William H. Steele

Former Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele (b. "circa" 1955) is a U.S. Army Reservist from Prince George, Virginia. He was charged with aiding the enemy and other breaches of military law, mostly in connection with his role as commander of the 451st Military Police Detachment and Camp Cropper, a holding facility for security detainees in Iraq. He was acquitted of aiding the enemy, but sentenced to 2 years confinement on other charges. He is currently confined in the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Steele was only the second officer to be charged with aiding the enemy since 2003, the other being Captain James Yee.

Biography

Background

Steele is originally from Frostburg, Maryland and a 1973 graduate of Beall High School. [ cite news |title=Colonel Accused Of Aiding Enemy In Iraq Has Family In Maryland | url=http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=57026|work=WBAL.com | date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2007-08-21] He is a former police officer from Anne Arundel County, Maryland and a former Hernando County, Florida sheriff’s deputy.

Civilian legal incidents

After Steele was charged with aiding the enemy, the press reported on two earlier incidents in which Steele had been involved with the courts. In November 1993, he was charged with felony aggravated child abuse for his verbal and physical abuse of his 11-year-old stepson. From court records, " [The boy] was punched. He was thrown across the room for eating food without asking." Steele was also charged with resisting an officer with violence, another felony. Both charges were dropped when he agreed to give up custody. [ cite news |title=Officer Testifies Against U.S. Military Jailer in Iraq |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/world/middleeast/01steele.html|work=New York Times |date=2007-05-01 |accessdate=2007-05-01]

In 2003, Steele was charged with two misdemeanor offenses during a dispute with a contractor. The contractor, who was born in Lebanon, accused Steele of saying: "You better get out of here or I'll blow your head off," and said that Steele "accused him of working for al-Qaeda". Steele was convicted on one count of threatening bodily harm, but upon appeal the charges were dismissed after Steele completed anger management therapy. [cite news |title=At Hearing in Iraq, U.S. Colonel Is Cast As Flouter of Rules | author=Karin Brulliard and Eric Rich|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101872_pf.html |work=The Washington Post |date=2007-05-02 |accessdate=2007-06-16]

Camp Cropper

Steele served as commandant of Camp Cropper from October 2005 to the end of October 2006, when he transferred to Camp Victory and served as a senior patrol officer with 89th Military Police Brigade. Camp Cropper is known to have held former Baath Party members, Al-Qaeda operatives, and members of the Iraqi insurgency. On April 26, 2007 it was announced that Steele had been held in military detention since March, and that he had been charged with aiding the enemy and other violations of military law. After that he was held in pretrial confinement in Kuwait. [cite news |first= |last=AP |title=Colonel Charged with Aiding Enemy |url=http://www.nysun.com/article/53294 |work=New York Sun |date=2007-04-26 |accessdate=2007-04-26] [cite news |title=Court deciding whether lt. col. goes on trial | author=Thomas Wagner|url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/ap_steele_070430/ |work=The Associated Press |date=2007-04-30 |accessdate=2007-06-16] Testimony at his Article 32 hearing indicated that the charge of aiding the enemy was based on the allegation that Steele had allowed three juvenile detainees to use his cellphone to call their parents in violation of the prison's requirement that all prisoner phone calls be monitored. [cite news |title=At Hearing in Iraq, U.S. Colonel Is Cast As Flouter of Rules | author=Karin Brulliard and Eric Rich|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101872_pf.html |work=The Washington Post |date=2007-05-02 |accessdate=2007-06-16] (Steele had been previously reprimanded by Brigadier General Kevin McBride, commander of the 43d MP Brigade, for "intimidating tower guards with a service pistol." He was later awarded the Bronze Star by BG McBride at the end of his tour of duty.Fact|date=June 2007)

On June 10, 2007, the military dropped charges of fraternization with the daughter of a prisoner, and failure to oversee expenditure of government funds -- allegedly used to purchase of hair dye and Cuban cigars for Saddam Hussein when he was held at Camp Cropper. At that time, Major General James E. Simmons referred the remaining charges for trial by general court-martial. [cite news | url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/ap_steele_070614/| title=Court-martial for O-5 accused of aiding enemy | date=2007-06-14 | publisher=Army Times| accessdate=2007-08-20] . Steele was ordered confined pending trial. [cite news | url=http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54558&archive=true| title=Reservist to be held until trial on charges of aiding the enemy | date=2007-06-28 | publisher=Stars and Stripes| accessdate=2007-07-02] At a pre-trial hearing held at Camp Liberty, Iraq, on October 7, Steele pleaded guilty to two charges relating to improper storage of classified materials and to one of possession of pornographic videos. [cite news | url=http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5715 | title=Trial Date Set For Officer Charged With Aiding Enemy | date=2007-10-13 | publisher=United States Central Command| accessdate=2007-10-15] cite news
url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22616832-1702,00.html
title=US soldier guilty in secret papers case
publisher=News,au
author=Mussab Al-Kharailla
date=October 19, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-10] cite news
url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-10-17-iraq-martial_N.htm
title=Soldiers who guarded Saddam testify against commander
publisher=USA Today
date=October 17 2007
accessdate=2007-11-09] cite news
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-zT8WvZY-uYK3d-CARtfDJgnR-wD8SCH8EG1
title=Ex-US Commander in Iraq Gets 2-Year Term
publisher=Associated Press
author=Katarina Kratovac
date=October 19, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-10] Steele's trial before a military judge on charges of "aiding the enemy, possessing classified information, disobeying orders and conduct unbecoming an officer" began in Baghdad on October 15. [cite news | url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/print?id=3729826 | author=Katarina Kratovac | title=Iraq: Soldier's Trial for Aiding Enemy | date=2007-10-15 | publisher=Associated Press| accessdate=2007-10-15]

On October 19, 2007, a military judge found Steele not guilty on the charge of aiding the enemy, but guilty of "unauthorized possession of classified documents, behavior unbecoming an officer for an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter and failing to obey an order". Steele faced a possible maximum 6 year sentence for the charges he previously plead guilty to, as well as an additional 10 years for the charges for which he was convicted. [cite news | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/19/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Soldier-Trial.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage | author=Katarina Kratovac | title=U.S. officer avoids life sentence on charges of aiding the enemy | date=2007-10-19 | publisher=International Herald Tribune| accessdate=2007-10-19] Instead, he was sentenced to 2 years confinement, minus time already served, loss of his military retirement, forfeiture of pay and allowances and a dismissal from the military. [cite news | url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3751752 | author=Katarina Kratovac | title=Ex-US Commander in Iraq Gets 2-Year Term | date=2007-10-19 | publisher=ABC News| accessdate=2007-10-22]

Charges against Steele

Charge I: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 104

Specification: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 October 2005 and 31 October 2006, aid the enemy by providing an unmonitored cellular phone to detainees. (Acquitted of charge on October 19, 2007)

Charge II: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 134

Specification: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 31 October 2006 and 22 February 2007, having unauthorized possession of classified information, violate Title 18, United States Code, Section 793(e), by knowingly and willfully retaining the same and failing to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it. (Convicted of charge on October 19, 2007)

Charge III: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 133

Specification 1: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 20 October 2005 and 22 February 2007, knowingly and wrongfully fraternize with the daughter of a detainee, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces. (This specification was not recommended for trial by court-martial and was dismissed on June 10, 2007.)

Specification 2: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 December 2005 and 11 December 2006, knowingly and wrongfully provide special privileges to and maintain an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter, wherein such acts constituted conduct unbecoming an officer in the armed forces. (Convicted of charge on October 19, 2007)

Charge IV: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 92

Specification 1: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 18 February 2007 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: paragraph 7-4, Army Regulation 380-5, dated 29 September 2000, by wrongfully and knowingly storing classified information in his living space. (Steele pleaded guilty to this specification on October 7, 2007.)

Specification 2: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 1 September 2006 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: paragraph 4-32, Army Regulation 380-5, dated 29 September 2000, by improperly marking classified information. (Steele pleaded guilty to this specification on October 7, 2007.)

Specification 3: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, having knowledge of a lawful order issued by the 89th Military Police Brigade Deputy Commander, did, at or near Camp Victory, Iraq, on or about 22 February 2007, failure to obey the same. (Convicted of charge on October 19, 2007)

Specification 4: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, did, between on or about 18 February 2007 and 21 February 2007, violate a lawful general order, to wit: paragraph 2e, Multi-National Corps-Iraq General Order Number 1, dated 16 December 2006, by wrongfully and knowingly possessing pornographic video files. (Steele pleaded guilty to this specification on October 7, 2007.)

Specification 5: In that Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, between on or about 1 October 2005 and 31 October 2006, was derelict in the performance of his duties in that he willfully failed to fulfill his obligations as an approving authority in the expenditure of Field Ordering Officer funds. (This specification was not recommended for trial by court-martial and was dismissed on June 10, 2007.)

External links

* [http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=4791 "Charges Announced" News Release - United States Central Command - April 26, 2007]
* [http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5715 "Trial Date Set For Officer Charged With Aiding Enemy" News Release - United States Central Command - October 13, 2007]
* [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq27apr27,1,3324264.story?coll=la-headlines-world&track=crosspromo U.S. commander under investigation for allegedly aiding the enemy]
* [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/51FB8DB4-2085-4507-9C78-706826FA64B9.htm US Iraqi prison commander detained]
* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20070426-1441-iraq-ussoldiercharged.html Army officer who commanded MPs at Iraq prison accused of aiding the enemy, faces death penalty]

ee also

References and notes