Just kidding: No one in the upper ranks of the US Army has been punished for creating the conditions under which abuse of prisoners in Afhganistan and Iraq flourished, but 4-star General Kevin Byrnes has been relieved of command for engaging in what Army sources described to the Washington Post as an adulterous affair that the general’s attorney says was with a civilian unconnected to the Department of Defense.
The Army released few details about the decision to relieve one of its 11 four-star generals, with spokesmen saying only that Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army’s chief of staff, relieved Byrnes of his command on Monday as the result of an investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general. A spokesman said Army officials could find no case of another four-star general being relieved of duty in modern times.Several defense sources familiar with the case, speaking anonymously because the investigation is not complete, said Byrnes is accused of having an “inappropriate relationship,” and some described him as being involved in an extramarital affair.
Byrnes, reached by telephone at his home yesterday, declined to comment. His defense attorney, Lt. Col. David H. Robertson, said the allegation against Byrnes involves an affair with a private citizen. Byrnes has been separated from his wife since May 2004; their divorce was finalized on Monday, coincidentally the same day he was relieved of command, Robertson said.
Byrnes was scheduled to retire in November of this year. According to the Post, their Army sources think Byrnes is the first 4-star general to be relieved of command “in modern times,” whenever those might have begun.
Meanwhile, the various probes of prisoner abuse continue to chug along with no high-profile victims other than Army Reserve General Janis Karpinski, who commanded the Abu Ghraib prison at the time the scanal there became public. Karpinski was demoted to colonel and has since accused General Geoffrey Miller, who commanded the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, of creating a climate at Abu Ghraib in which abuse was not only tolerated but encouraged and telling her that the prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib “are like dogs and if you allow them to believe at any point that they are more than a dog then you’ve lost control of them.”
Miller denies making the comments. A recent Army report recommended that Miller be reprimanded for his role in the abuse of prisoners, but the recommendation was overruled by US Southern Command chief Bantz Craddock, Miller’s superior. So for now, the upper reaches of the military and their civilian bosses will remain untouched in all but spirit by the scandal, and General Byrnes will pay the price for a different sort of lust.
Modern times must mean “Since the Korean War.”
George Smith Patton was relieved of his command at Third US Army after the German surrender for his comments on de-Nazification. He was placed as head of the Ninth Army, which became a study group, institutionalizing the operational and tactical lessons of World War II.
Douglas MacArthur was relieved as the Supreme Allied Commander, Far East by President Truman. Main reason was MacArthur would not follow the strategic direction of the Truman Administration
Hey, BillyBob.
I thought about that but but dismissed it because MacArthur was a 5-star. You’re probably right, though, since one would think he would have been mentioned if he qualified for the time period.
I knew Byrnes when he commanded the 1CD DIVARTY at Fort Hood, TX in 1991-92. Ironically, he used to tell us “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the Washington Post.” Of course, today he was on the front page of the Post for his screw up. Now that’s karma!
This is not about adultery. It is about hypocrisy. Byrnes is a hypocrite. When I knew him at Fort Hood, he was “burn happy.” He would burn officers and NCOs for the slightest infraction. It’s great to see him get a taste of his own medicine. I piss on the grave of his career.
Here’s an account of the Byrnes case that’s been posted on the web. Anybody here got any perspective on this?
Four Star General Fired For Organizing Coup Against Neo-Cons?
Paul Joseph Watson & Alex Jones
August 10, 2005
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m14516&date=11-aug-2005_08:24_ECT
Reporter suggests Brynes discovered plan to turn nuke exercise into staged terror attack
The head of Fort Monroe’s Training and Doctrine Command, four star general Kevin P. Byrnes, was fired Tuesday apparently for sexual misconduct according to official sources.
Other sources however have offered a different explanation for Byrnes’ dismissal which ties in with the Bush administration’s unpopular plan to attack Iran and the staged nuclear attack in the US which would provide the pretext to do so.
According to reporter Greg Szymanski, anonymous military sources said that Brynes was the leader of a faction that was preparing to instigate a coup against the neo-con hawks in an attempt to prevent further global conflict.
Indications are that, much like popular opinion amongst the general public, half the military oppose the neo-con’s agenda and half support it.
Further revelations were imparted by journalist Leland Lehrman who appeared today on The Alex Jones Show.
Lehrman’s army sources, including a former Captain in intelligence, became outraged when they learned that the official story behind 9/11 was impossible.
They told Lehrman that the imminent Northcom nuclear terror exercise based in Charleston, S.C, where a nuclear warhead is smuggled off a ship and detonated, was originally intended to ‘go live’ – as in the drill would be used as the cover for a real false flag staged attack.
This website has relentlessly discussed similar style drills which took place on the morning of 9/11 and on the morning of 7/7 in London.
“Speculation exists that he had potentially discovered the fact that it was gonna go live and that he was trying to put a stop to it or also speculation indicates that he may be part of a military coup designed to prevent the ridiculous idea of doing a nuclear war with Iran, ” said Lehrman.
Lehrman said that other sources had told him all army leave had been cancelled from September 7th onwards, opening the possibility for war to be declared within that time frame.
Northcom officials also admitted to Lehrman that CNN had been using its situation room as a studio.
Earlier this week, Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has developed its first ever war plans for operations within the continental United States, in which terrorist attacks would be used as the justification for imposing martial law on cities, regions or the entire country.
American Conservative Magazine recently reported that Dick Cheney had given orders to immediately invade Iran after the next terror attack in the US, even if there was no evidence Iran was involved.
Government and media mouthpieces have been fearmongering for weeks about how a nuclear attack within the US is imminent.
Now would be the most opportune time for the Globalists to stage a major attack, as it would head off any potential indictments against the Bush administration for their involvement in illegally outing CIA agent Valerie Plame.
While rumors circulating about indictments having already taken place against Bush and Cheney should rightly be treated very carefully, the fact that there is an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter is something that’s admitted and shouldn’t be viewed as speculation.
:: Article nr. 14516 sent on 11-aug-2005 08:24 ECT
:: The address of this page is : http://www.uruknet.info?p=14516