[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 28162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      LT. COLONEL WEST SHOULD BE GIVEN MEDAL, NOT COURT MARTIALED

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, this coming Monday, Lt. Colonel Allan West 
is scheduled to face an article 32 hearing to see if he should be court 
martialed.
  Colonel West is accused of threatening an Iraqi prisoner. According 
to news reports, Colonel West shot his handgun into a firing barrel and 
also fired it near this prisoner. He did not harm the prisoner in any 
way, but he apparently scared him into giving information that foiled 
an attack on American soldiers.
  If these news reports are accurate, Colonel West saved many American 
lives. This is a man who has served honorably for almost 20 years in 
the United States Army. He should not be court martialed. He should be 
given a medal for saving American lives.

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