UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS: THE MYSTERY OF PFC. LYNCH: What We Need to Know About “Bloody Sunday”

Center for Military Readiness ^ | 6/24/2003 | Elaine Donnelly

[LS]

I'm all for the truth. But let's admit that Donnelly has made a career out of arguing that women should not be in the military, and let's admit that she has a serious stake in showing that Lynch and/or others did NOT perform either competently or heroically.

Moreover, let's also recall that the LATEST info---NOT released by the DOD--was totally in the other direction, namely that Lynch was not in danger, that the raid was "staged" and that she certainly was not tortured. That was the testimony of virtually all the doctors and nurses there. Now, they may be lying, but there IS another side to this story.

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2 posted on 3/6/02 7:30 AM Pacific by grammymoon:

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[Non-Sequitur]

The ultimate, most important question is, Why?

Because we have hundreds of thousands of troops in Iraq, Afganistan, Saudi Arabia, the Balkans, Korea and dozens of other countries and we need the bodies. And this situation will continue unless the U.S. starts reducing its commitments abroad. Seeing as we are now headed for Liberia as well it's clear that that isn't going to happen with the current administration any time soon.

[joesnuffy]

2. Army Sgt. Cassaundra Grant lost her left leg, and eventually her right, when she was pinned under a tank that her transportation unit was moving in Kuwait on March 14.
She was treated at Walter Reed Hospital, and eventually transferred to the Brooke Medical Center in Texas on April 3—the same day that the sensationalized Jessica Lynch story headlined the Washington Post.
An Internet search reveals only one feature article about Sgt. Grant, a courageous and still-cheerful single mother of a two year-old boy, which appeared in her hometown newspaper on May 2. Perhaps this is because her story conflicts with the glamorized women-in-combat agenda

Having been both a grunt and a combat medic in Vietnam (2/39th & 6/31st 9th ID) and both patient & a volunteer in VA hosptials
IMO Women have NO place in combat -period....
Its bad enough that men have to be there

[MindBender26]

This is all very bad journalism. It takes a position, then finds facts that supposedly back it up. It's very much more appropriate for the sniveling lawyer trying to get $10 million for a hangnail than a true pursuit of the facts.

In addition, it treats as absolute fact reports from journalists. Speaking as a 30 year experienced reporter, we were and are wrong all the time.

Was she possibly/probably raped & tortured. It is entirely within the Arabic culture to do so, to debase one's enemies. Is it our business? Not unless Ms Lynch says it is.

Nothing personal, but if it were your daughter, would it be my business?

Be well.

[MindBender26]

As for the possibly executed POWs.... There I want answers. Now!

[steplock]

Yeah - there IS another side of this story - the desperate attempts at making the UNited States Military Personnel into baby killers, or inepts boobs, or anything else that can make you look down on them.

I had my fill of the bill clintons, hillary communists, black panther murderers, and jimmy carter communist sympathizers, jane fonda whores, and KERRY pigs.

now we have "freepers" joining in becasue it is easier to beleive the worst instead of realizing that there ARE people in the military with PRINCIPLES, HONESTY, PRIDE, and HONOR!

Terms that have been all but forgotten by the lazy and stupid people.

[alloysteel]

The reality of our involvement in Iraq is that a significant number of the casualties among the coalition forces were NOT of injuries received as a result of engagement with the enemy, but due to vehicular crashes, or in connection with operation of heavy machinery. The differentiation is not sufficiently explained, as in when there have been reports of "about one death per day since hostilities were declared over" in Iraq. True, there have been RPG attacks and samll-arms shootings from close up, but most of those who have died were involved in vehicle or industrial type accidents.

[Eagle Eye]

At one point 75% of injuries were due to accidents. That is up from roughly 50% in GW1.

[OldFriend]

Seems the weather has gotten to the better judgment of more than a few freepers lately. What a sad commentary.

[William Terrell]

The ultimate, most important question is, Why?

Why? Because 1) the concept of warrior women is a load-bearing plank in the socialist platform and 2) if women can't fight, there can be a case made for their exclusion in political leadership roles.

[Steel Wolf]

Thousands of young men, who could have taken her place, would probably volunteer to serve in the military if President George W. Bush issued such a call. Instead, the armed forces are spending extra time and money recruiting unusually large numbers of “waiflike” women and single mothers to fight our nation’s wars. The ultimate, most important question is, Why?

The military is forced to accept women in combat and like it, due to the requirements of the civilian leadership. The militay doesn't have the option of saying 'no women in combat' or 'we need more men'. That kind of debate isn't allowed. You'd have to talk to congress and President Bush about a changing their position, but don't hold your breath.

What this means is that the Army and Marines are saddled with women in roles that will put them into direct combat, even if they are non-combatant MOSs. No ammount of spin will change the fact that women are a hinderance in combat. Period. Full stop. They can be as effective as men in support roles that don't require heavy lifting, but otherwise are a complete liablility.

Why does the pretty young former POW get all the attention while the crippled single mother gets none? Because the military has been ordered to ignore the truth in favor of the myth, and any officer who tried to oppose it would be commiting career suicide. Political BS, all the way.

[Gunrunner2]

Actually, having met Donnelly on a few occasions, and chatting with her during a formal dinner in DC, she has never objected to women in the military. This is a common misconception, as if anyone who objects to women in combat automatically objects to women in the military.

She "has made a career" out of the politicalization of women in combatant roles. Her objection has always been to women in combatant roles, or roles that involve significant chance of capture or direct combat engagements.

[Gunrunner2]

>>Was she possibly/probably raped & tortured. It is entirely within the Arabic culture to do so, to debase one's enemies. Is it our business? Not unless Ms Lynch says it is.<<

Actually, it is the business of the military and all those who enter a combat theater.

SERE courses are based entirely upon first-hand knowledge of what to expect, and the training you receive is to prepare you for what is likely abuse. Therefore, if you are a woman, then the chances are 100% that you will be raped as a POW. We should not lie to ourselves or to those that serve. However, the "rape scenario" is toned down to the point of almost being non-existent at SERE training---all because of sensitivity training and charges of "sexism."

For those women who are thinking of enlisting, they should know the risks involved. And no matter how many Reebok-kick-boxing-I am-woman-here-me-roar-Lifetime-empowerment piffle they watch on TV, they are victims when they are captured and they face an entirely different set of challenges than what a) men face, and b) what they are led to believe.

[Guenevere]

Elaine Donnelly is asking some very good questions....
..and she always has!

She stays very focused in her pursuit of non-combat roles for women in the military.

She's been saying this for years.

Clinton is the one who introduced & promoted women's roles in combat.....

..and Elaine has been fighting, for years, to change that direction.

I can't fault her.....I'm just glad she perseveres!!

[LS]

Fine. It is a distinction, though, that perhaps taints her approach to this issue. I'm willing to go either way. I hope she is, too, if the evidence does not support her views.

[LS]

I'm not sure exactly what you are getting at. My post suggested that just possibly Jessica Lynch behaved with valor; that the Spec. Ops forces who rescued her acted on good information at the time; and that just because she is a woman doesn't mean she didn't do her job and, perhaps, even fight.

My concern is that either side---the "no women in combat" group or the "it was all staged by the Pentagon" group are jumping the gun before we know all the information.

[LS]

Hmmm. I don't know exactly how to respond. A police officer or a military person or a spy is under different sets of rules when it comes to reporting to superiors on their activities. I agree this doesn't necessarily need to be made public, and in many cases shouldn't. But that doesn't change the fact that Lynch---provided she actually can remember---has a duty to explain in full what happened, for better or worse. Again, there is not necessarily a reason this needs to be made public, but the command structure should have that info.

[BibChr]

I think Elaine Donnelly is just terrific. I'll never forget watching her systematically b-slap Ira Glasser on public TV in a debate — and he knew he'd been slapped. It was a wonderful thing.

And good heavens, LS, splash some cold water on your face. If specializing on an issue DISQUALIFIES someone as an informed witness, we'd better just ask an ignoramus to write on everything. Larry King would be the only essayist in print, with rewrites by Janeane Garofolo.

Dan