Mathew L. Golsteyn: Difference between revisions

[[Major (rank)|Major]] '''Mathew L. Golsteyn''' was an [[American people|American]] [[soldier]] whose killing of an Afghan became a trigger to a public debate.<ref name=Nytimes2018-12-14/><ref name=Nytimes2018-12-16/>

Golsteyn served in [[Afghanistan]], in 2010.<ref name=Bbc2018-12-16/> His superiors felt his bravery and leadership merited recognition, and he was awarded a [[Silver Star (medal)|Silver Star]], the third highest medal awarded by the US military. The Secretary of the Army was considering upgrading his recognition to a [[Distinguished Service Cross]], the second highest medal.

However, in 2011, an incident came to light, from 2010, when Golsteyn, then a [[Captain (rank)|Captain]], killed an unarmed Afghan.<ref name=Nytimes2018-12-14/><ref name=Nytimes2018-12-16/> Golsteyn was working next to [[USMC|Marines]] during the [[battle of Marja]], in [[Helmand, Afghanistan]], on February 18, 2010. A party of Marines opened a [[booby-trap]]ped door, which killed two marines, and seriously wounded three others.<ref name=Wapo2015-05-19/> Nearby US forces subsequently inspected nearby houses, and took a suspect into custody, because they thought his home contained bomb-making materials. A cooperative tribal elder, visiting the base, identified the captive as a member of the [[Taliban]]. The cooperative tribal elder became fearful when the suspect saw him on the base, and told Golsteyn he now feared the Taliban would target him and his family. Golsteyn, and a confederate, took the suspect off base, and killed him - a killing an inquiry later determined was in violation of the rules of engagement.

The killing first came to official notice in 2011, during Golsteyn's job interview, when he applied to work for the CIA.<ref name=Fox2018-12-16/><ref name=Wapo2015-06-29/> This triggered the first Army investigation. It took three years. A board of inquiry determined he should be stripped of his Special Forces tab, have his [[Silver Star]] clawed back, that a letter of reprimand should be placed in his personnel record, and that he should be discharged - a general discharge under honorable circumstances.

In 2016 ''[[Fox News]]'' broadcast an interview with Golsteyn, during which he described the killing, again. That second description triggered a second inquiry, which resulted in Golsteyn facing murder charges.<ref name=Fox2018-12-16/> During his ''Fox'' interview Golsteyn justified the killing after describing the rules of engagement as being too restrictive. He asserted that, at the time, US forces were only allowed to retain prisoners who were suspected of playing a role in [[Afghanistan's drug trade]]. Suspected combatants would end up in Afghanistan's Justice system, and he had experience meeting former captives on the battlefield again, because they were often quickly released. He told his interviewer he couldn't live with the idea that a suspected militant he had transferred to the Afghan Justice system, would return to kill more of his comrades.

Golsteyn attracted the support of high profile supporters, including [[Congressional Representative]] [[Duncan Hunter]].<ref name=Bbc2018-12-16/> According to the ''[[BBC News]]'', Hunter called the charges a ''"{{'}}retaliatory and vindictive{{'}} inquiry into {{'}}a distinguished and well regarded Green Beret{{'}}."''

In December, following the formal laying of charges, [[United States President]] [[Donald Trump]] also spoke in support of Golsteyn.<ref name=Bbc2018-12-16/> He sent out a tweet, saying:

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:''"At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a {{'}}U.S. Military hero,{{'}} Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas. @PeteHegseth @FoxNews"

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The ''BBC'' asserted that the exact meaning of Trump's tweet was unclear, but that it could be interpreted as an exercise in ''"illegal command influence"'', and could result in the charges being dismissed.

The ''[[Washington Times]]'' reported that after Golsteyn left an [[Amazon book review]] of the book ''[[The Wrong War]]'', in which he called a fellow officer, [[William D. Swenson|Will Swenson]] a friend, Army investigators conducted an inquiry into Swenson, and Swenson started to experience administrative errors.<ref name=washingtontimes2015-02-26/> Prior to Golsteyn calling him a friend, in the review, Swenson had been scheduled to receive a [[Medal of Honor]] from President [[Barack Obama]]. But after Golsteyn's comment Swenson was told that key paperwork had been lost, and his award was delayed for almost one year.