LTC West Update
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Send LTC West a message of support!
LTC West can be contacted by e-mail and his wife has her own e-mail address.
World Net Daily talked with LTC West's lawyer and there are more details. The Army has not commented yet.
The World Net Daily article is here: Americans rally behind officer who foiled plot Family shares stress of assault charges, girls hear at school: 'Your daddy is no hero'
The major developments are below:
In July, he (ed. Puckett) noted, another officer in the 4th Infantry reportedly used unorthodox methods to persuade an Iraqi general to turn himself in. According to the Washington Post, Col. David Hogg ordered the Iraqi officer's family be rounded up and held hostage. Hogg then sent word to the general that if he wanted to see his family again, he needed to comply.
The tactic worked, and the Iraqi general appeared in front of the U.S. base and surrendered. Puckett said there is a report that Hogg has been promoted.
-----------------------------------------
...Puckett said that since parents at the girls' school caught wind of the news "Mr. West is in trouble," the daughters are enduring taunts from classmates.
One of the daughters has started giving out a false last name to avoid kids making fun of her.
"The girls have been taught their daddy is a hero," Puckett said. "But now kids are coming up to them and saying, 'Your daddy is no hero.'"...
-----------------------------------------
...Each individual command runs its own military justice system, he explained. After hearing the evidence and determining whether there is probable cause, the presiding colonel will make a recommendation to division commander Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who has the authority to implement the recommendation or do something completely different.
The options range from doing nothing to a general court martial, which is a felony prosecution...
The Army is concerned about what it should do to dissuade others from transgressing, Puckett acknowledged.
------------------------------------------
Puckett acknowledged West "certainly used a psychological ploy."
"The fact is," the attorney said, "two trained interrogators, both female, worked with [the Iraqi policeman] for hours and hours, and he wouldn't talk, so they called their commander."
West strode into the room, according to Puckett, and said to the Iraqi, "If you don't give us this information, I'm going to kill you."
The policeman, "as a demonstration of his seriousness," responded to West with a smile and said, "I love you."
West then took the Iraqi outside and, with the help of colleagues, forced his head down. With one hand on the man's head – to provide protection – and the other holding the pistol, West fired into a weapons-clearing barrel filled with sand.
-------------------------------------------
The Case For LTC West: Part 8, Part 7, Update 6, Part 5, Part 4, Part 3, Part 2, Part 1.