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.
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.