Posted on 11/06/2003 4:44:20 AM PST by Jeff Head
The following is Lt. Col. Allen B. West's own candid comment regarding the situation he faced in Iraq, as reported by the Washington Dispatch on November 5, 2003:
"I have never denied what happened and have always been brutally honest," said Col. West. "I accept responsibility for the episode, but my intent was to scare this individual and keep my soldiers out of a potential ambush. There were no further attacks from that town. We ... apprehended two other conspirators (a third fled town) and found out one of the conspirators was the father of a man we had detained for his Saddam Fedeyeen affiliation. "Colonel West takes personal responsibility for his actions. He makes no bones about it, he threatened this Iraqi spy bodliy harm to get information from him. And that is what he was, a spy working within the Iraqi Police Force that has been established and supported by the coalition authority. As a spy, under the so-called rules of war, I believe he could have shot the man. Perhaps that is an angle that should be explored.
In either case, Colonel West's actions no doubt saved the lives of Americans...the lives he is principally responsible for...and that was his motivation.
He understood that while he may have violated the rules (and he admits to and takes responsibility for this as well)...he also understood he was going to do what had to be done, in a war zone, to save the lives of the men under his command.
The rules were written by men and women sitting in safe seats far away from combat and the brutal reality of the moment. For the most part they are good rules and should not be violated. But there are times when the SHTF that you have to do what you must to save the lives of those you are responsible for, American lives, and accomplish the mission. Colonel West knew his greater responsibility and he performed it, regardless of personal cost. The trait of a true leader in my book.
President Truman incinerated tens of thousands of Japanese to save hundreds of thousands of Americans...and in so doing he also saved millions of Japanese. In today's world and PC nomenclature this might be considered a war crime...a violation of the "rules". But back then it was heralded by the soldiers as a God-send...and by Americans back home as what had to be done to end the war. People who had seen for themsleves the cold reality of four years of World War.
That generation is dying out and it seems we have forgottent their experiences and the lessons.
The reality is, that by scaring this man in the fashion he did...West not only saved American lives...he saved the lives of Iraqis as well.
God bless you Colonel West...you've got my back any time!
Charlie Mike.
To say that rules were written by men in safe seats and should be ignored gets you on a very slippery slope. The same argument was used to defend the two Marines that were charged with strangling an Iraqi POW to death in his cell.
That being said, where is the "rule" that says that you can't scare the crap out of suspected bomber during interrogation?
I want chapter and verse cited.
This Article 32 was requested by the division JAG. During my active duty years, I have seen JAG's get high and mighty about accountability for others and have seen them falling all over each other trying cover up for other JAG's. The bottom line is that, once that JAG made the Article 32request, the Division had little choice but to follow through with it.
At court-martial, I believe that Colonel West will be vindicated.
Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.
Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited. (GPW, art. 13.)
When I got out (E-7) the ones who normally spouted your type of BS were 2nd Lts. fresh out of OCS. The BTB stuff works real well for a DI in boot camp but in a life or death situation sometimes the book goes out the window.
I see nothing wrong with what West did and I would have done the same thing.
I don't know. I do know he tried (and apparently) succeeded in saving the lives of his men and himself while frightening a terrorist/terrorist supporter into divulging information to prevent an attack. I have no problem with that.
On other threads, I have come down firmly on the principle that, if the Marines charged with strangling a POW to death are found guilty by the evidence, they clearly violated the UCMJ.
However, where is the prohibition about scaring the crap out of someone that has information about the enemy that is attacking your men?
If a hypothetical bomber that has planted a time bomb at a public place is captured, what does threatening to blow his brains out unless he reveals the location of the bomb before it explodes have to do with "taking justice into your own hands"?
In the civilian world, having a prosecutor threaten the death penalty unless a suspect plea bargains is not a case of the prosecuter "taking justice into his own hands". It is simply the way the game is played.
No thanks.
Your not a supply sergeant by any chance are you? ;)
"Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited. (GPW, art. 13.)"
Not to be negatively argumentive here, but isn't the Geneva Convention a contract between nations? If one warring party breaks the contract by breaking the rules, the contract is nullified and is no longer in effect between those nations engaged in battle, just like any other contract would be nullified by both parties the moment one party violates the terms of the contract.
Isn't this the case here?
I then proceded to tell him as a career NCO I was fully qualified to tell him he was full of shit. I was also qualified to quote him in public forums and at veterans events to let the voters know the honorable congressman was too busy to help soldiers under fire, in a foreign land get the job done while preserving US lives in doing so. Then Rep Mac Thornberry, Texas polidiot's little phone gnome hung up on me.
I figure if I don't piss off some money grubbin polidiot / presstitute every day I'm not doing my job properly.
This officer who "was" getting results is being hung by the noooooooze in a nooooooose IMO.......
Stay Safe !
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