Iraqis raped Lynch during her captivity, book reveals

NY Daily News ^

[saquin]

BY PAUL D. COLFORD AND CORKY SIEMASZKO New York Daily News

NEW YORK - (KRT) - Jessica Lynch was brutally raped by her Iraqi captors.

That is the shocking revelation in "I Am a Soldier, Too," the much-anticipated authorized biography of the former POW. A copy of the book was obtained by The New York Daily News on Wednesday.

Best selling author Rick Bragg tells Lynch's story for her, often using her own words. Thankfully, she has no memory of the rape.

"Jessi lost three hours," Bragg wrote. "She lost them in the snapping bones, in the crash of the Humvee, in the torment her enemies inflicted on her after she was pulled from it."

The scars on Lynch's battered body and the medical records indicate she was anally raped, and "fill in the blanks of what Jessi lived through on the morning of March 23, 2003," Bragg wrote.

"The records do not tell whether her captors assaulted her almost lifeless, broken body after she was lifted from the wreckage, or if they assaulted her and then broke her bones into splinters until she was almost dead."

The 207-page saga published by Knopf hits bookstores Tuesday, which is Veterans Day.

In it, America's most famous G.I. - for the first time since her dramatic rescue on April 1 - dispels some of the mystery surrounding the blistering battle that resulted in her capture, her treatment by the Iraqis in a hellish hospital, and the searing pain that is her constant companion.

A 20-year-old from the hollers of West Virginia, Lynch knew what could happen to her if she fell into Iraqi hands. A female pilot captured in the Persian Gulf War had been raped.

"Everyone knew what Saddam's soldiers did to women captives," Bragg wrote. "In (Lynch's) worst nightmares, she stood alone in that desert as the trucks of her own army pulled away."

The nightmare became real in the dusty and dangerous city of Nassiriyah, when Lynch's unit got separated from its convoy and was ambushed by Iraqi fighters.

Bragg, a former New York Times reporter who quit after admitting he had a legman do some of his reporting, gives a cinematic account of the desperate firefight that mortally wounded Lynch's Army buddy, Lori Piestewa, and 10 others in the convoy.

But while early Pentagon reports suggested the young Army private heroically resisted capture, Lynch told Bragg she never fired a shot, because her M-16 jammed. "I didn't kill nobody," she said.

Lynch also denied in the book claims by Iraqi lawyer Mohammed Odeh Al-Rehaief, who said he saw one of former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein's black-clad Fedayeen slap her as she lay in her hospital bed.

"Unless they hit me while I was asleep - and why do that?" she said.

Lynch described to Bragg how Iraqi doctors were branded "traitors" by Saddam's henchmen for helping her and how they tried to treat her wounds in a shattered hospital where painkillers were scarce. She said one nurse tried to ease her agony by singing to her.

"It was a pretty song," she said. "And I would sleep."

Lynch also confirmed reports in the book that Iraqi doctors tried to sneak her to safety in an ambulance but turned back when wary U.S. soldiers opened fire on them.

But eight days after she was captured, Lynch found herself face to face with a savior.

"Jessica Lynch," he said, "we're United States soldiers and we're here to protect you and take you home."

"I'm an American soldier, too," Lynch replied.

Lynch's painful recovery from an ordeal that left her barely able to walk, unable to use her right hand or control her bowels is vividly described. So, too, is Lynch's discomfort with the spotlight - and with being called a hero.

"I'm just a survivor," she said in the book. "When I think about it, it keeps me awake at night."

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© 2003, New York Daily News.

[BBell]

I was an Infantry Marine so in my ignorance I assumed all units prepared as we did. I guess not, and you know what they say about assuming things. I guess we didn't learn much from Vietnam in regard to arming support troops, did we.

[A. Pole]

Only a degenerate, barbaric society sends women into a battlefield.

Absolutely correct, sir.

Decadent yes, barbaric no. Barbarians do not send women to war. Feminism is a decadent movement not possible in a primitive society.

[tom h]

"When will these PC dimwits get a clue?"

When the women who serve are not poor white and black women from the rural south, or the inner city, but middle-class women who are drafted. Once liberal well-off girls between 18 and 25 are forced to serve, and forced to pretend to be soldiers, will the dimwits learn. Once they find out that their role during the conflict is not one holding anti-war placards on campus, or burning American flags next to Palestinians, but holding a rifle and conditioning themselves to kill the enemy.

THEN they will finally get over the politics and let men do the fighting.

[BBell]

After active duty I did a breif stint in the Marine reserves. I guess I do recall some of the Marines not remembering how to dismantle their weapons. This was a Head quarters unit though.

[Let's Roll]

BTTT

[Modernman]

I was an Infantry Marine so in my ignorance I assumed all units prepared as we did. I guess not, and you know what they say about assuming things

I read an article to that effect a while back- the whole "Every Man a Rifle Man" concept in the Marines draws no distinction between front-line troops and support troops- everyone is supposed to be able to fight on a moment's notice. When an Army convoy is attacked in Iraq, they're supposed to speed out of there and get away, while Marine doctrine is to stop, unload everyone from the trucks and go on the offensive.

[bvw]

The armies with a *few* women on the front lines, as I see it, are usually the winners. Russia in WW II, Israel in its wars, are what comes to mind. Follows the rule that the most cowardly force that must win, wins.

[#3Fan]

As of 2000 there were 138,000,000 men. There were 107,000,000 both under 18 and 65 and over. We could say that half of that group are male leaving 53,000,000. Subtract 53,000,000 from 138,000,000, leaving 85,000,000. Let's further reduce that by 1/3 to get an estimate of how many men are of age to join the armed forces. 85,000,000 - 28,000,000 = 57,000,000. Now let'a say that half (ridiculous, but we'll be conservative) are otherwise unfit for service. That leaves 28,000,000 fully qualified men. How many men are in the armed forces now? (#3Fan, I pinged you because you based statements about women in the military on the same premise in another thread

I never said we didn't have enough men, I said that an all volunteer force is better than a drafted force and saves more lives in the long run. By filling button-pushing jobs with women, better men are available for the infantry. The cost is a 507th-type incident every 12 years. The reward is better fighting in the 10,000 incidents in those 12 years in the infantry which saved lives here and there throughout that time.

[PeyersPatches]

I could take being raped if I knew I had been defending my country.

Geez, it would be easier than having a baby.

---

I am a woman and former servicemember. I absolutely cannot believe that you just said that. Having a baby does not leave permanent emotional scars. That is the coldest comment toward a rape victim that I believe I have ever seen.

[PeyersPatches]

Nothing like sending teenage girl's out to do your fighting for you! Blackbird.

---

Well said.

[PeyersPatches]

I LOVE your moniker!

[PeyersPatches]

I was an Infantry Marine so in my ignorance I assumed all units prepared as we did. I guess not, and you know what they say about assuming things. I guess we didn't learn much from Vietnam in regard to arming support troops, did we.

---

Yeah but remember they were a supply line. That supply line was streached out for miles with zip for protection as well. Someone high ranking should have had his stars shoved up his hinney over that. Any private knows the first thing to hit is a supply line.

[luckystarmom]

I'm not trying to be cold about being raped. I am saying that if it is me or them, I could take it.

I personally would not chose to be in the military because I would not want to take the possibility of being taken captive and beaten, raped, etc.

However, I would imagine that the women that have joined know what they are signing up for and are prepared that they might be captured. I don't see being raped any more awful as being tortured. It's all bad, but it's a consequence that all military personnel are prepared for.

Now, if you are talking about a rape of a non-military person in every day life. That's different.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Why is it worse for female soldiers to be raped by the enemy, than for male soldiers to be tortured in various ways (including similar ways)? Both are horrible.

[DannyTN]

No, you are not the only one.

It was absolutely unneccessary to reveal that. If Saddam was a continuing force, then maybe you could justify revealing it. But revealing now does nobody any good. And I'm sure Jessica would just as soon not have the world know that.

It's not just a barbaric society that sends it's women to the front lines. It's a barbaric society whose greed and curiosity takes precedent over it's compassion.

[PeyersPatches]

However, I would imagine that the women that have joined know what they are signing up for and are prepared that they might be captured. I don't see being raped any more awful as being tortured. It's all bad, but it's a consequence that all military personnel are prepared for.

Now, if you are talking about a rape of a non-military person in every day life. That's different.

---

Rape is no easier for women in the military than it is for a civilian woman, I assure you.

And no, when teenage girls join the military, they are not thinking "I could be raped" as a consequence. There are still people who actually do not realize that women are now actively put into combat positions.

After reading your comments on how rape isn't worse than giving birth, and now the comments above, I've concluded that you are long on wind and short on insight. It is twice as bad since you evidently are a woman yourself.

[CMAC51]

>> Whats with all the M-16's jamming? I've carried a few and fired them in a variety of adverse conditions and have never had this problem. Lousy weapons maintenence, not necesarily by the individual, is what I suspect. Or lousy magazines. <<

It was reported earlier in many places that the support troops did not maintain there weapons in a combat ready fashion. This must be a lesson learned from this war. You carry a weapon because you need it. I better be ready when you do!

[misterrob]

Easy, they gave Clinton a pass.....

[luckystarmom]

Now, I have a question for you. Then why are women in the military?

If being raped is worse than a male being tortured than why are women being put into combat positions where they could be captured.

I definitely don't have insight if women are joining the military and don't think of the consequences. Can women join and opt out of combat or not? I know there are many things women can do as well as men, but if what you are saying is true than women shouldn't be in combat positions.

Also, during boot camp (or whatever) they don't train personnel for being captured?

I know the consequences of joining the military, and I don't like those consequences. Like I said, if I was defending my nation (my kids) I could handle a lot including rape if I was captured. I think I could handle that better than some of the things the viet cong did to their prisoners. I know they put the prisoners in little cages with lots of rats biting at them. I would have a harder time with torture like that.

[#3Fan]

For what it's worth, I for one think I knew what you meant. You were saying that in the same way that men die for their country in honor, that you could see being raped if it was for your country. Not that you would ever want to be raped, obviously, just as men wouldn't want to die for their country. You were catching a lot of flak so I figured I'd post this. :^)