Bacevich, Petraeus and Westhusing

Former Gen. David Petraeus was back in the news again last week, as he was heckled by students as he took on his new career as a prof at New York University.  But I was reminded of a certain obsession I had about Petraeus by the publication of Andrew Bacevich's new book Breach of Trust.  In it he briefly revives the story of the suicide of  a man he admired, the high-ranking officer Ted Westhusing, in Iraq in 2005.

This quickly re-awakened my interest in Petraeus's connection to Westhusing.

 Col. Ted Westhusing , 44, was a well-known West Pointer specializing in military ethics.  The episode first came to prominence two years after his death later thanks to some digging by reporters from the L.A. Times and Texas Observer.  Some even claimed that Westhusing had been murdered.  I wrote a major piece about it at the time for my old magazine, Editor & Publisher, and then updated it later at The Nation and Huffington Post after I got my hands on hundreds of documents myself.   The murder charge still seemed sketchy but documents, reports and interview transcripts raised disturbing questions about why Westhusing was driven to suicide.  He had repeatedly mentioned in calls home to his wife witnessing "human rights" abuses directed at "insurgents," besides rampant corruption involving contractors.

But the key document has always been his suicide note, in which he pointed to abhorrent (unfortunately rather vague) behavior by Petreus and another general, Joseph Fil.  "I will be sullied--no more," Westhusing wrote, hauntingly.

My latest piece from 2011 is here.  The episode is also featured in my book, just published this week for the first time in an updated, e-book form, So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits--and the President--Failed on Iraq.  Here is an excerpt from the suicide note, directed to Petraeus and Fils.

I cannot support a msn [mission] 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. ... 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 [commanders]. You are not what you think you are and I know it.