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Iraqis raped Lynch during her captivity, book reveals
NY Daily News ^

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bookexcerpt; iamasoldiertoo; iraq; jessicalynch; nytimes; pow; privatelynch; rape; sexualassault; warcrime
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To: jjm2111
What does this have to do with anything?

I guess you don't agree that the press is liberal.

What is your goal, your purpose? To elicit praise for Jessica? I think Jessica has a tremendous spirit, but if we just praise her spirit and bravery while carrying on and changing nothing, more troops will suffer like she did. If you know about the weapons failures, et. al. fine. I have no beef with you.

Of course most of the bashers wanted her court-martialled since her weapon jammed.

But please remember, bashing Lynch's superiors is not bashing Lynch. Bashing her circumstances, is not bashing lynch.

Yeah, I went back over your posts and you're not really a basher. I had assumed you were since Chief Joe was trying to blame her for her vehicle breaking down and he said that because of Lynch, several people died (that was definitely bashing and if you agree with him on this I'll go back to considering you a basher), and you criticized me for my views on power steering in that argument. Then you immediately said they kept their weapons class 4 or something. It seemed you were focussing on the negative. I would've thought that if you were really interested in truth that you would've found fault with Chief Joe blaming her for many deaths on no evidence but instead you found fault with me on some obscure post on power-steering. I judge people by their priorities.

281 posted on 11/07/2003 7:32:28 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: visualops
I didn't mean it the way I first said it. I meant that if I joined the military, I would be aware of the risks and being a woman would assume that would mean getting raped if I got captured or getting killed in combat.

The men and women who join the military are brave and take risks to defend our country.

I just said it wrong in the first post.

282 posted on 11/07/2003 7:34:23 AM PST by luckystarmom
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To: jjm2111
That kind of plan is dangerous. Just people someone is in philisophical agreement with you does not make him an honest or good person.

In most cases it does, actually. A person that believes in God, self-responsibility, truth, fairness, and other conservative values is usually a good person.

I hope you're not being sarcastic.

You're condescending toward me, that I can't judge character, etc. Back at ya.

283 posted on 11/07/2003 7:35:36 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: luckystarmom
You're still catching hell for that? Don't you wish people would read the thread before they tear into you for a post made long ago? :^)
284 posted on 11/07/2003 7:36:54 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: #3Fan
Here is the gist of what I think we know.

Jessica Lynch's humvee got hit by an RPG, and crashed into another vehicle. Everybody else in her vehicle died. She suffered massive injuries to her legs and back. She tried to fire her m16, but was unable to do so. She prayed, and in excruciating pain, she blacked out. She woke up in the hospital, and was treated adequately while she was conscious. She was rescued.

That is the only facts we have. She does not recall being raped, but the medical report says she was. She does not recall meeting the Iraqi lawyer. He says he witnessed her being abused. Everything else is FUD.

She very well could have been tortured and raped while passed out, put on opiates for the pain. This Iraqi lawyer got a book deal, and a movie deal out of his connection to her, but she didn't remember ever seeing him. She could have been suffering PTSD and blacked it out, or he could be lying. I doubt we will ever know the truth of what happened.

285 posted on 11/07/2003 7:39:55 AM PST by dogbyte12
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To: visualops
I've stated this a couple of times. The first post came out wrong. I meant if I joined the military I would make sure that I could handle being raped because I would assume that if I got captured I would be raped. It would be no shock to me.

I first said it. I meant that if I joined the military, I would be aware of the risks and being a woman would assume that would mean getting raped if I got captured or getting killed in combat.

The men and women who join the military are brave and take risks to defend our country.

I just said it wrong in the first post. I also wanted to get the point across that women aren't as weak as being portrayed by some of the posters. We give birth, and so we can handle a lot of pain.

Now, saying that I currently would not join the military because I would not want to assume the risks involved in being in the military.

On the other hand, if our country's security was really at risk (i.e. other country invading our country) and I was worried about the safety of my children, I would join in a heartbeat.

From some of the posts after my initial post, it seems like the women who join the military may not be aware of the risks. If that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be in combat positions.

Bottomline is that it wouldn't shock me if Jessica Lynch was raped because I would have assumed it. I'd be more shocked if she wasn't raped.
286 posted on 11/07/2003 7:45:03 AM PST by luckystarmom
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To: dogbyte12
Here is the gist of what I think we know. Jessica Lynch's humvee got hit by an RPG, and crashed into another vehicle. Everybody else in her vehicle died. She suffered massive injuries to her legs and back. She tried to fire her m16, but was unable to do so. She prayed, and in excruciating pain, she blacked out. She woke up in the hospital, and was treated adequately while she was conscious. She was rescued. That is the only facts we have. She does not recall being raped, but the medical report says she was. She does not recall meeting the Iraqi lawyer. He says he witnessed her being abused. Everything else is FUD. She very well could have been tortured and raped while passed out, put on opiates for the pain. This Iraqi lawyer got a book deal, and a movie deal out of his connection to her, but she didn't remember ever seeing him. She could have been suffering PTSD and blacked it out, or he could be lying. I doubt we will ever know the truth of what happened.

He must've seen her if he went to the Army and told them where she was.

287 posted on 11/07/2003 7:48:37 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: #3Fan
>>usually.

There you go. Usually. Most conservatives are decent people. So are most liberals. Some conservatives are jerks. So are some liberals. Just because someone is a General doesn't make them a good person.

>>You're condescending toward me, that I can't judge character, etc. Back at ya.

How do you figure? Becuase I disagree that all conservatives are wonderful people?
288 posted on 11/07/2003 7:54:35 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: TexKat
Yes you are right... I'm glad you remembered that to refresh my memory. Either way, it's a good thing that Lynch doesn't remember anything. It'll be easier for her to get on with life.
289 posted on 11/07/2003 8:00:04 AM PST by cyborg (Kyk nou, die ding wat jy soek issie hierie sienj)
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To: Humidston
She is a spoiled little brat.
290 posted on 11/07/2003 8:00:47 AM PST by bmwcyle (Hillary's election to President will start a civil war)
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To: jjm2111
There you go. Usually. Most conservatives are decent people. So are most liberals. Some conservatives are jerks. So are some liberals. Just because someone is a General doesn't make them a good person.

Why do you think the world hinges on my opinion about how the army funtions? I stated to you plainly: I've never served, since I've never served, I leave the generaling to the generals and I listen to them if they otherwise show good traits. What else am I supposed to do? I can't take a tour of the barracks and see what's wrong or right, I can't do studies to see if support units should spend their time doing other things other than doing their primary function. I have an my opinions about these things but I don't wish to discuss them because I've never served. The only reason I got into these discussions is because Terrell insists on taking an argument we got into about it on another thread, after I told him I didn't want to opine on it, he kept insisting we talk about it, to this thread. Now I have you telling me that what is up is down and what is down is up and I shouldn't trust my discernment anymore on anything. lol Sorry, but I'm going to keep going the way I have been and believe it or not, if I'm wrong about a couple things in my life, the world will go on. I'm usually not wrong though.

How do you figure? Becuase I disagree that all conservatives are wonderful people?

I said most are, not all are. Why is my opinion about army structure so important?

291 posted on 11/07/2003 8:08:00 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: bmwcyle
You Lynch bashers are so attractive.
292 posted on 11/07/2003 8:08:46 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: #3Fan
Am I alone in thinking people would have been more sympathetic learning of her sexual torture?? I see I am very much wrong...
293 posted on 11/07/2003 8:18:29 AM PST by cyborg (Kyk nou, die ding wat jy soek issie hierie sienj)
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To: cyborg
Am I alone in thinking people would have been more sympathetic learning of her sexual torture?? I see I am very much wrong...

I think Lynch feeds into their insecurities so much that they couldn't sympathize with her no matter what happened to her.

294 posted on 11/07/2003 8:21:13 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: #3Fan
You can't handle the truth, I see.
295 posted on 11/07/2003 8:25:25 AM PST by bmwcyle (Hillary's election to President will start a civil war)
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To: #3Fan
Unfortunately, I think people are that way because USA hasn't always been this kind to veterans, esp. Vietnam War. I think there are a lot of people, esp. here on FR, who still remember being spit upon by the useful idiots, and then see the star treatment that Lynch is getting.

I agree though, there seems to be a lot of insecurity out there.
296 posted on 11/07/2003 8:28:39 AM PST by cyborg (Kyk nou, die ding wat jy soek issie hierie sienj)
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To: #3Fan
Well, we don't have to go any further on this thread.

I think Jessica is a brave soldier, and it also seems like a very honest one too. I just don't trust the brass. They waste money on mahogany desks for their offices while troops wait for parts. They waste time on Vision Statements while troops use outdated equipment (in the reserves and guard).
297 posted on 11/07/2003 8:33:44 AM PST by jjm2111
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To: bmwcyle
You are not an appreciative person to needlessly bash a POW that has sacrificed so much.
298 posted on 11/07/2003 8:33:53 AM PST by #3Fan
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To: bmwcyle
You don't know that Lynch is a "spoiled little brat", so don't make pronouncements about who has truth.

You have an opinion and that's it.
299 posted on 11/07/2003 8:34:12 AM PST by cyncooper
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To: cyborg
Yeah, that could be. It's too bad.
300 posted on 11/07/2003 8:34:51 AM PST by #3Fan
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