So you equate Col. West's shooting his gun in the air to scare a prisoner into revealing plans for an ambush that could wipe out his men with the Ba'athist Party's torture and murder of hundreds of thousands of their own people? Don't take this the wrong way, but that is without question the dumbest thing I've ever seen posted on this website. You should be ashamed of yourself.
It was a favorite interrogation strategy used of the late and unlamented Mukhbarat. Yes, I am equating it as such--the first step onto the slippery slope of "the ends justifies the means" is the easiest to avoid and the hardest to recover from.
Incidentally, it has yet to be proven that LTC West's "interrogation" accomplished what he claims it did.
Also, if (a) the ambush was actually going to happen (not established as fact) and (b) it really COULD "wipe out his men" (an entire battalion), then LTC West should have resigned his commission in favor of someone who can demonstrate basic tactical competence.
Don't take this the wrong way, but that is without question the dumbest thing I've ever seen posted on this website.
Try reading your own screeds on this topic.