why did Army Colonal Ted Westhusing. kill himself in Iraq?

[donsu]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003558239


Gen. Petraeus and a High-Profile Suicide in Iraq
Col. Ted Westhusing, a West Point scholar, put a bullet in his head in Iraq after reporting widespread corruption. His suicide note -- complaining about human rights abuses and other crimes -- was addressed to his two commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus, now leader of the U.S. "surge" effort in Iraq. It urged them to "Reevaluate yourselves....You are not what you think you are and I know it."
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The scourge of suicides among American troops in Iraq is a serious, and seriously underreported, problem, as this column has observed numerous times in the past three years. One of the few high-profile cases involved a much-admired Army colonel named Ted Westhusing.

A portrait of Westhusing written by T. Christian Miller for the Los Angeles Times in November 2005 (which I covered at the time) revealed that Westhusing, before putting a bullet through his head, had been deeply disturbed by abuses carried out by American contractors in Iraq, including allegations that they had witnessed or even participated in the murder of Iraqis.

-snip-

Now, a new article reveals -- based on documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act -- that Westhusing's apparent suicide note included claims that his two commanders tolerated a mission based on "corruption, human right abuses and liars." One of those commanders: the new leader of the "surge" campaign in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus.

-snip-

When his body was found on June, a note was found nearby addressed to Petraeus and Fil. According to Bryce it read:

"Thanks for telling me it was a good day until I briefed you. —You are only interested in your career and provide no support to your staff—no msn support and you don’t care. I cannot support a msn that leads to corruption, human right abuses and liars. I am sullied—no more. 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. All my love to my family, my wife and my precious children. I love you and trust you only. Death before being dishonored any more.

"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 . You are not what you think you are and I know it."

Twelve days after Westhusing’s body was found, Army investigators talked with his widow, Michelle, who told them: "The one thing I really wish is you guys to go to everyone listed in that letter and speak with them. I think Ted gave his life to let everyone know what was going on. They need to get to the bottom of it, and hope all these bad things get cleaned up.”

-snip-

"Last November, Fil returned to Iraq. He is now the commanding general of the Multinational Division in Baghdad and of the 1st Cavalry Division. On February 12, Petraeus took command of all U.S. forces in Iraq. He now wears four stars."
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what military honor?

what justice?

will Fil and Petraeus go scot free?

[ShortnFiery]

1. Our illustrious M$M should be ALL OVER THIS! k&r eom

[Oilwellian]

2. A very sad story indeed

He must have seen some very awful things to have taken his life. West Point scholars with young families don't typically commit suicide during a time of war.

[fed-up]

3. k/r nt

[ClayZ]

4. Kick and R

[bonito]

5. "I think Ted gave his life to let everyone know what was going on."

K&R

[malaise]

6. Good fugging grief

"Reevaluate yourselves....You are not what you think you are and I know it."

I feel for his family but he is an honorable man.

[cassiepriam]

7. Are they sure it was suicide? nt

[TheBaldyMan]

8. My God, that poor man and his poor family

it must have been unbearable being an honest man and having to carry out the orders of a criminal organisation.

It's clearer with every day that passes that troops are being sacrificed to fill the coffers of corporate crooks.

[PinkyisBlue]

9. NPR's Diane Rehm Show recently had a former US soldier on the program.

He was a soldier in Iraq for about 6 months and saw so many atrocities and human rights abuses, such as US soldiers kicking the head of a decapitated Iraqi like a soccer ball. There was no way for him to get out of the army, so he and his family (wife and four children) ended up defecting to Canada, where they live now. I was surprised that so many callers were not supportive of his decision to defect, and some callers said he should have filed complaints within the system.
I have heard that filing complaints within the system only gets a soldier pegged as a troublemaker and changes nothing.

The soldier who exposed the Abu Ghraib scandals received death threats and had to go into hiding. Anyway, this is such a sad situation. It should be easier for soldiers to leave military service if they don't want to serve.