From a Washington Times editorial:
As we went to press, testimony was continuing in the military hearing for Lt.Col. Allen B. West, charged with aggravated assault and communicating a threat to an Iraqi detainee in order to force him to provide information about a planned attack on American troops.On Wednesday, Col. West, testifying at the second day of the hearing in Tikrit to determine whether he will be court-martialed, gave his own account of the events of Aug. 20 at a detention center in Taji, Iraq, near Baghdad, which ended his military career and could send him to prison for taking action to save the lives of his troops.
Col. West testified that informants had provided U.S. forces with information about a plot to kill him and an unspecified number of the 700 soldiers he commanded. Col. West and interrogators under his command had been told that an Iraqi policeman was involved in the plot. But, after being arrested and interrogated, the suspect asserted that he knew nothing about a planned attack.
Believing his men to be in mortal danger, Col. West testified that he took the suspect to a sandbox, held his head down and fired one shot in the air and another in the sandbox. At that point, the suspect gave in and provided the information. The planned attack never took place.
Colonel West saved his men's life and the Army wants to put him on trial. This is horrific. The Times suggests people write some letters. It's not a bad idea.
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