US military officer driven to suicide

Enrico Palazzo · 11-28-2005, 01:58 PM

based on what this administration engaged him in. Very sad story that exposes just how perverse this administration's Iraq policy is.

"I cannot support a msn [mission] that leads to corruption, human rights abuse and liars. I am sullied. I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored.
"Death before being dishonored any more."

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ
A Journey That Ended in Anguish
Col. Ted Westhusing, a military ethicist who volunteered to go to Iraq, was upset by what he saw. His apparent suicide raises questions.
"War is the hardest place to make moral judgments."
Col. Ted Westhusing, Journal of Military Ethics

WASHINGTON — One hot, dusty day in June, Col. Ted Westhusing was found dead in a trailer at a military base near the Baghdad airport, a single gunshot wound to the head.
The Army would conclude that he committed suicide with his service pistol. At the time, he was the highest-ranking officer to die in Iraq.
The Army closed its case. But the questions surrounding Westhusing's death continue.
Westhusing, 44, was no ordinary officer. He was one of the Army's leading scholars of military ethics, a full professor at West Point who volunteered to serve in Iraq to be able to better teach his students. He had a doctorate in philosophy; his dissertation was an extended meditation on the meaning of honor.
So it was only natural that Westhusing acted when he learned of possible corruption by U.S. contractors in Iraq. A few weeks before he died, Westhusing received an anonymous complaint that a private security company he oversaw had cheated the U.S. government and committed human rights violations. Westhusing confronted the contractor and reported the concerns to superiors, who launched an investigation.
In e-mails to his family, Westhusing seemed especially upset by one conclusion he had reached: that traditional military values such as duty, honor and country had been replaced by profit motives in Iraq, where the U.S. had come to rely heavily on contractors for jobs once done by the military.

Continue reading "The Awful Price Paid for the Culture of Corruption"

greenjoker · 11-28-2005, 02:02 PM

I am sure that Bush's lemmings will come up with the stock answers - war is hell and liberty comes with a price - never mind that companies such as Halliburton have profited from the war sometimes illegally with no one being prosecuted.

Statepug · 11-28-2005, 02:05 PM

So let me get this straight, the guy learns about corruption by U.S. contractors in Iraq and then offs himself because of it? Kind of a strange way to do something about it, and definately not the way I would have handled it.

greenjoker · 11-28-2005, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Statepug

So let me get this straight, the guy learns about corruption by U.S. contractors in Iraq and then offs himself because of it? Kind of a strange way to do something about it, and definately not the way I would have handled it.

He "offs" himself because he sees that what was happening in Iraq and that he couldn't really change it. His entire belief in the nobility of the U.S. effort was mistaken. Unlike our President he felt guilt and had a conscience and couldn't life with it - sad and preventable.

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 02:20 PM

There's certainly never been any corruption with civilian defense contractors over here in the Pentagon - or for that matter honor code violations at West Point. By your standards I guess every military officer should just shoot himself.

Any possibility that this guy might of have some other problems? Unless of course you guys somehow think suicide is an appropriate response.

Statepug · 11-28-2005, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenjoker

He "offs" himself because he sees that what was happening in Iraq and that he couldn't really change it. His entire belief in the nobility of the U.S. effort was mistaken. Unlike our President he felt guilt and had a conscience and couldn't life with it - sad and preventable.

Still a really bad and cheap way to try and resolve anything.

go_disc_golf · 11-28-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Statepug

So let me get this straight, the guy learns about corruption by U.S. contractors in Iraq and then offs himself because of it? Kind of a strange way to do something about it, and definately not the way I would have handled it.

or maybe he knew too much and was offed.

Statepug · 11-28-2005, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go_disc_golf

or maybe he knew too much and was offed.

I'm thinking you're probably closer to the truth than the suicide story.

Statepug · 11-28-2005, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecklers

you understand nothing of duty, honor or country - or what the loss of those concepts would mean to a man of Colonel Westhusing's pedigree. His suicide is as grave an indictment on george bush and dick cheney as anything coming out of the Leakgate scandal.

It isn't too diffilcult to believe that what he saw in Iraq completely invalidated everything he believed in and taught at West Point.

I do know that he let his country down by killing himself. Apparently his pedigree meant so little to him that he would not stick around to right whatever injustices he was aware of.

greenjoker · 11-28-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Statepug

I do know that he let his country down by killing himself. Apparently his pedigree meant so little to him that he would not stick around to right whatever injustices he was aware of.

The opposite of Bush who is too complete a moron not to know or care he is flushing the country down the crapper.

Saint Joey · 11-28-2005, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenjoker

The opposite of Bush who is too complete a moron not to know or care he is flushing the country down the crapper.

What part of the country are you living in? From where I'm sitting, things are aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalright.

Parraddox · 11-28-2005, 03:27 PM

He hated America.

Sincerely,
WH Repulsivcans

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecklers

you understand nothing of duty, honor or country - or what the loss of those concepts would mean to a man of Colonel Westhusing's pedigree. His suicide is as grave an indictment on george bush and dick cheney as anything coming out of the Leakgate scandal.

It isn't too diffilcult to believe that what he saw in Iraq completely invalidated everything he believed in and taught at West Point.

The lefties who consistently ridicule the military and their efforts and consistently compare them as morally equvalent to their terrorist enemies - suddenly cite "duty, honor and country" when one of them commits suicide.

Can't wait for Senator Durbin to eulogize this officer on the Senate floor.

It's more than pathetic - it's just sick.

Enrico Palazzo · 11-28-2005, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullwrinkle

The lefties who consistently ridicule the military and their efforts and consistently compare them as morally equvalent to their terrorist enemies - suddenly cite "duty, honor and country" when one of them commits suicide.

Can't wait for Senator Durbin to eulogize this officer on the Senate floor.

It's more than pathetic - it's just sick.

please show where elected Democratic representatives have openly ridiculed the troops currently serving and their efforts? A link would be great. Thanks in advance.

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLU Law Spartan

please show where elected Democratic representatives have openly ridiculed the troops currently serving and their efforts? A link would be great. Thanks in advance.

Do you live in a cave or something? Go back and google Senator Durbin's speech on the Senate floor where he compared our soliders to Hitler, Pol Pot etc...

Try to get out just a little - OK?

Foxbat · 11-28-2005, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullwrinkle

The lefties who consistently ridicule the military and their efforts

This might come as a shock to you but those lefties ran a war hero as their last Presidential candidate and lost to a draft dodger

Statepug · 11-28-2005, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxbat

This might come as a shock to you but those lefties ran a war hero as their last Presidential candidate and lost to a draft dodger

Who did the lefties run against Clinton? I know they wanted to have McCain run against him, but as far as I know that never happened.

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxbat

This might come as a shock to you but those lefties ran a war hero as their last Presidential candidate and lost to a draft dodger

Glad to hear you supported war hero Bob Dole when he ran against draft dodger Bill Clinton.

Parraddox · 11-28-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullwrinkle

Glad to hear you supported war hero Bob Dole when he ran against draft dodger Bill Clinton.

That's because most of us aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to Civil War vets.

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parraddox

That's because most of us aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to Civil War vets.

Best ya got?

Parraddox · 11-28-2005, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullwrinkle

Best ya got?

Parraddox has nothing personally against Bob Dole. Parraddox was just trying to make a joke about Bob's age. Just like Parraddox is making a joke with the way he is writing this post.

Bullwrinkle · 11-28-2005, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parraddox

Parraddox has nothing personally against Bob Dole. Parraddox was just trying to make a joke about Bob's age. Just like Parraddox is making a joke with the way he is writing this post.

All of a sudden you like evil Republicans?

GRR Spartan · 11-28-2005, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Statepug

I do know that he let his country down by killing himself. Apparently his pedigree meant so little to him that he would not stick around to right whatever injustices he was aware of.

His education, rank and position in the military show he was well respected by many of his former superior officers. Based on his history, my guess is he became so frustrated with his reports to superiors being ignored or deep-sixed before it got to people in positions to act on his observations that he sank into a deep depression.

Anyone who has spent time in the service knows that the quickest way for a career officer to end any chance of further promotion and good duty station assignments is to admit to being clinically depressed and request treatment. Its a viscious circle that stops careers and some with dire consequences.

greenjoker · 11-28-2005, 08:47 PM

A code of honor and ethics voiolation about wearing a non-deserved medal also drove Naval Admiral Borda to suicide as well.

The military have stiff codes which men possessing ethics and honor feel frustrated about when they have a conflict about what they are doing and what they believe in.

2Green · 12-14-2005, 12:02 PM

I just learned of this yesterday while attempting to locate my old friend. Ted Westhusing was my company XO when I commanded a parachute infantry company in Italy and Ft. Bragg in the mid-80's. He was #2 in his West Point class, but as down to earth a guy as you'll ever meet. My wife and I attended his wedding to Michelle at the Main Post Chapel at Bragg. We stayed in touch until I retired 5 years ago, but I knew he was heading to WP as a permanent professor. There is no more career progression for guys who follow this path (they make full colonel, but are not in the competitive category for progression to flag ranks), and the only reason Ted found himself in Iraq is that he volunteered to go. The Ted I knew and loved as a brother in arms would not have put a pistol to his head. If it was, indeed, suicide, then Ted had changed dramatically from the man I knew all these years. Rest in peace brother. He was the best of the best.