The Army tells NBC News that military police arrested Lt. Col. William H. Steele several weeks ago and that he is being held at a detention facility in Kuwait.
I don't know anything about it... except it reeks.
It sounds like this "warden" was possibly going to be a whistleblower might have been gathering information on mistreatment of prisoners and was not sympathetic to the past or present torture and mistreatment on detainees.
From MSNBC:
Army warden charged with `aiding the enemy'
Lieutenant colonel faces multiple charges for alleged misconduct in Iraq
By Jim Popkin
NBC News Investigative Unit
Updated: 12:10 p.m. PT April 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - NBC News has learned that the commander of Camp Cropper, the massive U.S. Army detention center in Baghdad, has been charged with aiding the enemy.
The Army tells NBC News that military police arrested Lt. Col. William H. Steele several weeks ago and that he is being held at a detention facility in Kuwait. He now faces an Article 32 hearing, the military's equivalent of a grand jury investigation, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute him.
An Army statement listed these charges against Steele: "One specification of a violation of Article 104, aiding the enemy; one specification of a violation of Article 134, retaining classified material; two specifications of violations of Article 133, conduct unbecoming an officer, for relationships involving an interpreter and another Iraqi female; five specifications of a violation of Article 92, failure to obey lawful orders for wrongfully storing classified materials, improperly marking classified materials, failing to obey an order from a superior officer, possession of pornography and dereliction of duty as an approving official for the expenditure of government funds."
The Army said no other U.S. military personnel are believed to be involved in the case.
Lt. Col. James Hutton, an Army public affairs officer, said he could not explain how or why Steele allegedly aided the enemy. An e-mail to Steele's wife was not returned, and Hutton said he did not yet have the names of Steele's lawyers.
Camp Cropper, located near Baghdad International Airport, is the Army's main holding facility for Iraqi insurgents and detainees. Several thousand people are held there now. Saddam Hussein was held there prior to his execution in December.
Having sex with Iraqi interpreters and the use and storage of classified materials is very similar to accusations that are consistently leveled against whistleblowers. (Scott Ritter, Mary McCarthy, Muslim Chaplain Yee at Guantanmo and many others.)
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. He is essentially being accused of being a TRAITOR and aiding the insurgents.
Isn't that punishable by death?
He was apparently not a warden... but is a LT. Colonel, a commander in charge of Camp Cropper which is known for having been a torture center.
Could it be he is being used as an example for those soldiers dissatisfied with the war to keep their mouths shut?
How do the soldiers feel about the lies revealed by Jessica Lynch and the Family of Tillman that were put out by the U.S military?
Are U.S. soldiers in Iraq beginning to rebel?
This is the kind of arrest and detention that could easily backfire into the faces of the military and George Bush, should it be revealed he was arrested for political reasons.
After watching the brother of Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch speak about the military lies on national broadcast this may serve as a warning to others. Steele was arrested 2 weeks ago... but the announcement of his arrest is just being made now, a day after the hearings which incriminated the military.
The government is turning on the military... those in the military who won't go along with the program. This has all the track marks of a set up. I am willing to be that is exactly what it is. Perhpas Lt. Colonel Steele had an affair with an Iraqi interpreter and she asked him to do her a favor in regard to one of the detainees. Perhaps Lt. Colornel Steele was symathetic to the plight of the detainees...to a point which the Military found uncomfortalbe. Perhaps Commander Steele threatened a torturer with exposure. The threat of exposure is most likely the reason for his arrest. He may have been gathering evidence against someone and that is what is being called his mishandling of classified information.
Watch. It will all come out in the coming weeks.
Put it together.
Update May 3rd
This might be related to an ongoing suit by two Americans who were illegally held at Camp Cropper, Vance and Ertel.
They are suing Donald Rumsfeld for their illegal confinement. One of the gentleman was working for the FBI and investigating the military and an Iraqi company thought to be funneling arms to Insurgents. The military traded arms for beer with the Iraqi company. Vance and Ertel met with Lt. Colonel Steele before they left. The FBI investigation was a whistleblower investigation of the military. IF Steele was in anyway helpful to the FBI, it may be that this is the Militaries revenge.
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