face the charges and placed his fate in the hands of Maj. Gen. Odierno.

[Nachum]

Screw this! I'd donate a few bucks to help pay this for him. Wonder if anyone else feels the same way.

[Walkingfeather]

PUT your money where your mouth is... Im in for 20 any extra is a incentive bonus what do you say? JimRob do you want to handle the logistics?

[Walkingfeather]

Good call Nachum where can we find this guys address?

[lilylangtree]

He saved our troops lives. He should be receiving a bloomin' medal not any type of reprimand. Boy-o-boy, our defense department is screwed up.

[billorites]

"But I thought that taking $5,000 away from a guy who is about to retire was a little bit unnecessary."

He'll make that up in speaking fees on the first night.

Or I hope he does.

[Bikers4Bush]

I'm in.

[bikerman]

Me too.

[Samurai_Jack]

Im in for 20

[OldFriend]

Anyone here think it was okay for Justin Volpe the NY cop to assault Abner Louima?

West's wife said that he was upset that he'd heard there was a bounty on HIS head.

West stood by and allowed his men to beat the prisoner.

When they could obtain no information the gun shooting began.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

They should have rewarded him with a few extra bucks. His actions saved lives. I'll send the guy 5 bucks.

[AppauledAtAppeasementConservat]

Me too. Where do we donate?

He needs a medal too.

[Hodar]

Is it possible to set up an account so Freepers get together and donate to help an American Hero. The US Army superiors may be a bunch of beaurcratic ingrates, who frankly do not care about our servicemen coming home in body bags; but this man certainly does.

I don't have a huge pile of cash, but I certainly can throw some to help out. His actions saved lives. People who would be dead today, can go home to their families because this person made a stand. He deserves a nice little Christmas present; and I think I'm not alone.

[blackie]

I'm in too!

Lt Col West is a hero!

[blam]

"Im in for 20"

Me too. How do we do it?

[Syncro]

He will get his Retirement pay.

[thinktwice]

He was charged with aggravated assault

Meanwhile, it is commonly agreed that President Bush did the right thing in pre-emptively attacking the sovereign nation of Iraq.

What this boils down to is that we have a Clintonite problem within the military authorities that prosecuted LTC West.

[Ben Chad]

I'm in for 20 - someone post the logistics.

[Walkingfeather]

that is comparing apples and oranges... Here you have a man fighting to allow you to have your freedom ... let me ask you this. if this iraqi was going to kill your family and west stopped him would you prosecute?

[thoughtomator]

There will be no retirement for Lt. Col. West. He'll be too much in demand in the anti-Islamofascism speaking circuit.

[AppauledAtAppeasementConservat]

"West's wife said that he was upset that he'd heard there was a bounty on HIS head."

And how many soldiers would pay the price for someone trying to wax him?

I don't recall the military being the same as the police either. Hmmm how many rights do enemy combatants have on the battle field? They have the right to the quickest and most efficient death as possible. Anything else is genorosity.