Falklands War Hero Rebuked for Loss of Secret Papers
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DEVONPORT, England — A Royal Navy captain honored for gallantry in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict was reprimanded by a court-martial Tuesday for losing secret documents while walking his dog along the River Thames.
Capt. Alan West, 38, pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching naval security and one of negligence. The sentence means his record will bear a black mark for five years.
The 52-page bundle, containing details of major cuts in naval strengths proposed by the Conservative government, was picked up by a free-lance journalist and published in several newspapers.
West had jammed the papers in his coat pocket and lost them Sept. 11 on a path by the Thames at Sonning, outside London.
During the Falklands War against Argentina, West commanded a frigate and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery under fire.
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