House Demands Report from Army on LTC West Investigation

HASC Press Release | 21 Nov 03

[RightOnline]

Please. Somebody grab the paddles and charge 'em up. Some Republicans actually showing some real stones.

[Ispy4u]

Take your meds and reply with a sentance in english.

[muawiyah]

Needless to say there's quite a difference between "threaten to kill" and "assault". My point concerned the reporters who write pieces about this event ~ they all conclude that Col. West "threatened to kill", when he didn't do that at all!

[Poohbah]

The Congress is not "political" in the sense you intimate.

Yes, it is.

And, Congress is NOT interfering with military justice.

Given that they are applying political pressure to spike an ongoing case, in lieu of actually rewriting the UCMJ to allow LTC West's behavior to stand...they are interfering with military justice.

[muawiyah]

Look, Congress can change the rules at any time and it can independently call up the militia.

Think of the Constitutional process in terms of an invasion by a rogue division of Mounties marching on Detroit City.

Assume the President, taking delivery of his new limousine, has been taken captive.

You read the Constitution in that light and it all makes a lot of sense, particularly all the parts about Congress.

Again, the context is the Constitution, not the War Powers Act, and not the spineless weasels we've had as Congresscritters for the last 189 years.

[Poohbah]

Needless to say there's quite a difference between "threaten to kill" and "assault".

A credible threat to apply unlawful deadly force--by, for example, discharging a pistol past their head while physically restraining them, thus putting them in reasonable and immediate fear of losing life or limb--is, by definition, assault, and is punishable under Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

My point concerned the reporters who write pieces about this event ~ they all conclude that Col. West "threatened to kill", when he didn't do that at all!

Then you agree that Bill Clinton didn't have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky.

[muawiyah]

Look here, in unloading his pistol Col. West used the Ba'athist's own beliefs against him. To the Ba'athist, if not you nor your friends in the news media, the threat was to pistol whip the guy ~ not to shoot him!

[Pukin Dog]

You are just plain wrong, but I dont intend to post where. Enjoy your illusion. You are also wrong about Col. West, because you do not know the full extent of his actions. They will be made public in time, but all of you folks who believe what he did was discussed in total in the media, you will be quite surprised.

[Ispy4u]

Excerpt from:
Pretrial hearing starts on allegations military officer mistreated Iraqi detainee-Lt. Col West AP | 11/18/03 |

Lt. Col. Allen B. West -- the most senior officer of the 4th Infantry Division to face such a proceeding -- attended the hearing with his lawyer in a U.S. military base in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

West is accused of punching and firing a pistol near the prisoner, Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi, on Aug. 20 while he was being interrogated in Taji, according toLt. Col. Jimmy Davis, who presided over the hearing.

West also allegedly threatened to kill the detainee if he did not talk, Davis said, reading from a fact sheet. The hearing is to determine whether West should face court-martial.

It's more than the media saying he threatened to kill the guy.

[Neets]

So where are you getting your inside information from?

[muawiyah]

Did I say the "newsies" told the whole story?

Certainly not.

In fact, I asked why all of them draw a conclusion about West's intentions that is not supported by the evidence yet made public when, in fact, that evidence supports an entirely different conclusion.

[mass55th]

"Whatever happened to the idea of "separation of f***ing powers?"

Doesn't that only pertain to the judicial, legislative and executive branches?

[Dubya]

Good post. IMO you are right on.
DUB

[Poohbah]

Doesn't that only pertain to the judicial, legislative and executive branches?

Congress = legislative branch

Army = executive branch

Gosh, it looks like it applies here.

[muawiyah]

See that word "allegedly"? The "threaten to kill" has appeared in all the news reports. On what basis is it fair to conclude that Col. West actually did "threaten to kill"?

The Board doing the review might even have that phrase in front of them. I can see Col. West answering "I did not threaten to kill him ~ I did those acts which he would understand as a threat to pistol whip him".

Then he walks with a reduction in rank to Major and an early retirement.

[elbucko]

...they are interfering with military justice.

Congress CAN "interfere" with military justice. In case you haven't noticed, Congress makes ALL the rules. It's in Section I, of the US Constitution.

[muawiyah]

militia = "the people as a whole"

[Ispy4u]

That was a statement by the presiding member of the Article 32 hearing. Not by the media. LTC Davis was reading that from a fact sheet. That means it's charges the army brought against the LTC and has nothing to do with the media reports you speak of.

Learn to read.

[Dubya]

Thanks for posting this.

[Dubya]

Some of us have been writing our Congreeman and Senators about this. I hope it will be looked into and a metal awarded to the Lt C.