Current Article

More on the Murder of Colonel Westhusing

By Larry Johnson on February 9, 2008 at 1:28 PM in Current Affairs

Robert Bryce has an important article updating the investigation into the death of U.S. Army Colonel Ted Westhusing. Bryce does not rule out the official explanation of suicide, but he introduces some of the other facts that merit further investigation. I was glad to help steer him to folks with some firsthand info.

Since last March, when I wrote a story about the apparent suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing in Iraq, I had believed there was nothing else to write about his tragic death.

But in December, I talked to a source in the Department of Defense who met Westhusing in Iraq about three months before his death. The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, was investigating claims of wrongdoing against military contractors working in Iraq. After a short introduction, I asked him what he thought had happened to Westhusing. “I think he was killed. I honestly do. I think he was murdered,” the source told me. “Maybe DOD didn’t have enough evidence to call it murder, so they called it suicide.” I contacted the source through Larry C. Johnson, a former employee of the CIA who specializes in terrorism and security issues, and who writes the “No Quarter USA” blog. Johnson and other bloggers have written extensively about Westhusing’s death.

read the rest here.

Patrick Henry

Larry..

There is always the possibility that Col.Westhusing showed that letter found by his body to someone else
prior to his death..He may have even confided that when He got back to the States soon..He was going to reveal the Truth..maybe even Testify..because he found the Criminal Activity in Iraq so disgusting..

In a known Corrupt environment like Col. Westhusing was in..(wide spread murders at all levels including many reporters ) It is very possible that He was Indeed murdered to Shut him up..and that his letter was deliberately left beside his body..as a Warning..

Like the Ace of Spades..
Delia

The so-called suicide note sounds like an extract from some other letter to me. My surmise at this remove: he was getting pressured to clear some of the guys involved in the corruption and was removed so he didn’t tell when he got out of Dodge.
Mr.Murder

Jesus wept. The first casualty of war is the truth.
simon

Patrick Henry wrote:

In a known Corrupt environment like Col. Westhusing was in..(wide spread murders at all levels including many reporters ) It is very possible that He was Indeed murdered to Shut him up..and that his letter was deliberately left beside his body..as a Warning..

That IS possible, but you know, those murdering cowboys aren’t very bright.

I never understood WHY someone would attack, for instance, in Iraq, without understanding his enemies game, making sure he wasn’t TROLLED into an act.

I guess it all goes back to intellect, and the ability to think and examine critically.

It’s as if someone is still fighting Vietnam, like it’s 1965, and fer god’s sake, they LOST Vietnam…

Like the Ace of Spades..

Funny, I saw a license plate today, said 2ACESUP.

Do you read cards, tarot cards, the ace of spades as you intend would indicate the death card, the lucky number 13, right, though it actually corresponds to the the ace of swords, certain victory, as long as it is not reversed, or run by Cheney…
http://www.despair.com/sacrifice1.html Smilin’ Jim

Behind the ear was SOP for the Provos Nutting Squad.
truthforcolonelted

Delia, hit it right on the nose, this was an extract from one of his two journals that his family/nor others can get access to,…. that detail the corruption. This so called suicide note also was only 4 pages of seven that have even been released and read like journal entries.
Sometime-CIA-Defender

Wonder how hard it would be to create a drug that, once introduced into the system, causes severe depression?

On a completely unrelated note, the marked change in the tone of Westhusing’s letters to his wife was rather abrupt and seemed out of character.
simon

The more research I do on Iraq, the more it seems as if it’s just a giant cattle stockyard, for arms, drugs, money you name it.

I know Sadaam laundered money, with Auchi, in the Oil-for-Food set up, but was his Iraq as much of a warehouse as Col Westhusing’s Iraq seemed to be?

If Col Westhusing was murdered, in part, it was probably to send a message to any other do gooder, seems this administration is big on message, intimidation by proxy, ie, Plame’s outing ostensibly was to silence the CIA, a warning shot.

The Col was an aide to General Petraeus?

Poor Dick.
simon

I apologize for over posting, but again, this reminded me of another suicide, David Kelley’s, the British scientist who was essentially hounded to death for telling the truth.

It was my impression they really thought they could keep a lid on their false reasons for going to war, ie, if it were revealed Sadaam HAD no weapons of mass destruction, they’d be immediately found out for criminals, and forced to prison.

Cheney is a control freak, but, boy it sure shows poor judgement.

Remember, Plame was outed as a retaliatory measure, as Joe Wilson told the truth in regard to the WMD’s?

Almost like the keystone cops…
http://www.evergreenpolitics.com shoephone

Was Ted even left-handed? Aside from the obvious — that someone committing suicide doesn’t shoot behind their ear — it was his left ear, and if he’s not left-handed…

Anyway, this so clearly points to murder. The so-called suicide note deosn’t sound depressed, but angry. He was squeezed by USIS to exonerate them.

Larry — great work. Please keep us posted on this situation.

Is Waxman the only one who can investigate this? Does the Armed Services committee have no role?
TeakWoodKite

Larry:
Shoephone raises a great question; that is,
How much obstruction is taking place in order to prevent these Committees of jurisdiction from finding answers. If the AG refuses to investigate who ordered torture and every other violation, what chance is there that others would take the same tact. This is not discussed beyond a polite Gesundheit in the MSM.

I get the feeling the days of being “papered to death” is old hat.
Delia

His mother also has a very good point relating to his personal psychology. Even if he were very depressed, he wouldn’t kill himself on her birthday.

This was a quick and dirty cover-up by someone who didn’t know the details of his life and personality. But look at the cover-ups of rapes by KBR contractors of their own colleagues. No one is willing to investigate even the most obvious cases here.
Delia

Ya know, I almost hate to say it, but this almost seems like a case that anyone who’s ever read mystery novels can pick apart on the first page. No wonder his mom’s lost faith in the repubs and the war.
Cee

Details of contract fraud and bribes arise in Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/washington/31contract.html?ei=5090&en=379525d15e30c78d&ex=1346212800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1188584312-oewPz7sFi4/FHTdMel0fSg

Investigation could lead to General David Petraeus. Col. Ted Westhusing was investigating this fraud in Iraq when he was said to have committed “suicide.” His superior officer at the time was Petraeus. The “Surge” may be a bunch of senior Army officers being locked up at the Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks.

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
http://OUTRAGEDBUTNOTSURPRISED bama_barrron

behind the left ear really raises some red flags for me … doesnt seem very likely. i wonder was an autopsy completed during the investigation? any information about the bullet’s trajectory would be most useful.

also, if i read the article correctly it suggests the bush family is no longer involved with the caryle group. i find this extremely difficult to accept at face value. bush 41 has never been known to walk away from easy money.
Fred C. Dobbs

(sigh)

Inasmuch as Westmoreland and his bunch of cronies all the way down to E-6 rank all died of natural causes and never saw the inside of Portsmouth or Leavenworth, I wouldn’t advise holding one’s breath.

If one wants to speculate upon Good triumphing over Evil, the best time to start is when an oak stake is driven through Kissinger’s heart.

Until then, Evil wins more often than not.
TeakWoodKite

bush 41 has never been known to walk away from easy money.

Does a bat fly blind?

I thought there was an autopsy,
simon

And how do you know Westmoreland isn’t currently sitting in hell?

I understand what you mean, but I think you have to take a really long range view, like the Chinese do, regarding the long term survival of American democracy. And it is a democracy, so it’s a different set of rules, working within the confines of other’s choices, different from your own, and the Constitution. Sometimes I think the Chinese, and Europe, see America as this 230 year old upstart, you see?

They’re waiting for the child to flame out, but the Chinese have become so westernized themselves.

But you’re right, that doesn’t mean someone like Kissinger shouldn’t be thrown into jail, too, a war criminal.
simon

To clarify, I meant within the Constitution, not in spite of.

I speak tonally, at times, if you were with me, you’d understand my implication through my tone.

That does not translate to writing, and I need to be more careful.

My ideal of liberty is to protect the Constitution at all costs, meaning warfare conducted within it’s parameters, including asymmetrical warfare. Which makes Cheney’s transgressions all the more revolting, a man so stupid he resorts to torture, and wiretapping, at the first threat.

For whatever reason, ghosts in the night, I guess.

But I guess I think too much.
shirin

Do you really believe that this is the first American administration that has “resorted to torture”?
TeakWoodKite

No. Torture is as old as a Bosch painting.

OT: Very sad it is a worldwide occurance.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/08/iraq.women/index.html?iref=hpmostpop
Fred C. Dobbs

“If you wanna know something and he won’t tell you, cut off one of his fingers. The little one. Then tell him his thumb’s next. After that he’ll tell you if he wears ladies underwear.” – Mister White, Reservoir Dogs
simon

Do you really believe that this is the first American administration that has “resorted to torture”?

Torture is an intrinsic part of military culture. But if it’s a part of Dick Cheney, and how he thinks, well, it is useless, isn’t it?

And just because it is a part of militayr culture doesn’t make it right, or even productive.

Seems the only people who use it are the stupid losers, the ones who can’t win wars.
Sometime-CIA-Defender

I agree. Kelly has been on my mind recently too. That his last communication was to Judith Miller is telling.
Delia

Hardly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_the_Americas_Watch
Mike Howell

The problem is that he’ll tell you he wears ladies underwear even if he doesn’t.

People falsely confess to killing their mothers if they’re sleep deprived.

What does that gain you?

I think that they use torture because they enjoy inflicting pain.

Waterboarding works for them because it doesn’t leave marks.
shirin

Actually, while a sadistic desire to inflict pain is probably a factor in torture, it does have a purpose, which is not really about getting information, but is about controlling populations from small groups of prisoners to populations of entire countries by instilling fear.
Sometime-CIA-Defender

I don’t think that nullifies simon’s point though. They use brutality in Latin America and the Middle East as part of thuggery because they don’t have a powerful enough message to win with. Mostly that’s because when people are hungry and broke, there’s rarely a message powerful enough to get through. Fear of pain and death is the only motivator, and even that wears thin after a while (as we’ve seen all too clearly in Gaza, for example).
Mr.Murder

Handedness is an important key.

The ganster way of killing was to send a message, snitches get shot from the opposite side, so they have to be placed backwards in their casket.
Mr.Murder

When people act on those miotivation and enact political change, is when we respond with death.
simon

I would also say those political systems are in decline, barely existing, they simply can’t compete, always subject to the next strongman, and whoever is bank rolling him.

Really, where will the middle east, or even China, be in fifty years, without significant political change?

Will they be competitive?

What if the US becomes more energy independent?

What if the current financial structures throughout Asia, and the Middle East, fail?