US Imperialist General Accused of Sex Crimes Against Women Soldiers

Western casualties are mounting in Afghanistan. A helicopter was downed by the Afghan resistance forces on July 14, 2009. The official US response was that the helicopter carried "civilian contractors.", a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Sep 26, 2012

Army accuses 82nd Airborne brig. general of sex crimes

By Michael Winter, USA TODAY

The Army has accused an 82 Airborne brigadier general of sexual crimes, adultery and other offenses over inappropriate relationships with several women under his command, U.S. military officials said today.

Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, of the 82 Airborne at Fort Bragg, N.C., has been charged with forcible sodomy, multiple counts of adultery and having inappropriate relationships with several female subordinates. He served two tours in Iraq and three in Afghanistan, where he had been a deputy commander.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, who was deputy commander of logistics and support for the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, was ordered back to Fort Bragg, N.C., in May, unidentified military officials told the Associated Press. He has not been arrested.

The Fayetteville Observer lists the charges: forcible sodomy; wrongful sexual conduct; attempted violation of an order; violations of regulations by wrongfully engaging in inappropriate relationships and misusing a government travel charge card; violating general orders by possessing alcohol and pornography while deployed; maltreatment of subordinates; filing fraudulent claims; engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman; and engaging in conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, or of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

Sinclair, whose 27-year career has included three deployments to Afghanistan, two tours in Iraq and one tour in the first Gulf war, now faces an Article 32 investigation, the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing, to determine if he should be court-martialed.

The Army did not say in May exactly why Sinclair was relieved of command and recalled. A Fort Bragg official said only that it was "a criminal investigation," The Fayetteville Observer reported at the time.

AP says a Fort Bragg spokesman would not take questions today after announcing the charges at a brief news conference, saying they must be submitted in writing.