An Army statement listed these charges against Steele: "One specification of a violation of Article 104, aiding the enemy; one specification of a violation of Article 134, retaining classified material; two specifications of violations of Article 133, conduct unbecoming an officer, for relationships involving an interpreter and another Iraqi female; five specifications of a violation of Article 92, failure to obey lawful orders for wrongfully storing classified materials, improperly marking classified materials, failing to obey an order from a superior officer, possession of pornography and dereliction of duty as an approving official for the expenditure of government funds."

Army Knowledge Online identifies LTC William H. Steele as a Reserve Officer assigned to the 310th Military Police Battalion. If MNF-I chooses to answer a blogger request, I'll pass that along. From the charges alone, three scenarios come to mind.

1. The colonel is a horn-dog thinking with his small brain, and was doing so in a way that allowed the Iraqis access to classified material that the colonel was storing sloppily, the other charges stemming from discoveries incidental to the initial complaint. That's the charitable scenario.

2. The colonel is a horn-dog thinking with his small brain and was played by the Iraqis involved to get access to the data that he improperly handled, making it possible to get access. This one has potential damage beyond that to the colonel's reputation and career.

3. The colonel is a horn-dog thinking with his small brain *and* he's dirty, to boot.

The first one, if sustained, will likely get him slapped around, fined, and dismissed from the service, with prejudice. 2 and 3 will easily bring him to come live in the back meadow of Fort Leavenworth, where the Disciplinary Barracks is located. How long he remains a guest here will be a function of whether it's 2, or 3, and how much damage was done.

Update: In retrospect, especially considering the comments, I should have done something here that I was thinking about when I wrote the post, I left some things unsaid that I really shouldn't have.

I chose the numbers for the three possibilities not only because they increase in severity - but because they also *decrease* in likelihood. The list of charges looks padded (the "ham sandwiches" mentioned in the comments) and are stuffed with things probably discovered ex post facto during the investigation, and were added to ratchet up the pressure for an easy cop on whatever the real meat they're after is, i.e., to increase the chances for a plea bargain. This is why prosecutors pretty much would like virtually every human activity to be chargeably illegal in some context, so they do something like this to you to get you on something, even if their main case is weak, or they know they've got you but would rather you plead out than go to trial.

I've handled enough FOUO documention to know that you can get tripped up with *that* simply by forgetting to put it in your desk drawer and step out of the office.

In other words, if I were a betting man, I'd bet on the horn-dog angle, and the rest is there to pressure LTC Steele into rolling over.

Regardless, it isn't over until the Judge says it is, one way or another.

So I'll say it upfront - given they've gone to this level of effort, I'm guessing LTC Steele has had some "interpersonal relationship" judgement lapse, and that it's unlikely he sold out the troops.

The small brain can do that to you.