A Death Reconsidered.

Was Col. Ted Westhusing's death in Iraq something more sinister than suicide?

Listen (13 MB MP3)

"Since last March, when I wrote a story about the apparent suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing in Iraq, I had believed there was nothing else to write about his tragic death.

But in December, I talked to a source in the Department of Defense who met Westhusing in Iraq about three months before his death. The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, was investigating claims of wrongdoing against military contractors working in Iraq. After a short introduction, I asked him what he thought had happened to Westhusing. 'I think he was killed. I honestly do. I think he was murdered,' the source told me. 'Maybe DOD didn’t have enough evidence to call it murder, so they called it suicide.' "

Tonight, we interview author Robert Bryce about this sad tale.

About the guest:
Robert Bryce's articles have appeared in dozens of publications including the Atlantic Monthly, Slate, New York Times, Washington Post, American Conservative, The Nation, Washington Spectator and The Guardian. His first book, Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron, received rave reviews and was named one of the best non-fiction books of 2002 by Publishers Weekly. His second book, Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate, was published 2004.

Bryce spent 12 years writing for the Austin Chronicle. His third book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence," will be published in March by PublicAffairs. He lives in Austin.

Links:

I am Sullied-No More - Robert Bryce's first article about Col. Westhusing

A Death Reconsidered - Bryce's most recent Westhusing article

Robert Bryce's Website

The FOIA Documents Robert Bryce refers to in the episode