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 [mission] that leads to corruption, human right abuses and liars. I am sullied—no more.”
Now documents from the investigation of Westhusing’s death, and the charges in his suicide note, are available online.
I vaguely remember hearing about this at the time, and it seems there is alot more to this story than was told at first. Hard to imagine, huh?
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.(snip)
"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 [commanders]. You are not what you think you are and I know it."
Robert Bryce is the reporter who covered this story for the Texas Observer, and the new documents are at his site.
posted by Paddy @ 12:13 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Poor guy. Can't imagine what kind of hell he went thru.
This is a hugely important statement from someone who shouldn't have died, especially for the reasons he felt he had to.
More people need to hear this. And then more people need to ACT.
Thank you for posting this.
Sounds like he figured out his troops were dying for oil company and Halliburton profits.
Sad.
I'd like for those Congressmen who keep voting for us to stay in Iraq to read this!
Democrats take note of this, 60% of us want out, period. This war is for the war profiteers.
Democrats take note of this, 60% of us want out. This war is for profiteers.
pete bogs - do you really think the congressmen CARE what we little people think and feel?
I don't remember this being covered AT ALL at the time. Poor guy, samurai warrior sense of honor, working for a pack of shameless careerists, takes the ultimate responsibility for the situation and is TOTALLY IGNORED!
I'm sure it will be written off as "personality disorder", the miltary's favorite dignosis of people who have intelligence, ethics, and the eyes to see what has happenned in Iraq.
Incidentally, it's spelled Beretta, a substandard pistol that unfortunately worked for him at point-blank range.
sadly it is how America treats all the We the little people now... and to think of the arrogance of " spreading democracy"
Jesus Christ! Did anyone read any of the documents!? The first one I read was an anonymous letter about 'alleged misconduct by contractors' and I was overwhelmed. It's insidious and to know that it has seeped into everything would be hopeless. No honor.
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