Posted on 11/05/2003 9:51:58 PM PST by 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."
---
© 2003, New York Daily News.
I agree about not being surprised that Jessica was raped. The beast also cut off the penis of some of the dead male POWs they captured when they captured Jessica. Sorry, I omitted cut off their penis prior to death.
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How many of your 100,000 number of women in the services are in rear echelon and clerical duties? If the services were short 100,000 women, how would that matter at all?
It would drop the choice down 100,000. That's a lot.
There are 25,000,000 men to draw from, and you would get such a paltry number like 100,000 with one media call.
Media calls cost money. Money that could be used for weapons. They're already spending tens of millions on Nascar sponsorships alone.
We used the draft in WWI and WWII and won both wars.
With a much higher casualty rate.
You can provide no reasonable evidence that the casualties would have been any lighter had women been used, or an all volunteer force was used.
Most of the brass thinks an all-volunteer force is better. If it's better, it saves lives.
Most platoon, company and battalion tactics call for merely the presence of someone who has the upper body strength to perservere, and do thing like throw a grenade farther than its blast radius.
It also calls for people that are dedicated and disciplined.
There is no evidence from past experiments that indicate women in dangerous roles in combat, other than when they have to fight at the last ditch end (and then no evidence that their contrabution preveiled) produce positive results.
It allows for an all volunteer force and better choice of men in the infantry. Those are positive results.
Our military has not proven itself vastly superior to all others with this set-up.
Yes it has! Does Gulf War 1 and Gulf War 2 ring a bell? lol
This setup is entirely experimental, and contrary to what we know has worked in the past. Why do it for such chancey consequences and such a feeble possible return?
I don't call winning two major wars, against the 4th largest army in the world in one case, with extrememly light casualties "feeble results".
But what you are advocating is a weaker military, based on historical successes.
Recents results prove you wrong. Our military has proven itself vastly superior.
Personal is choice is not a conservative concept. Just ask anyone who want to put certain substances in his body without permission.
Don't quote me out of context. I said personal choice and responsibility. It's irresponsible to choose to get drugged up and kill other people, or to choose to have an abortion.
I haven't besmirched anyone. I want to read this official report, it must be a new one I haven't seen yet. Link please...
I don't live and die this issue like you do. You do to drag Lynch through the mud so it's only natural that you've looked at every angle to find something you can propagandize against her with.
How do you know it was before death? Don't get me wrong but like Daniel Pearl it sounds like after death would be more their style ... then again, these are Sadaam Insane grunts. BTW, WHY cut that off? Is their symbolism with that ?
You: What a thoughtful post! Thank you for giving the matter such contemplation before rendering your valuable comments.
You're welcome. I'm sure you're still trying to figure out some reason why this *itch couldn't meet with the man that saved her life. Maybe my blunt comments will help people like you out.
That's the same report I've read already and it only says their deaths remain under investigation. You just made something up out of thin air again.
She's known because she was a lone rescuee for ten days. We celebrate the lives that are saved, like it or not. She's known the same way Anderson, O'grady, and Zaun are known.
You name it, what agenda don't they cite? Different ones for different complainers. Anti-women in the military, socialism (some are against bookwriting), medals (even though it's been going on for 40 years), the hero label, the media, weapons maintenance, grouchiness (I'd be grouchy too if I were in constant pain), agendas against female drivers, against female mechanics, etc...
I saw the Al Jazeera video and then once Al Jazeera was forced to stop running the video, it could still be found on ogrish.com. I saw one or more of the POWs still alive with blood stains at that particular spot of his pants. There was also a cut showing the captors undoing one of the POWs belts and pants. It would not be torture to the victim if it was done after death. Also shown was a female from the waist down laying on the hospital floor with her stained underwear exposed. I don't know anything about their symbolism other than being inhumane. Just think about the video that has been shown this past week of Saddam and his henchmen cutting off Iraqi members arms, hands, half decapitating Iraqis.
Too many idiots in the media were saying that she got excellent care by the Iraqis. For the sake of what she went through and what the other POWs went through, it was time to prove those fools wrong. She's a brave person and is definitely taking a hit for the team (her team being the other abused POWs) by releasing this information. If I were abused in this manner, I don't know that I'd want anyone to know.
I've driven a lot of things. Most vehicles have power steering.
I find it hard to believe that a young man would not want to join the military because there may be some females on the training grounds. lol
BTW, I am an activated guardsman in Qatar (previously in Iraq and Kuwait). We have females in our unit and by and large they do fine, but there is no absolute need for females in the service at all.
They can do the button-pushing jobs, that frees up more men for the infantry.
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