Army Right To Punish Lt. Col. West

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 8 Dec 2003 | Jay Bookman

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Btw, every single General and Colonel now working for FOX News as a military analyist (of which there are several) essentially has the same take on the matter -- that Colonel West acted as they themselves would've acted, and that court martialing him not only would play havoc with troop morale, but would also encourage the enemy.

And we concur in this house with their sentiments!! We pray to God the charges will be totally dismissed for those exact reasons.

[BSunday]

him not only would play havoc with troop morale, but would also encourage the enemy.

This is exactly the reason the LIBERALS want to see LTC West fry! (Not that I'm implying anything, mind you)

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Here is what Mr. Mojo stated in a post, and we totally agree with it. I thought you might like to see it if you haven't already, as I'm sure you agree with it. Worth being repeated anyway.

FRegards

"Btw, every single General and Colonel now working for FOX News as a military analyist (of which there are several) essentially has the same take on the matter -- that Colonel West acted as they themselves would've acted, and that court martialing him not only would play havoc with troop morale, but would also encourage the enemy."

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

:o)

Just goes to show.. sometimes, even unknowingly,.. people are the company they keep.

Thus, the lessons of brainwashing.

Perhaps our good friend(s) will learn from us one day?

Sadly, it would be better for everyone if the lessons were learned from good men like LTC West!! A lot more brave men and women would be coming home from Iraq!

[Ispy4u]

Who decides when the exception comes in.

Shouldn't that be a judge?

[HardStarboard]

>>>You two sound like drinking buddies.

Ispy4u, there are folks that I would like to have a drink with. Lt. Col. West is one. JoeSix is another. And I'm buying.

You didn't make my list.

[HardStarboard]

>>>You two sound like drinking buddies.

Ispy4u, there are folks that I would like to have a drink with. Lt. Col. West is one. JoeSix is another. And I'm buying.

You didn't make my list.

[Ispy4u]

Looks like you and Akbar are posting at the same time!

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I doubt if many Iraqi's do tell the truth. Arabs are habitual liars. If he lied either way, he deserved what he got and worse.

[BSunday]

No. Common sense should be the judge.

[Pukin Dog]

What I'm wondering about is why the conservative columnists and papers have all but dropped this issue. There are very few new articles about this, I suspect there will be a few when the CG makes his decision.

No you are not wondering at all.

You know what is coming as well as I do, and you have been gracious not to let on through this incredibly stupid display of persons talking out of their asses.

The media by now is quite aware of the entire story surrounding Col. West, and they are not going to touch it. Only here, where the great masses of uniformed prognosticators feigning solidarity with Col. West when they have NO IDEA of the totality of his actions. They hear a story, and they hop to, without a second of perspective. They could ask the same questions as you did, but they wont. They don't even care why the Army, Rumsfeld and others would go so far in this action if the story we all heard from Col. West was the whole story.

I appreciate you sticking with it, but do me a favor and don't ping me to anymore of these Col. West threads. But, in a few short weeks, PLEASE ping me to the thread where Freepers go on and on about how they could have been so deceived, so wrong to take sides so quickly without hearing everything. You don't know how hard it is not to just spill it and watch the sparks fly.

I give it two or three short weeks before a lot of people are going to feel really stupid. I tried for weeks to get people to reserve judgment, now I don't care. Let them be wrong.

[jaykay]

How many ambushes, rockets fired at helicopters, roadside bombs and other attacks on U.S. forces may have been averted if more officers had the onions that Col West has? How many who are dead would be alive? How many maimed would be whole?

Now that Col. West has been made an example of, how many commanders who would have taken a risk to protect their men will now decline to do so? How many will be killed and maimed in order to preserve this idiotic notion of playing nice at war?

[samtheman]

I don't harass anybody. This guy had information about US soldiers about to be attacked.

And yes, there is a connection. If you don't get the connection between those people shooting at our soldiers and those people who flew planes into the towers, I feel sorry for you.

[milan]

Do you believe that each officer should do as he pleases, regardless of the UCMJ?

No, I believe each officer has a responsibility to protect his troops at all costs.

[milan]

BTW you did not answer what the rules were that you were taught. If you're going to give us that "Army went PC" crap, tell us what rules you operated under. As for you being glad I got out, my Battalion commander had my wife and me to his home for dinner trying to get me to stay but I'm sure you are smarter than LTC Crandall was.

I don't think I was the one who said originally that the Army went PC. What rules did I operate under? Boy, that is easy: "save your ass and your buddies too". That was the rule I, and everyone else, operated under in my Armor unit. And I don't give a crap if you like that rule. We didn't lose one person in the Gulf after several enemy contacts. If they were wearing camoflague and weren't waving a friggin white flag, we killed them. I don't give a crap if you like that either. I am not going to get shot in the ass because some stupid bastard, not unlike yourself, thinks we need to treat enemy combatents like they are 15 year old kids getting pulled in for a shoplifting charge. If the tables would have been reversed, they would have killed me, beat me, or tortured me or one of my brothers. They never had a chance, because my unit didn't show the bastards any mercy. If you have issues with that, well, me and another 56 guys would like to tell you to go to hell.

I am sure LTC Crandall is a genius...

[milan]

If you know what you claim to know, you should at least be able to give us a rough estimate.

How about this: He saved one American life. That is good enough for me.

After his court martial proceedings, we will get more details.

[milan]

West did the right thing, because he would have been screwed otherwise. This is a difference of opinion that you and I will not agree on. This is war. Fireing his sidearm past the head of an enemy is nothing. As I said, if he had willingly raped, killed, or looted, fine, hang him. He didn't. He "mistreated" a enemy prisoner. So what. You cannot convince me otherwise. Had the tables been turned and West been captured, he would have been beaten, paraded on TV, and who knows what else...maybe killed. But that doesn't seem to bother anyone.

[milan]

Actually, he set a terrific example -- he showed that the lives of his men are infinitely more important than a few ridiculous regulations.

Absolutely right. I would follow this man into combat. Now, these idiots that are saying he was wrong...they can go into combat without me. If I know they aren't putting my life first, then I am not going to return the favor.

[Ispy4u]

You have your opinion and I have mine.

It would seem that the event is over now, and I for one am satisfied with the outcome. Justice has been done, and I will hold no ill will for anyone involved.

[Ispy4u]

Gotcha, no more pinging.

BTW I'm guessing you saw that the Art 32 hearing has recommended Article 15. Jeff Head says West will be retireing. Still, someone will dig out the rest of the story soon.