AF Officer Suspended After Charging Bush Knew Of 911 Threat
This morning on a local talk radio morning program there was a story about a Colonel at the Defense Language Institute, which is located on the Monterey Presidio. DLI, as it is known throughout the military, teaches foreign languages to military personel.
KSCO, http://www.ksco.com - reported that Lt. Col. Steve Butler was serving as vice chancellor for student affairs at the DLI when his "Bush bashing" letter was published in The Monterey Herald. Butler's letter called the president's course of action "sleazy and contemptible."
Colonel Butler charged Bush with having advance knowledge of the 9.11 attack, but allowed it to proceed. "Of course Bush knew about the impending attacks on America. He did nothing to warn the American people because he needed this war on terrorism..."
KSCO further stated that Butler had been relieved of duty pending an investigation and possible court martial.
As many of us know, Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Justice prevents military men from using "contemptuous words against the president" and other political leaders.
888. ART. 88. CONTEMPT TOWARD OFFICIALS
Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj2.htm
We saw this when Bill Clinton was criticized by an Air Force General. The General was forced to retire. I do not know if he was able to keep his pension.
Colonel Butler was getting ready to retire after 26 years of service. (More than likely he had been passed over for promotion more than once. I say this because he was only a Lt Col and had 26 years of service! If you are passed over more than once this means you HAVE to retire! At least this is true in the Navy and Marines. I do not have personal experience with the other branches of the military! I can't help but wonder if someone else "urged" Butler to do this, since his Air Force career was over.)
Butler's wife said that he plans to retire in a few weeks after 24 years in the Air Force, including duty as a combat pilot in Desert Storm. (24 and 26 years appear in different articles)
I wonder how far and wide this story will go. I have not seen it covered on television yet. When the AF General criticized Clinton the story was front page in all the newspapers the NEXT day. The letter written by Colonel Butler was published in the Monterey Herald over a week ago on May 26th. Did anyone see anything about this last week?
Is Colonel Butler the first military man to criticize Bush? Will he be the last? Will he be court martialed or allowed to retire as the Clinton Adminstration allowed the General to do?
Let's wait and see what a Republican Administration does with this one. Will Bush appointees want him made an example, or will Bush take the high road, as Clinton did, and let the man retire. If Bush wants to keep the military in his camp, and prevent a rebellion, I think he had better follow Clinton's lead on this one!
The best coverage of this story that I have seen so far is from a Knight Ridder article which is posted on rense.com
AF Officer
Suspended After Charging Bush Knew Of 911 Threat
http://www.rense.com/general25/charge.htm
http://www.theksbwchannel.com/news/1495442/detail.html
The story is archived on YahooGroups
Bush-Bashing Colonel Relieved Of Duty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RMNEWS_DAILY_EMAILS/message/25947
