Jessica Lynch condemns Pentagon

BBC ^ | Friday, 7 November, 2003, 18:11 GMT | BBC

[KQQL]

US woman soldier who shot to fame after being taken prisoner during the Iraq war has accused the military of using her for propaganda purposes.

A video of US commandos carrying a badly injured Private Jessica Lynch from a Nasiriya hospital was released at the height of the conflict.

But the 20-year-old criticised the release of false information about her capture by Iraqi forces.

She also said there was no reason for her rescue to be filmed.

In her first interview about what happened to her, the former prisoner-of-war told ABC television that medical reports indicated that she had been raped.

They used me as a way to symbolise all this stuff. It's wrong.

She said she had no recollection of the attack. "Even just the thinking about that, that's too painful," she told interviewer Diane Sawyer.

Miss Lynch, who was serving as an Army supply clerk, suffered broken bones and other injuries when her convoy was ambushed after taking a wrong turn near the Iraqi town of Nasiriya on 23 March.

The Pentagon initially put out the story that Private Lynch - a slight woman who was just 19 at the time - had been wounded by Iraqi gunfire but had kept fighting until her ammunition ran out.

But she told Sawyer that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that her gun had jammed during the chaos.

"I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do," she said.

"I did not shoot - not a round, nothing. I went down praying to my knees - that's the last thing I remember."

Initial reports also suggested that Miss Lynch had been abused after she came round in the hospital. She says that again was untrue - there was no mistreatment, and one nurse used to sing to her.

She said she was grateful to the American special forces team which rescued her but, asked whether the Pentagon's subsequent portrayal of her rescue bothered her, she said: "Yes, it does. They used me as a way to symbolise all this stuff. It's wrong."

Injuries

Miss Lynch was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals while still in hospital in Washington DC.

Months later, she is receiving treatment for her extensive injuries.

Earlier this week, it emerged that medical evidence suggested that Miss Lynch had been raped during her capture.

The assault was revealed in extracts from Miss Lynch's authorised biography - I am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story - to be released by publisher Alfred A Knopf on Tuesday.

[MizSterious]

" Jessica has said that she remembers everything from the time that she awoke in the hospital three (?) hours after she was injured."

Ok, so when and how was she injured? Apparently after the ambush she was in good enough condition to get down on her knees and pray. When did the injuries occur? If the humvee rolled over on her during the ambush, how could she possibly have gotten down on her knees with all those broken bones?

When did the injuries occur?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes, It is wrong to collect money for a story people wanted to hear. Capitalism is wrong?

[FITZ]

Maybe she's not all that smart. She can write books and give interviews --- but she's going to have to face up to the criticism she gets by doing that. I think if she actually had a brain she'd see that yes --- there is plenty of money to be made by going this route --- but fame and fortune might not be worth it in the end --- and she'd just tell the media to leave her alone. She is no real hero --- she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and didn't even defend herself. She had a gun but apparently didn't know how to use it.

[Iwo Jima]

I, too, would like to see the medical records which are supposed to show rape. I have reviewed hundreds if not thousands of medical records, and can read them quite well. I suspect that there is something in what the Iraqi doctors wrote that could be misinterpreted to mean rape when a fair reading and the word of the doctors themselves say otherwise.

If this alleged entry were in medeical records made by an American doctor, then Jessica would not have to rely on someone's interpretation of a medical record. She would just ask her doctor. And in that case we would be hearing that HER DOCTOR TOLD HER that she was raped, not that the medical records said so. And that would be a different situation entirely.

I freely admit that I WANT the fact to be that Jessica was not raped. Her recovery will be so much easier if she believes that she was not mistreated. I am baffled as to why you seem to want to believe that Jessica was raped. That seems wrongheaded and cruel. Please tell me why it seems to mean so much to you. Your answer will tell me a lot about you.

[mass55th]

How is it that you know so much about what motivates Private Lynch, how she feels about things, and what she's thinking? Do you have personal access to her, and have you shared intimate conversations with her?

[FreeReign]

PALESTINE, W.Va., Oct. 27 -- The Iraqi lawyer who helped U.S. forces locate Jessica Lynch paid a visit Monday to her home town, where he was showered with affection, gifts and awards. But he was unable to meet the former prisoner of war, who was too busy with other commitments, according to her spokesman

So it is true!

I guess they can't have this Iraqi lawyer guy in Jessica's book and movie can they? What message would it send to other reform minded Muslims.

This Iraqi guy would become too powerful a symbol of some Arab guy leaving the staid, repressive, isolated Muslim plantation and heading torwards individuality and freedom.

Nope, write him out of the script -- can't have this meeting -- CUT!!!!!!!!!!

[HairOfTheDog]

And BS if she isn't a victim of a hellofalot of unfair criticism.

No male soldier would have been put through the ringer she has. This story has been full of people upset at the prospect of a cute girl-soldier getting too much press since the beginning.

This story at it's beginning brightened what was a pretty depressing week in the war, full of pictures of our captured POWs on TV 24-7 and talk of quagmire. I understand why the story got so much play. We needed the boost this gave us. A morale boost that lasted for me only until I saw the vile stuff posted HERE about this girl since day one.

[DustyMoment]

I thought and I thought and . . . I just can't disagree with you.

I will add, however, that if she's suffering from Stockholm Syndrome as someone has suggested, it is the result of being surrounded by these lamestream media vermin.

[HarryCaul]

As I recall the incident, the Pentagon didn't really hype the story.

They taped the rescue, which would be surprise me if it isn't standard operational procedure. They made the tape available to the press, which I don't really see a problem with either.

But there was also a massive flood of rumors reported in the media at the time, none of which had official sources. In fact, official sources seemed to be quite closemouthed on the whole thing. If anything, they seemed to downplay the events of her capture.

If anyone can find evidence of the military officially hyping the incident, please provide links.

My working theory is that the press got taken (willingly) by rumors and lies, and now they're covering by laying the blame at the feet of the Pentagon.

[MizSterious]

Wrong headed and cruel? Or just opposing your precious opinion of what happened? I'm saying let's wait and see what's in the book--let's see if they include the medical report, and how they base their conclusions before we say one way or the other.

There is just so much about this entire story that doesn't add up, such as, when and how did she receive her injuries, if she was on her knees praying after the ambush?

[submarinerswife]

This girl is obviously your "Hero". OK so I submit. You are right....she is a hero for going on TV, writing the book, doing the movie, dsising her Iraqi savior and slamming the military. I wish that now Dianne Sawyer and this author from NYT can enlighten us on the WTC, pentagon and Shanksville stories. Maybe there was a terrorist on one of the planes who was a consciensious objector. Perhaps he would be your hero too?

Dog, once again .......EXPLOITATION while slamming the military is WRONG!!

[FITZ]

You have not looked at what deems a "hero".

A real soldier going into a dangerous zone would have made sure their weapon was working properly before going in. It'd be interesting to know how this group made a wrong turn when they were supposed to be following a convoy.

[MizSterious]

"No male soldier would have been put through the ringer she has."

I disagree here. They have been, and will be. Did you not see the pictures of our captured POWs shown on AlJazeera and elsewhere. It sure looked like one hekkuva wringer to me.

[HairOfTheDog]

No - I am trying to take only what she has said, and common sense about what it would be like to wake up to find yourself in the middle of a media feeding frienzy.

I don't know. I am reading her words sympathetically I know... That counters those who are trying like hell to find fault. We all bring our biases into these threads. Mine will make me support the very difficult position she is in.

[MizSterious]

I believe the first of these stories appeared in the Washington Post, and the sources were "unnamed." That could mean no one was willing to go on the record, or that they just made it up. Don't know which.

[HairOfTheDog]

No no.... I don't mean the torture of the enemy. I know the enemy.

I mean I have never seen one of our soldiers ripped apart back home like this one has before she even got back here.

[FreeReign]

This country, and many internet posters chew up good people they really can't know for sport and I find that sad.

IMO, she's naive beyond rational belief. I think a lot of posters here on this thread resent her for that and I agree with them.

There's a lot more at stake here than "sport", book deals and chats with Diane Sawyer.

[HairOfTheDog]

Paraphrasing "They shouldn't have made such a big deal out of me" is a pretty humble statement, and a complaint about her government glorifying her too much. I think of all the things she can complain about.... the Pentagon can take that heat. You guys can't even see that it isn't really even a criticism that runs counter to what you guys believe.

[BradyLS]

i forget, do i like her or dislike her this week?

I like her with the picture on and the sound off. Is that bad? :-D

[submarinerswife]

Show the link where the pentagon put out this "Hero" story about Lynch. You won't find one so that part of your arguement sucks.