'Great news' for West in assault case

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An Army hearing officer has recommended administrative punishment -- but not a criminal court-martial -- for Lt. Col. Allen B. West, who is charged with assault for firing a gun to scare a confession from an Iraqi detainee.

"It's extremely good news," said Neal Puckett, Col. West's attorney, who defended him at a pretrial hearing last month in one of Saddam Hussein's Tikrit palaces. "This is what we think the Army should have done from the very beginning."

Mr. Puckett quoted his client as saying, "Great news indeed."

The recommendation goes to Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the 4th Infantry Division commander, who can accept it or reject it in favor of court-martialing Col. West or dismissing the charge.

Mr. Puckett said he was informed yesterday by the division's judge advocate that the hearing officer, Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis, recommended what is called Article 15 punishment, not a trial.

Under this procedure, Col. West would appear before Gen. Odierno. The general would be limited in his punishment options to a written reprimand, forfeiture of pay and confinement to quarters.

If court-martialed, Col. West would risk a military jury convicting him and dismissing him from the Army. A dismissal would mean losing a lifetime of retirement benefits for the married father of two children, who is based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Mr. Puckett said the staff judge advocate, who in practice is Gen. Odierno's chief legal adviser, told him the general would make a final decision as soon as possible. Mr. Puckett said he had not yet seen the hearing officer's written opinion.

The West case has been closely watched by pro-military groups and Army officers since its beginning.