U.S. soldier in Iraq acquitted of aiding enemy

Lawyer: 'Honest mistake'
Steele, an Army reservist, later served as a senior patrol officer at nearby Camp Victory with the 89th Military Police Brigade. The charge of illegally holding classified documents pertained to that period.

Barrett said Steele’s storage of classified documents was an “honest mistake” and he argued that the defendant’s relationship with an interpreter did not constitute behavior unbecoming an officer.

Steele’s wife, Judith, who is also an Army reservist, testified on behalf of her husband during the sentencing phase of the trial, describing the e-mails written by her husband to the interpreter as “inconsequential.”

She broke into tears describing their daughter’s learning disability and the sacrifices it has taken to care for her at their home.

“My husband has always been very supportive of me and my Army career. I’ve had to travel a great deal as a reservist,” she said. “I saw them more as comforting e-mails than anything else.”

Accused chose not to testify
Steele chose not to testify in his own defense in the first court-martial on charges of aiding the enemy since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Much of the trial, which began Monday, was held behind closed doors because officials said classified information was being discussed.

The only other U.S. officer known to have been accused of collaborating with the enemy since the 2003 start of the war Capt. James J. Yee, a Muslim chaplain who was linked to a possible espionage ring at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison. He was eventually cleared and given an honorable discharge.

Steele already had pleaded guilty to three other charges during an Oct. 7 pre-trial sentencing hearing, including wrongfully storing and improperly handling classified information and possession of pornographic videos.

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