I've been nursing some frustration with Allen West for some time. During his initial run and shortly after he took office I rememer hearing non-stop about how he was great and it was because he was a retired Colonel.
The full nature of his departure from the military seems to have caught very little press. If you haven't heard about the "Iraq Interrogation incident," I'd encourage reading (here, here, and hereare good starts).
I was in infantryman in the 101st Airborne Division. In 2003, I was in Mosul, Iraq. Saddam's sons were killed not more than a few miles from our sector in Mosul. In 2005-2006 I served in southwest Baghdad. I say this not to brag, but to give insight into my perspective and how my opinion of West has formed.
Recently, West stated:
“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.
“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
I think that West seriously misunderstands that particular incident. First, I think he fails to realize the principles of COIT (counter-insurgent tactics); chiefly, the importance of winning hearts and minds. Desecrating a corpse is terrible no matter whom is doing the desecrating. It's most disheartening to see it done by American soldiers.
I recall vividly our struggles to build support in our area of operations. It seems like 2 steps forward 3 steps back. You improve water, secure roads, improve schools, and right when you think the people are starting to like you something like this happens. And all the support you have toiled to earn seems to vanish overnight.
Given West's history, maybe it never occurred to him the damage that irresponsible actions by soldiers can have on the mission. It was constantly on my mind. I was particularly incensed at his reference to the fallen soldiers from the 101st. What he failed to mention is that the attackers claimed to have committed it as retaliation for the rape and murder of a young Iraqi girl and her family by American soldiers (who were, to my recollection all convicted--the ringleader recieved a life sentence in civilian court). In light of that, his comments to me seemed to be backhandedly supportive of an action that deserved none of it. (Whether people believe the incident was a big deal or not, it seems plain to me that the military had to take stiff action to make amends).
That's a long background that leads me to today, but I really did need to get some of it off my chest.
Today, I read that West said that "Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the DNC chair" need to vacate the country. While he certainly has earned the right to state his opinion, I think that he should also behave in a manner more befitting his station. A sitting Congressman should not speak that way. If Alan West wants to say those things to his friends behind closed doors, while I do not agree with it so-be-it. But in a presser? Really? What a joke. I hope that the voters in Florida wake up and elect somebody, anybody to fill his seat. He has done nothing but embarrass himself and his state since being elected. What a turd.