Ex-US commander at Iraq jail faces trial

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

BAGHDAD - A former U.S. commander at the jail that held Saddam Hussein will face trial next week on charges of aiding the enemy by providing a cell phone to detainees and acting inappropriately with an interpreter, the military said Saturday.

Army Lt. Col. William H. Steele, a reservist from Prince George, Va., pleaded guilty on Oct. 7 to three of seven charges, which carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison, forfeiture of pay and dismissal from the Army, according to the military.

He will be tried on the remaining charges, including aiding the enemy by providing an unmonitored cell phone to prisoners, giving special privileges, acting inappropriately with an interpreter and failing to obey an order, the military said.

The military said Steele could face life in prison if convicted. Steele initially faced a possible death sentence, but the former acting commander general of U.S. forces in Iraq opted to make it a non-capital case, said military spokesman Lt. Col. Rudolph Burwell.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071013/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_soldier_charged

[Joanne98]

1. The death penalty for giving them cell phones?

Bush must have been very worried about Saddam talking! This is stupid!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. Giving aid and comfort is considered treason.

In a time of war that's a capital offense. Technically he could, and should, be executed.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. He treated them like human beings and faces life

And could have faced the death penalty. Others treat them like animals and are allowed to continue with their careers.

Yeah, everything's just ducky in America.

[MADem]

8. He was a PREDATOR. Read the full details downthread.

This guy is a BUM.

[struggle4progress]

3. Trial date set for US soldier in Iraq who 'aided enemy' (AFP)

BAGHDAD (AFP) — ...

Lieutenant Colonel William Steele at a pre-trial hearing on October 7 pleaded guilty to unauthorised possession of classified materials and to unlawfully possessing pornographic videos, a military statement said.

Steele, who before his arrest was in charge of Camp Cropper, a detention centre on the outskirts of Baghdad, faces four other charges when the trial begins on Monday.

These include providing an unmonitored cellular phone to detainees and that he did "wrongfully provide special privilege to and maintain an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter" ...

The four .. carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the statement said.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jD_axmh3t15Loo_mkiNA0WSgJdWQ

[PaTs2848]

4. Life for humane treatment

Another sad commentary on the Bush America

[MADem]

7. Humane TREATMENT? He FUCKED the daughter of a detainee.

That sounds PREDATORY to me--hey honey, fuck me and I'll make sure daddy gets a soft bed.

This guy is an asshole. AND, he's a child abuser, too, who beat the rap by ceding custody of his stepson.

Save that sympathy for someone who deserves it.

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/187597.php

Baghdad, Iraq- Lt. Col. William H. Steele has been charged with offenses under the provisions of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice.

These charges are merely an accusation of wrongdoing. Lt. Col. Steele is presumed innocent unless and until he his proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of any alleged offense.
CHARGE I: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 104
Specification: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 October 2005 and 31 October 2006, aid the enemy by providing an unmonitored cellular phone to detainees.

CHARGE II: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 134
Specification: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did between on or about 31 October 2006 and 22 February 2007, having unauthorized possession of classified information, violate Title 18, United States Code, Section 793(e), by knowingly and willfully retaining the same and failing to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States.

CHARGE III: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 133
Specification 1: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 20 October 2005 and 22 February 2007, knowingly and wrongfully fraternize with the daughter of a detainee, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces.

Specification 2: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 December 2005 and 11 December 2006, knowingly and wrongfully provide special privileges to and maintain an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces.

CHARGE IV: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 92
Specification 1: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 18 February 2007 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: paragraph 7-4, Army Regulation 380-5, dated 29 September 2000, by wrongfully and knowingly storing classified information in his living space.

Specification 2: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 September 2006 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: paragraph 4-32, Army Regulation 380-5, dated 29 September 2000, by improperly marking classified information.

Specification 3: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, having knowledge of a lawful order issued by the 89th Military Police Brigade Deputy Commander, did, at or near Camp Victory, Iraq, on or about 22 February 2007, fail to obey the order.

Specification 4: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 18 February 2007 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general order, to wit: paragraph 2e, Multi-National Corps-Iraq General Order Number 1, dated 16 December 2006, by wrongfully and knowingly possessing pornographic videos.

Specification 5: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, between on or about 1 October 2005 and 31 October 2006, was derelict in the performance of his duties in that he willfully failed to fulfill his obligations as an approving authority in the expenditure of Field Ordering Officer funds.

More, still, here, none of it flattering: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Steele

After Steele was charged with aiding the enemy, the press reported on two earlier incidents in which Steele had been involved with the courts. In November 1993, he was charged with felony aggravated child abuse for his verbal and physical abuse of his 11-year-old stepson. From court records, " was punched. He was thrown across the room for eating food without asking." Steele was also charged with resisting an officer with violence, another felony. Both charges were dropped when he agreed to give up custody. <7>

In 2003, Steele was charged with two misdemeanor offenses during a dispute with a contractor. The contractor, who was born in Lebanon, accused Steele of saying: "You better get out of here or I'll blow your head off," and said that Steele "accused him of working for al-Qaeda". Steele was convicted on one count of threatening bodily harm, but upon appeal the charges were dismissed after Steele completed anger management therapy.<8>

[MADem]

6. This guy was a fucking idiot. Likely UNTRAINED in his duties, but an idiot.

The Cuban cigars purchase was MORONIC. He could have bought the guy a panatella in the exchange, fachrissake. And what, precisely, constituted his "fraternizing?" That's a bozo no-no right there. And waving his pistol around? This asshole sounds like his deck was missing more than a few cards:

The alleged incidents took place from October 2005 to February 2007, starting when Steele was commander of the 451st Military Police Detachment at Camp Cropper prison in Baghdad and in his later post as a senior patrol officer at nearby Camp Victory with the 89th Military Police Brigade.

During pretrial testimony in June, witnesses said Steele approved buying Cuban cigars for ousted leader Saddam Hussein, fraternized with a detainee's daughter and used his service pistol to intimidate tower guards. He has been behind bars in Kuwait since March.