[Mb-civic] An Army Affair - Editorial - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

An Army Affair

Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A22

DESPITE MYRIAD hearings, investigations and prominent trials of privates 
and specialists, no commissioned officer has received serious punishment 
for any of the many confirmed cases of prisoner mistreatment in Iraq, 
Afghanistan or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Two of those involved in the Abu 
Ghraib scandal have received letters of reprimand. One was demoted. None 
has been court-martialed.

By contrast, Gen. Kevin P. Byrnes, 55, a four-star general who served 36 
years in the Army, was abruptly relieved of his command on Tuesday. 
According to his attorney, Gen. Byrnes, who is now divorced, stands 
accused of having had an extramarital affair with a civilian who is not 
his colleague, is not his subordinate and has no connection to the 
military. An officer familiar with the case told The Post that despite 
the apparent irrelevance of the affair, the harsh verdict -- apparently 
the only such demotion of a four-star general in modern times -- was 
justified: "We all swear to serve by the highest ideals, and no matter 
what rank, when you violate them, you are dealt with appropriately."

<>From this incident, it is possible to draw only one conclusion: It's 
okay for officers to oversee units that torture civilians and thereby 
damage the reputation of the United States around the world, do terrible 
harm to the ideological war on terrorism and inspire more Iraqis to 
become insurgents. Having an affair with a civilian, on the other hand, 
is completely unacceptable and will end your career.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001814.html?nav=hcmodule 

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