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Hey...the Army says he's bad...the defense says West did know wrong...that is what my take on the story is. Even though West is subject to the UCMJ, there is still presumed innocence until found guilty.

The Army itself doesn't deny that soldiers weren't saved and terrorists captured...they(or at least some army nitwit) are questioning the means by which the colonel achieved these ends.

In another era, or perhaps if another race or certain political connections were involved...this wouldn't have gotten any-where.

As for horrendous attacks...hadn't they been ongoing? Maybe West acted as they did because conditions are actually much more worse then what has been depicted by our government and more like what has been depicted by the "liberal" press after all? Maybe this shouldn't be going to trial after-all...it might be an embarrassment for Bush. Then again the Clintonite left-overs in the army would love it that way!

West will probably be found guilty. The problem was when West was confronted by the local advocate general...(the press has never released his..or ...HER name?) West was told, retire now and lose your retirement benefits or be court martialed and face prison. Those facts don't seem to be in dispute by any-one, nor does any-one dispute the fact that West offered to retire at a reduced rank of Major and admit to some culpability of mis-judgment! What he did (or didn't do) does not
rise to the degree of punishment that was proposed for him, especially in light of his past service, which from as much info as I have been able to see, meritorious!

We spoke of humiliation before. The real FACT IS IF THE AG FELT THAT WHAT HE DID WAS SO HEINOUS...THEN THE COLONEL SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE! He should have been immediately arrested and summarily court martialed instead of being asked to arbitrarily humiliate himself. He either did wrong or no wrong, but don't give him a chance to potentially damage the public image of the military. He chose to stand and fight in a Clarence Thomas sort of fashion, and the military will not soon live this one down.