Jessica Lynch snubs Iraqi who helped to free her

The News Telegraph UK ^ | Oct. 29, 2003 | Marcus Warren

[Pern]

A journey to the home town of Jessica Lynch by the Iraqi lawyer who helped to free the young American soldier ended in embarrassment for all concerned when she snubbed him.

Miss Lynch, portrayed as a heroine of our times for her courage while a prisoner of war, was too busy to receive the visitor, her family's lawyer said. Her saviour, Mohammed al-Rehaief, was outwardly understanding of her failure to appear during his trip. "I know she had a very difficult time in Iraq and she takes rest," he said.

However, Mr al-Rehaief, who has been granted asylum in the United States for fear of revenge attacks in Iraq, was reported to be disappointed by her failure to meet him on his visit to Palestine, West Virginia.

The Lynchs' lawyer, Stephen Goodwin, denied that rivalry between the 20-year-old former soldier and her Iraqi benefactor over competing media projects was to blame for her absence. "Absolutely not," he said.

Miss Lynch's book, I Am a Soldier, Too, the fruit of a £600,000 publishing deal, will be released next month and the countdown to her first television interview in two weeks' time has already begun.

But she has been beaten into print by Mr al-Rehaief, whose own work, Because Each Life is Precious, was published earlier this month. In it he describes how he braved bullets to reach the advancing American military and tip them off about the young female private lying wounded in a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah.

She was rescued by Special Forces a week after being injured and captured in an ambush. Her ordeal briefly overshadowed the army's march on Baghdad as the story of the war.

Mr al-Rehaief was given a hero's welcome during his trip to Palestine and named an honorary West Virginian.

But the misunderstandings were not confined to Miss Lynch's refusal to attend any of the ceremonies. Local people laid on an impressive spread at a reception to greet the al-Rehaiefs, only to discover that the family was fasting for Ramadan.

Even if the guests had been hungry they would have been unlikely, as Muslims, to tuck into the ham sandwiches on offer.

[Pern]

The root of all evil.

[Egon]

Nothing against this girl, but I've always been a little uncomfortable with the media fixation on her. She wasn't the only member of her unit to be captured, after all.

Bring on the heat!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

No! How rotten. The guy lost an eye saving her @**.

[SouthernFreebird]

Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm. Is there something she knows that we don't...?

[mountaineer]

Mr al-Rehaief, who has been granted asylum in the United States for fear of revenge attacks in Iraq, was reported to be disappointed by her failure to meet him

"Reported" by whom? This story - and a previous FR thread on the topic - are a magnificent smear campaign against a young woman who was grievously wounded doing her duty for her country. One has to question "why"?

[Hildy]

Sounds like she has the wrong people advising her. Money is truly the root of all evil.

[Wicket]

I think it's kinda cheesy to have your attorney make the comments as to why Jessica couldn't at least shake the guys hand. Book deal or no, he was apparently a very important piece of her rescue. You would think there would be some gratitude there.

May, of course, be a kangaroo court article by the reporter.

[Spacemonkey1023]

Bulls**t she's snubbing him. Sure she's busy, I think it had something to do with having PHYSICAL THERAPY five days a week. Plus they're trying to arrange a private meeting later on. This I read on CN-freakin'-N. Oh, wait......UK......why am I not surprised.....

[ZippyTheGreat]

Amen! I was glad she was rescued, but I felt the whole thing was exploited by the media...

[Pan_Yans Wife]

curiosity ping

[Jim Cane]

Mohammed al-Rehaief is definitely a hero. Jessica, not really. But I don't believe this nonsense about her snubbing him. From what I understand, she is going to
meet him, just not at the media's convenience.

[corkoman]

Money is truly the root of all evil.

No, the lack of money is the root of all evil.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Mohammed al-Rehaief is definitely a hero.

He's shown guts and graciousness. That's for sure.

[stop_fascism]

Lost an eye? I didn't about hear that.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Why not tell us how she should feel, since you were there. Thanks, I look forward to your answer.

[monday]

"Local people laid on an impressive spread at a reception to greet the al-Rehaiefs, only to discover that the family was fasting for Ramadan"

Sounds like the al-Rhaiefs' only reason for visiting her was publicity for his book. Otherwise why come during Ramadan when he knew people in the town would be treating him like a hero and he would have to turn down their offerings?

Can't decide who is the bigger duche here, her or him. I guess I won't be buying either of their books.

[dead]

Even if the guests had been hungry they would have been unlikely, as Muslims, to tuck into the ham sandwiches on offer.

If ham sandwiches were the only things offered, they would qualify as morons.

If they were but one item on the menu, they would qualify as victims of a British journalist’s attempt to make them appear to be morons.

I’m betting the latter.

[Jim Cane]

No, the lack of money is the root of all evil.

No, evil money is the lack of all roots.

[Redbob]

I thought the name of her book was supposed to be "I Am Lost, Too"

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Exactly. There is much left out of this story. Did he go to the media and get them to try to set it up on the medias timing?

I am really amazed how how gullible people are to take the word of the media and start bashing our military men and women, all the way up to the Commander in Chief.

Well, maybe not too amazed. Maybe some of them aren't that different from their liberal counterparts, after all.