http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/12/sprj.nirq.west.ruling/
TIKRIT, Iraq (CNN) -- The commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division's on Friday accepted a U.S. military investigator's recommendation and ordered administrative action against Lt. Col. Allen West, who was accused of using improper methods to force information out of an Iraqi detainee. This was the guy who fired his M9 sidearm into a clearing bin in close proximity to a blindfolded prisoner in the conduct of an interrogation.

Hopefully this punishment is not severe enough to preclude similar behavior by other officers in similar situations. If anybody is wondering, were the situation reversed (an American soldier captive with key information that could save the lives of their own soldiers), I would fully condone the same actions LTC West took being taken by the opposition as a prudent tactical decision.

He was protecting the lives of his men, just what an officer is supposed to do. They are doing this to him because of the hate-America people. Screw them! He is a hero because he did what is right.

This is a red herring. This crime is exceptionally minor. Still wrong and still a breach of the Geneva conventions and thus a war crime, but minor compared to the crimes of other US GIs and officers.

So why aren't they being hauled up on charges for far more serious offences?

Originally posted by EI_Sparks
So why aren't they being hauled up on charges for far more serious offences? This raises an interesting point: The guy being interrogated had received an ass kicking from other guys in the unit prior to West's interrogating him. In that case, they did assault him, and the assault generated no worthwhile result. Yet nobody seems to have cared as much about that, they just wanted to string up the Colonel for haking his ears ring.

Originally posted by Stokes Pennwalt
This raises an interesting point: The guy being interrogated had received an ass kicking from other guys in the unit prior to West's interrogating him. In that case, they did assault him, and the assault generated no worthwhile result. Yet nobody seems to have cared as much about that, they just wanted to string up the Colonel for haking his ears ring.

Indeed. Which reinforces my point that the US military justice system is basicly a PR device, and has no intrinsic worth as a result. After all, there's been no prosecution of those responsible for torture in Kandahar, Kabul, Guantanamo, or any of the other concentration camps the US are running at present, despite several people having been beaten to death there - as certified by US army doctors, no less.

And another interesting point is that this "detainee" was actually an Iraqi police officer.