Two Years After Col. Westhusing's Controversial Suicide in Iraq -- Documents Emerge

[babylonsister]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003594048

Two Years After Col. Westhusing's Controversial Suicide in Iraq -- Documents Emerge

By E&P Staff

Published: June 05, 2007 11:25 AM ET

NEW YORK Two years ago today, shortly after noon, Iraq time, Col. Ted Westhusing took out a Barretta and put a bullet in his brain in his trailer at an Army camp near Baghdad airport. When he died, he was the highest ranking American officer to lose his life in the Iraq war.

In a suicide note addressed to his commanders, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil and Lt. Gen. David Petraeus (and also sharply critical of them) Westhusing wrote: “I cannot support a msn that leads to corruption, human right abuses and liars. I am sullied—no more.”

snip//

"The documents echo the story told by Westhusing’s friends. 'Something he saw drove him to this,' one Army officer who was close to Westhusing said in an interview. 'The sum of what he saw going on drove him' to take his own life. 'It’s because he believed in duty, honor, country that he’s dead.'"

Now Bryce has put some of the documents up on his Web site, including much of the investigative reports and the transcipt of an official interview with Westhusing’s widow shortly after his death. Michelle Westhusing told investigators: "The one thing I really wish is you guys to go to everyone listed in that letter and speak with them. I think Ted gave his life to let everyone know what was going on. They need to get to the bottom of it, and hope all these bad things get cleaned up.”

The suicide note (not at the site) concludes: “I didn’t volunteer to support corrupt, money grubbing contractors, nor work for commanders only interested in themselves. I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored. I trust no Iraqi. I cannot live this way. All my love to my family, my wife and my precious children. I love you and trust you only. Death before being dishonored any more.

"Trust is essential—I don’t know who trust anymore. Why serve when you cannot accomplish the mission, when you no longer believe in the cause, when your every effort and breath to succeed meets with lies, lack of support, and selfishness? No more. Reevaluate yourselves, cdrs . You are not what you think you are and I know it."

The documents can be found at RobertBryce.com

[bahrbearian]

1. Sounds like he was under the direct command from Chimpy

"when your every effort and breath to succeed meets with lies, lack of support, and selfishness"

[snappyturtle]

2. I know I never heard of this. Probably happened before I joined

DU because I know I'd remember this. How truly sad. Thanks for posting....hopefully, many more will read it who, like myself, was unaware.

[Poiuyt]

5. I was unaware also

It's so sad that he felt that suicide was the only way out. The Army doesn't really encourage dissent or any other avenues for it's members to take.

[chemenger]

12. I do remember this tragic incident ... thanks to DU

It got very little attention from the MSM and they put the onus on General Westhusing ... depression, mentally unstable, etc. You know their routine ... any reason but the real reason.

[jhrobbins]

15. I know I am a little slow and I apologize here now, but what is MSM?

[Clark2008]

17. Mainstream Media.

Although, that, in and of itself, is a misnomer.

There's nothing "mainstream" about today's corporate media. I mean, does Paris Hilton, missing white girls you don't know or inflated poll numbers affect the mainstream of your life?

[Decruiter]

3. I just wish someone would listen to his wife and to his close friends.

If this man took his life he had a reason that drove him to it.

(We wear tin foil all the time though, and I'm not a firm believer in suicide. Suicided, though is something else.)

This case needs some serious investigation, but here is to dreams of justice.

God speed Col. Westhusing and lots of love and care to your family, especially your wife and kids.

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Some of the documents hint that he feared for his life

With as lawless and brutal as it is out there, I wouldn't put it past someone.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

19. We live in a nation where such voices are squelched. He knew that and we know that.

The truth is the last thing the current corporate government wants out. Otherwise, they'd lose control over the populace.

It matters not to me whether this man committed suicide or was suicided. He faced the truth and it was/is hell!!!!

[tanyev]

6. K & R

[Kurovski]

7. K&R.

OMG.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Did you reads the anonymous letter to him? It tells him about murders of innocent Iraqis, going into

Mosques and killing people, missing equipment and how the contractors "cook the books"...so to speak. It's very interesting.

http://www.robertbryce.com/documents/1.pdf


This is the interview with his wife:

http://www.robertbryce.com/documents/2.pdf

Here's a link where the investigation reports are:

http://www.robertbryce.com/index.html

[malaise]

13. Fallujah was the last straw for

this poor man.

[LeahD]

9. And kick! n/t

[Judi Lynn]

10. Here's his photo. He looked kind, and friendly.

It would be so important to find out what happened: what he knew, and whether or not his suicide was real, or if someone volunteered him.

Thanks, babylonsister.

[frogcycle]

11. I read about this -

I don't have it before me now, but as I recall he had volunteered to go; actually insisted on it - he was not obliged to, but wanted to help. He was stuck with overseeing appalling corruption and evidently told to look the other way. What caught my eye at the time was that this honorable man's frustration with his superior's corruption was during Petreaus' previous stint in Iraq. No wonder that is the only general bush could find to oversee his "surge."


edit: here is the old thread and link to the article

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=428085

http://www.alternet.org/story/49233

[libodem]

14. This empties out my brain

and leaves me stupefied. I would rather be angry, furious, or sad. I feel drained and sick. I can relate to this man's honor and subsequent frustration. What an honorable gentleman and an Officer. Maybe even at this late date his death can teach us something about the corruption of Bush's War Plan. This would make a good movie. I'd love for it to be a TV movie. I'd love for every freeper in America to be tuned in. I'd love for every freeper to finally know the truth about their war.

[myrna minx]

16. K&R. n/t

[krispos42]

18. His Wikipedia article is a stub

Any informed DUers out there willing to expand it?

I don't feel qualified to.

[slipslidingaway]

20. kick