Author Tells U.S. Army He Made Up Stories Published in New Republic

FOXNews.com ^ | August 7, 2007 | By Michael Goldfarb

[Squidpup]

The Weekly Standard has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp -- author of the much-disputed "Shock Troops" article in the New Republic's July 23 issue as well as two previous "Baghdad Diarist" columns -- signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods -- fabrications containing only "a smidgen of truth," in the words of our source.

Separately, we received this statement from Major Steven F. Lamb, the deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad:

"An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims."

According to the military source, Beauchamp's recantation was volunteered on the first day of the military's investigation. So as Beauchamp was in Iraq signing an affidavit denying the truth of his stories, the New Republic was publishing a statement from him on its website on July 26, in which Beauchamp said, "I'm willing to stand by the entirety of my articles for the New Republic using my real name."

The magazine's editors admitted on Aug. 2 that one of the anecdotes Beauchamp stood by in its entirety -- meant to illustrate the "morally and emotionally distorting effects of war" -- took place (if at all) in Kuwait, before his tour of duty in Iraq began, and not, as he had claimed, in his mess hall in Iraq. That event was the public humiliation by Beauchamp and a comrade of a woman whose face had been "melted" by an IED.

[Squidpup]

more "fake but accurate"

[keepitreal]

— fabrications containing only “a smidgen of truth,” in the words of our source.

Truth: “I was in Iraq”

[Empireoftheatom48]

Well,well,well!

[jpl]

This kind of stuff happens all the time, and only rarely gets exposed. Left wingers by and large are all lying, deranged fabulists.

[Trailerpark Badass]

The only way liberals can make a point is to lie.

Reality is their worst enemy.

[Jacquerie]

The truth to the left is that which advances their goals. Factuality to them is irrelevant. It is the kind of fantasy world that can ignore Soviet Gulags and think that President Bush blew up the World Trade Towers.

[Brilliant]

Did they have to torture him to get it out of him?

[dblshot]

UCMJ 907. ART. 107. FALSE STATEMENTS
Any person subject to this chapter who, with intent to deceive, signs any false record, return, regulation, order, or other official document, knowing it to be false, or makes any other false official statement knowing it to be false, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

If he was in uniform, stationed in Iraq, posting this rubbish and it was picked up by New Republic because his official position gives him credibility this might apply.

Of course so would aiding and abetting the enemy apply.

[Red_Devil 232]

Has the New Republic responded to the truth yet? I guess they will just call it literary license.

[ClearCase_guy]

Why — WHY? — don’t we ever prosecute people for treason any more??

[SirLinksalot]

The lefties will say that he signed the confession under duress.

[Republican Red]

A poster at HotAir posted the following:

Here’s the thing, if he was lying, there’s not much that he can be charged with. At most it would be some variant of an Article 92 violation for publication without permission or something similar (presuming such a prohibition existed within his command). At most, that’ll get him 2 years if it’s a general order, more than likely it’d be violation of an “other lawful order” which is 6 months max confinement.

Now some may argue that he’s lying to investigators but he told TNR the truth. Problem there is that the penalties for a False Official Statement are far harsher (7 yrs and a dishonorable discharge). Lying to investigators is often worse than the misconduct itself. So even if Beauchamp IS lying, he sure can’t ever say so while in uniform, as that subjects him to the more serious Article 107 charge.

[Vor Lady]

No one in charge has the cajones to follow it through.

[Rummyfan]

The Weekly Standard has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp -- author of the much-disputed "Shock Troops" article in the New Republic's July 23 issue as well as two previous "Baghdad Diarist" columns -- signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods -- fabrications containing only "a smidgen of truth," in the words of our source.

I hope this sinks The New Republic for good! First Stephen Glass and now this jagoff.

[TBP]

And just when the Weekly world News is going out of business!

Too much competition, I guess.

[Antoninus]

This kind of stuff happens all the time, and only rarely gets exposed. Left wingers by and large are all lying, deranged fabulists.

Exactly. My first contact with it was in college. One of my friends was interested in a girl who worked on the school newspaper--a doctrinaire "liberated" woman type who was politically correct to a fault. She once wrote a column about a girl who was raped on campus but was too afraid to come out and file a police report because of how she would be treated. The column then went on to decry the anti-women atmosphere on campus and the column received a lot of attention.

My friend was a bit shaken by the column so he bugged the young lady about it incessantly until she finally admitted that there was no girl--she had made the whole thing up.

For all I know, that girl is working for AP or the NY Times today.

[boop]

"My friend was a bit shaken by the column so he bugged the young lady about it incessantly until she finally admitted that there was no girl--she had made the whole thing up"

Yet another hoax by the left. But it "raises important issues" so it's OK. Don't the liberal activists who get burned by this ever turn on the reporters for playing with their emotions?

[Dead Corpse]

So... will the Private end up a copy writer for CBS? Or will the New York Slimes give him his own slot on the Editorial page?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

After Steven Glass - you’d think the lesson had been burned into every editor’s skull. Hard to believe it happened there twice...except that it’s too seductive for liberals to believe all the poop they spew about Conservative, President Bush, Republicans, etc. so they never apply even a smell test to these kinds of stories.

[Holicheese]

That is the way I argue with my liberals friends now. I have learned from them. Just make stuff up. Make up statistics, make up names of generals and congressmen.