Treason charges heard against U.S. officer

MSNBC ^

[SoldierMedic]

BAGHDAD - Prosecutors alleged Monday that a U.S. officer gave computer programs to a prisoner’s daughter in Iraq, beginning to lay out their case at a hearing to determine if evidence warrants a trial on charges that include the capital offense of aiding the enemy.

Lt. Col. William H. Steele, an Army reservist from Virginia serving full time, also is accused of fraternizing with the detainee’s daughter, illegally storing classified material, maintaining an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter, possessing pornographic videos, failing to obey an order and dereliction of duty regarding government funds.

[Hunble]

Yes, like you, I did take notice that he was a reserve officer.

I agree with what you stated and you have no arguments from me.

[WLR]

Ding Ding Ding Ding...

We have a winner!!!...

God save us from the wrath of a “Senior Officer” who gets no where with a girl who you like and likes you. That can be brutal.. lol..

Or some female Officer in Finance who likes you but looks like she was chewing on firecrackers.. Yikes..

Sorry, I cannot come over and fix your shower... I got the duty... yes, I always have the duty...

Oh no my pay is all messed up!...hey! I had 40 days leave on the books now I have 4!!!

I would rather get pounded by some FAC/FAR wannabe who cannot read a map and a battery of 105s. (No difference believe me) Hey your shooting us.. Huh? Stop.. Please!!!
Thank you....

Hey!!! your doing it again? Huh?

Have you got the map upside down Moron?...

Were coming back there and find you if you don’t stop! ...Wrong answer.....

Don’t worry guys maybe they will run out of shells soon...

It does sound like a BS case doesn’t it? Oh man..

This guys got two and the Generals only has that fat major with a unibrow, mustache and hips like 16 inch guns from Supply..

Too funny...

Yep, I think you nailed it... this guy is toast...

W

[SoldierMedic]

Some pictures or videos of his lover were found in her home or in his possession? Oh the horror!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Iraq_US_Soldier_Charged.html

Another prosecution witness, Special Agent Patrick Rasmussen, a computer forensic specialist, said two computers recovered as part of the investigation contained 37 adult pornographic videos and 122 adult pornographic images.

Difficult to figure out, since the classified material was not specified. My guess? Something trivial, like a telephone book, was found in her home. Yes, a telephone book is "classified material!"

Crank, whose MP unit replaced Steele's at Camp Cropper, testified he saw the defendant download about 20 CDs from a secure government laptop computer. He also said Steele later visited the jail and gave the detainee's daughter a box that contained computer programs and computer sheets.

[familyop]

We have some serious social and political problems that are leaking into our military forces.

[SoldierMedic]

I used to have another medic in my unit who's husband was a recruiter, and you would be shocked and horrified at the things that people do and yet still get accepted by the Army. I can understand turning a blind eye to a stupid adolesent prank, but some of the things were very bad.

[DMedic91B]

In response to the questions raised by “...fraternizing with the detainee’s daughter...”, “maintaining an inapproprate relationship with an interpreter...”, “possessing pornographic videos...” and “...failing to obey and order...” all of these things are covered by Multi-National Corp - Iraq General Order #1 (MNC-I GO1)which states among other things:

---

2. Prohibited Activities: In accordance with and in addition to USCENTCOM GO-1B, the following activities are prohibited.

Section e: Introduction, purchase, possession, transfer, sale, creation or display of any pornographic or sexually explicit photograph, videotape, CD/DVD, movie, drawing, book, magazine, or similar representation.

Section o: Sexual contact with foreign and local nationals who are not members of coalition forces.

Section p: Cohabitation of males and females except for lawfully married spouses. Married spouses will be allowed to cohabitate provided adequate accommodations are available.

---

As to the 'failing to obey and order' it was this that he failed to obey.

Simply put, he failed to do what is expected of every soldier, marine, airman, sailor and government employed civilian in Iraq.

[familyop]

Yes. I’ve heard rumors in the past of recruiters who told recruits not to admit to some minor things but nothing major. And once in a while, a criminal court judge will grant a first offense deferment contingent on military service. Many can be straightened out in some of the tougher OSUT training for certain specialties. But often, those who play social politics with cliques cannot. ...epidemic of that sort of thing in reserve component units, because each of those units are comprised mostly of people from the same home town.

[SoldierMedic]

I’m not talking about a recruiter telling you not to admit to pot smoking, I’m saying NG recruiters getting wavers for a guy who, as a minor, had some sort of molestation charge, other people who had violent offenses. Nothing felony, but still not something you can look the other way to.

[familyop]

The Abu Ghraib incidents turned my stomach. ...never saw anything even nearly like that in person. We had civilian-like gamesters recruited before the late-80s, though. They had all of the rank, and the newer, tougher ones let their enlistments expire and left out of disgust.

BTW, we had some Vietnam-era medics who stayed with the associated general hospital unit and assigned to our platoons at times. They were mature, fearless and outstanding.

[familyop]

Yes, those kinds of offenses are too much, IMO. ...didn’t hear of anything like that. There will probably be another draft, eventually, and a whole lot of that will be going on. Hopefully, they toughen initial training up for all kinds of specialties again, or we’ll probably see more problems.

[SoldierMedic]

They were mature, fearless and outstanding.

Aren't all medics? ;)

[familyop]

All that I met were. Medics need to be fearless—especially for any of those who can be in a combat platoon in the field. I liked the Marine infantry soldiers who transferred in, too. They had their heads screwed on right and were good to work with in the field. ...most respectable. So was a prior Navy fire control man. But there was also a prior Navy social worker put in as a platoon sergeant. Our school for transfers was only two weeks of light training with our toys. That was a disaster.

...politics.

[SoldierMedic]

I feel fortunate that I have complete confidence in the other medics in my company, and that they have confidence in me. In training, there was many who I wouldn't rely on to keep my dog in fighting shape, much less 30 soldiers. I suppose the silver lining is that they may have been sent to work in field hospitols instead of being a platoon medic. (If 2 weeks before being certified as an Army Medic, you cry and scream "I don't know" under the pressure, I have no confidence in you.)

[TYVets]

When do Dingy Harry Reid, Madame Speaker Pelosi, Cindy “Mother Moonbat” Sheehan, Rosie O’Donut, Alec Baldwin, and a couple of thousand others go on trial?

That was the first thing I thought of when I read the title.

[TADSLOS]

Reservists don’t know the rules as well as Active duty and it can get them in trouble sometimes.

Lastly, I respect all reservists, I’m just pointing out that sometimes they don’t know all the rules.

Sorry, I disagree- especially with regards to an LTC. He goes through the same training as his AC counterparts from day one, gets the same schooling in values, ethics and UCMJ which is further reinforced as part of mandatory post mobilization training before deployment. He was also serving in a Military Police command position, which by implication means that he knows what the rules are. What you stated gives him an automatic pass based on ignorance.

Let the UCMJ system work its course. He's either guilty on all or some charges or there is an equally inept 06 or higher commander and their JAG somewhere who brought trumped up charges. My guess is this guy is guilty as hell or this story would never have seen the light of day or the charges would not have been processed in the first place. If not, based on the testimony, he's at least incredibly stupid and naive for using his classified laptop to burn CDs and having inappropriate relationships with the local populace. In that case, someone should be asking why he was placed in command to begin with.