'I'm No Hero' - Former Iraq Captive Jessica Lynch

[QC]

Army private Jessica Lynch, the badly injured U.S. prisoner of war who was rescued from a hospital during the Iraq war, said in her first interview that she is not the Rambo-style hero she has been portrayed as by American media and the military....

My weapon did jam and I did not shoot, not a round, nothing. I don't look at myself as a hero. My heroes are Lori (Private Lori Piestewa, who died in the ambush of Lynch's convoy), the soldiers that are over there, the soldiers that were in the car beside me, the ones that came and rescued me," she said....

In an advance, partial copy of the ABC interview, Lynch said she was hurt that other people had "made up stories" about her fiercely fighting her Iraqi captors.

"I'm not about to take credit for something that I didn't do... It hurt in a way that people would make up stories that they had no truth about. Only I would have been able to know that because the other four people on my vehicle aren't here to tell that story."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20031107/en_nm/people_lynch_dc

[ewagner]

1. Good for you Jessica

Saying that you are not a hero, but a survivor;

Saying that you don't know why they are making up stories about you;

That my child makes you a real hero!
spelling edit

[xxqqqzme]

2. well, wonder how much play this will get

since NBC is hyping their movie every 8 minutes!

[lumpy]

3. Well, we all know why those stories were concocted, don't we.

I hope someone explains to Jessica how she has been used as a political tool, hopefully her parents realize this. Unfair that she has to live with a sense of guilt she might have because the propagandists have used her for their sly underhanded purposes.

[Skittles]

4. they don't care as long as they get paid

the Lynch familiy is cashing in and it is a travesty.

[gardenista]

30. Please elaborate

Do you think that they're getting a penny for the "Saving Private Lynch" propaganda-fest? I don't think so.

She is getting paid for her book deal. Does she not have a right to be paid for publishing a book which tells her story?

So far, her public conduct has indicated that she is interested in telling the truth, and that she *does* care.

I can't speak for her family. I'm sure that like any family, there will be a relative who wants to "cash in" on the misfortunes of relations.

Try separating the hype from the actions of this one individual, and you may come to a different conclusion.

[SCAMBABY]

39. At this point

Nobody knows or really cares who to believe

[gardenista]

49. Define "nobody"

n/t

[SCAMBABY]

51. Nobody....

People are grabing for any story that comes along, no matter who made it up. It's nothing but a grab for TV and Book ratings

[Skittles]

45. the story in that book

is a load of crap and Jessica knows it.

[gardenista]

48. So, have you gotten an advance copy?

n/t

[PapaClay]

5. She has a lot more

class than I do. I'd probably tell everyone on both sides of this issue to fuck off and get outta my face.

[dansolo]

6. I wonder if Jessica Lynch is aware

That several of her rescurers have recently died under questionable circumstances?

[truthisfreedom]

7. if she is, it doesn't seem to be stopping her from telling the truth.

n/m

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Now she's OUR hero for standing up to the right-wing propaganda.

Keep telling the truth, Jessica. We want to hear it -- all.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. That's more or less what I came in here to say.

She may not have been a hero in Iraq, but she's well on her way to becoming one at home.

[Bucky]

54. forgive my use of the phrase, but "ditto"

The path of least resistance for her would be to accept the adulation and keep her mouth shut about the details. She is a woman of extraordinary character and integrity to say, "no, I'm not a hero and the Pentagon is building me up for their own reasons."

Jessica was a hero before she spoke up. Her country called and she served with honor. Now, she's a super-hero.

[CheshireCat]

16. Speaking the truth makes her a hero

I hesitate to be too hard on this young girl who joined the military so she could afford school.

Sure, she should have spoken up sooner. But she was a confused, and obviously embarassed young girl. I don't know if I would have known what to do at her age. Now that she has started to speak up, we should give her the benefit of the doubt.

[supernova]

19. Agreed.

Jessica doing the right thing, cutting through the bullshit, is heroic in and of itself.

Good on you, Jessica. :thumbsup:

And for those of you in the "why didn't she say something sooner?" camp, cut her some slack. She was recovering from her injuries afterall. Health comes first.

[SoCalDem]

10. BUT... Jessica...

Why did't you let the tv folks know that the movie they planned was HOGWASH??

Maybe they would not have made that "fluff-a-rama" if you had spoken up sooner..Odd... I do not hear the republicans demanding the truth about THIS movie :eyes:

After all, these ARE the folks who howled like banshees about the ACCURACY of the Reagan miniseries

[transeo]

29. TV movie not based on her account

The TV movie is based on the more melodramatic account of the Iraqi lawyer involved in her rescue. If I remember correctly, Lynch decided not to do the movie route, maybe because she saw that they didn't want the truth. The networks would never follow Lynch's version because it isn't dramatic enough. If she didn't fight for her life or get abused in the hospital there isn't a juicy story to tell, or a White House line to tow.

[TahitiNut]

11. See also two (belatedly) locked threads on this story.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=205345
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=204801

I locked those threads as duplicates of this story.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator

[BuckeFushe]

12. The myth, as first reported, Egg meets face

Report: Lynch Was Shot, Stabbed in Fierce Struggle With Iraqi Captors
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,82923,00.html
<snip>
Thursday, April 03, 2003

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Spirited but hungry, rescued prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch arrived in Germany for treatment of two broken legs and bullet wounds reportedly suffered in a fierce gun battle she waged against her Iraqi captors.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the 19-year-old Army supply clerk shot several Iraqi soldiers during the March 23 ambush that resulted in her capture. She kept firing even after she had several gunshot wounds, finally running out of ammunition, the newspaper said, citing unidentified U.S. officials.

"She was fighting to the death," the Post quoted an official as saying. "She did not want to be taken alive."

Pentagon officials and family members contacted late Wednesday declined comment on the report.

Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital in a daring nighttime raid Tuesday by U.S. commandos acting on a CIA tip.
<snip>

From who2.com

On 3 April 2003, The Washington Post reported the dramatic rescue of a prisoner of war: U. S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a 19 year-old supply clerk assigned to the 507th Ordance Maintenance Company. Lynch and members of her unit had been captured by Iraqi forces after their vehicles got lost on 23 March 2003. A special U.S. team rescued Lynch from an Iraqi hospital on 1 April 2003, but found no other American soldiers alive (though 11 bodies were recovered). The Post reported that an Iraqi lawyer, Mohammed Odeh Al-Rehaief, gave vital information to the rescue team, putting his own life in danger to help rescue Lynch. Lynch eventually returned to her home in Palestine, West Virginia to recuperate. She became an instant celebrity and a popular symbol of American heroism, thanks to widespread media coverage of her rescue.


http://stevens.senate.gov/pr040303a.htm

Stevens Commends Rescued U.S. POW Jessica Lynch
for Her Patriotism, Courage, and Commitment

Following is the statement made by Senator Stevens on the Senate floor: (body)

I read in this morning's paper, the tremendous story of one of our brave young soldiers, Private First Class Jessica Lynch. So I asked my staff to look up more about her. She is, as we all know from reading the papers, 19-years-old. She was a supply clerk in the Army's 507th Ordinance Maintenance Company supporting the Third Infantry Division as it advanced towards Baghdad. Senator Byrd, I am sure, knows that Private First Class Lynch is from Palestine, West Virginia and I know he would join me in recognizing this brave young woman.

I remember standing here years ago when we had the draft, urging that we extend the draft to cover everyone who was 19, male and female. That was defeated. People thought that young women should not be in combat. Well, this young woman shows what happens when a brave young American woman is in combat. She was taken captive as we all know by Iraqi forces on March 23rd after her Company was ambushed near the southern city of Nassariyah.

She was rescued on Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital by our Special Operations Forces after eight days in captivity. It was obvious that the hotel had been used as a military command post. Private First Class Lynch suffered two broken legs, a broken arm, and at least one gunshot wound during her ordeal. They found her at her position and the magazine in her gun was empty. Most of the people in her detail had been killed. She survived, and I think it is just a tremendous example of the young people who are involved in this war.

It's really something that I would like the Senate to think about for a moment. We not only want to commend the outstanding work of our Special Operations Forces and the other unit that was involved in the joint operation including Marines and Army Rangers that rescued this young woman, but recognize their efforts as a demonstration of our military's commitment to never leave a soldier behind.

We've invested a great deal in the Special Operations Forces and just recently I flew down to Tampa, Florida to visit with the U.S. Special Operations Command. We will continue to rely on their expertise and this recent success is proof that our investment is paying dividends in saving American lives and it demonstrates a critical need of Congress to and continue to support America's Special Operations Forces and to support this bill and get this bill to the President as soon as possible. (hmmm, using Lynch to justify his bill, how unique of this Rethug).

But above all, I want to commend Pfc. Jessica Lynch for her commitment to this country, her patriotism, her courage, and to thank her for her outstanding service

End

So the Pentagon found a patsy, thought they could use her for their own purposes, and then get smacked down by her own rememberance. Good thing she has been discharged.

[jmcgowanjm]

13. And that RapeThing-"I didnot remember"-Well Who Did?

ABC said that in the interview she discussed for the first time a report she was sexually assaulted during her captivity, saying that she did not remember such an incident but adding, "even just the thinking about that, that's too painful

[Snellius]

18. It was cruel to allege this rape without more evidence

Who was the doctor or whoever who suggested this horrible possibility when the only evidence was no more than some physical injuries they thought were not consistent with her accident? There does not seem to be any semen evidence. There is no possibility, even if true, that they would ever catch the culprits or need such evidence in a court. So, if she had no recollection of any such event, why would they inflict this nightmarish idea in her mind. Why couldn't they keep it to themselves? And if some propaganda officer came up with this suggestion for no other reason than to whip up hatred for Saddam and the Iraqis, he is no better than they are.

[joeunderdog]

46. Routine anal swab for combat situations?

I'd like to see the records or the doc who makes this assertion.

[Robb]

14. What does this mean for her Bronze Star?!?

Any military types want to chime in on that issue?!?

[Bucky]

55. She's earned that bronze star. Our troops are heroes serving a country...

serving a country whose leadership doesn't deserve their dedication. God bless Private Lynch and all her compatriots. Bring them home ASAP and fire their crooked bosses.


362 days and counting...

[Robb]

56. So they all should get one?

I have to admit I'm ignorant as to the critria for being awarded the Bronze Star... :shrug:

[jmcgowanjm]

15. And who talks like this? Jesse's parents supposedly explainin' themselves

Ms Sawyer said on her morning news show. "I talked
to her and her parents about this, and asked them
about the decision to put it in the book, and they
told me that it was a DECISION TO TELL THE
REALITY (huh?), not selective parts of a story of
going to war."

Andrew Gumbel
The Independent - UK
11-6-3

[TahitiNut]

17. West Virginia - Home of Pvt. Lynch and Senator Byrd.

I wonder why I've seen no speculation on whether the coincidence of Jessica Lynch being from the state represented by the most outspoken opponent of the War on Iraq is, at least in part, contributing to the madministration's eagerness to elevate her to hero status? Is this not being made into a political embarrassment for Byrd? Does this not seem to be an attempt to separate Byrd from his constituents?

Just a random thought. :shrug:

[BrotherBuzz]

37. And a very interesting random thought

Hmmmm....

[DoNotRefill]

20. I think some DUers...

owe her a big, fat apology.

It's important to NOT draw conclusions until all the facts are in.

[Katie]

22. Lynch: Military manipulated story

PALESTINE, W.Va., Nov. 11 — Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch said the U.S. military was wrong to manipulate the story of her dramatic rescue and should not have filmed it in the first place.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/990040.asp?0cv=CB20

Think she has a tremendous amount of courage and class to stand up to the military. They were lying & she got the blame for it. She truly is a hero. I always wondered why she left bush out, when she was thanking everyone, now I know. Nothing to thank him for. WTG Jessica!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

38. I think some DUers are greatly confused as to who was being attacked...

...by the vast majority of DUers concerning the recent stories about Lynch's captivity. Nearly every post I read questioned the credibility of the author of the book, Rick Bragg, and whether or not the alleged rape actually took place as claimed.

After Lynch's strong performance during her interview, I'm even more convinced that the alleged rape NEVER took place. When exactly did she become unconscious as originally claimed? She states that after the accident where she received her multiple injuries, she was not only able to get her rifle into firing position, she was also able to realize that her weapon was jammed. When did she pass out...or did she ever pass out at all?

IMHO, Lynch's own words put to rest quite a few of the fabrications concocted by the military, the DoD, and the people that made the movie. Most of us strongly suspected what we were being told because there were too many inconsistencies in the various versions of the "official story".

[emalejim9]

21. Take that Repukes...

Jessica Lynch criticized military for exaggerating accounts of her rescue and recasting her ordeal as patriotic fable... MORE.. Asked by ABCNEWS anchor Diane Sawyer if military's portrayal of rescue bothered her, Lynch said: 'Yeah, it does. It does that they used me as a way to symbolize all this stuff. Yeah, it's wrong'... Asked how she felt about reports of her heroism: 'It hurt in a way that people would make up stories that they had no truth about. Only I would have been able to know that, because the other four people on my vehicle aren't here to tell the story. So I would have been the only one able to say, Yeah, I went down shooting. But I didn't'... Asked about claims the military exaggerated danger of the rescue mission: 'Yeah, I don't think it happened quite like that'...

Way to go Jessica!!!

[MaineDem]

24. I can't find any repugs mentioning this

Don't hate me 'cause I went into 2 GOP websites. No mention of this story at all.

Edited to add: Yes, I just found the freeper thread. They're blaming the hype on the press.

[Snellius]

23. FOX News hasn't even whispered the name "Jessica Lynch"

Good old "fair and balanced". I've been monitoring FOX this morning just to see how they would spin this one. "Spectacular job growth". "Should Martha Stewart shut up." "Wait 'til you hear what Rosie said today." "How many girlfriends did Scott Petersen really have?" But no Jessica. Poor Jessica.

[MadMan]

25. Jessica dear, we love you!

Just watch your back. We'll be praying for you not get "suicided."

[Bandit]

26. Lynch said she was hurt that other people had "made up stories"

Other People? Now who could she possibly be referring to? Who are these mysterious "Other People"?

[RedSock]

27. good article with quotes in ny times

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/07/national/07LYNC.html

Asked by the ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer if the military's portrayal of the rescue bothered her, Ms. Lynch said: "Yeah, it does. It does that they used me as a way to symbolize all this stuff. Yeah, it's wrong," according to a partial transcript of the interview to be broadcast on Tuesday.

Asked how she felt about the reports of her heroism: "It hurt in a way that people would make up stories that they had no truth about. Only I would have been able to know that, because the other four people on my vehicle aren't here to tell the story. So I would have been the only one able to say, yeah, I went down shooting. But I didn't."

Asked about reports that the military exaggerated the danger of the rescue mission: "Yeah, I don't think it happened quite like that I don't know why they filmed it, or why they say the things they, you know, all I know was that I was in that hospital hurting. I needed help."

Also: "From the time I woke up in that hospital, no one beat me, no one slapped me, no one, nothing. I'm so thankful for those people, because that's why I'm alive today."

Lt. Col. Rivers Johnson, a spokesman for the Department of Defense, declined to comment on Ms. Lynch's views.

[Bandit]

53. KKKarl Rove is who immediately comes to mind

:shrug: Who else is going to make such a big deal out of her being a "Hero"?

[MostlyBlackCat2]

28. kick for Jessica

This took a lot of guts and I think it shows she's got a lot more going for her than has been apparent thus far.

[SCAMBABY]

31. Movie Bucks

Question is, who is really cashing in on this movie ?

[gardenista]

32. The self-proclaimed Iraqi Lawyer/Rescuer

Lynch is not involved in the movie.

[gardenista]

33. But, then, it seems like you already knew the answer to that . n/t

.

[SCAMBABY]

43. What I meant..

is some Hollywood producer is the only one cashing in on this story, what ever the story is today.

[gardenista]

50. Um, huh?

Are you trying to figure out if Hollywood is making money off of this? What do you think?

[dai]

34. Good for her

I don't blame her at all for coming out with this late. It must be a very confusing experience to learn somebody fabricated a story about you being a national hero while you were unconscious.

Anyway, she should be commended for standing up for her beliefs instead of some PR faux-patriotism.

[mrdmk]

35. Consider the source

This is concerning the book coming out Nov 11, 2003 about Jessica’s ordeal.

The following text is from Democracy Now (partial)

He also was given a job at the Livingston Group, a high-powered D.C. lobby firm. His book "Because Each Life Is Precious: Why an Iraqi Man Came to Risk Everything for Pvt. Jessica Lynch" is being promoted by his Livingston Group colleague Lauri Fitz-Pegado. She is infamous for her work at Hill & Knowlton PR in 1990 coaching the Kuwaiti girl called "Nayirah" in her shocking but phony testimony on Congressional hill that she'd seen Iraqi soldiers murdering Kuwaiti babies. That stunt helped propel the U.S. to war against Iraq in 1991. Fitz-Pegado's client was the ruling family of Kuwait and the baby-killing claims were later shown to be false. The new book is well timed since it will precede by a few weeks Jessica Lynch's own book, half-a-million copies of which will hit bookstores on Veterans Day, November 11th.”

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/10/17/1530239&mode=thread&tid=25

Do we need to guess where the rape story came from and why Ms. Lynch is not getting any airplay at this moment? Of course this is Internet printed news, but not on other sources.

Besides, being raped is a very tramatic experience. I have not dought about that. Now it is being reported that you were raped be just as tramatic. Yes, Yes, Yes! Some people have a lot of balls.


P.S. I smell a lawsuit.

[gardenista]

36. Very interesting. The "Lawyer/Rescuer" seems to be polluting the waters

with perfect timing to muddy things so that Jessica Lynch's own words will not be heard.

I hope to God that she has good council and the support of her family, and that she's up for a real fight.

This is obviously why she refused to see this asshole when he came to get his photo-op in her hometown.

[gardenista]

40. Here is how the BFEE will try to quash this

If she can keep telling the truth and deflect the coming attacks and disinformation (i.e., constant focus on the alleged anal rape), she will indeed be a hero, and one of the few effective voices to shine a light on the evil manipulation of her story by Roveco Productions.

What to watch out for:

-Constant focus on the anal rape story. This is a big winner for the media and Roveco Productions. First, the word "rape" in a headline or promo sells. Second, it deflects attention from the real story, which is that the BFEE manipulated events. Finally, it may intimidate Lynch from telling her story on multiple media outlets. It is a horrible feeling to not know if you were raped or not, and they may be able to put so much psychological pressure on her that she cracks.

-Constant hype of the "Saving Private Lynch" movie story. (NOT authorized by Lynch, but a propaganda piece brought to you by the same folks who brought you the incubator story in the first Iraq war.

-Accusations that Lynch is making big bucks off of selling her story, thereby impugning her credibility. (My understanding is that there is a $1 million dollar book deal. In my neighborhood in the Bay Area, that buys you a 2 bedroom house with a garage.)

-More "accidental deaths" of those soldiers who participated in the Roveco Rescue Production.

-Public villification of Lynch by the RW. She is already being completely trashed in Freeperville.

Jessica Lynch has now become one of my personal heros. She is being stronger than I ever could be under the same circumstances. As far as I'm concerned, whether she is standing beside a Dem nominee or not, her bravery in standing up to the BFEE will emerge as one of the key factors in the destruction of Roveco Productions. They know it, and they will come after her like we've never seen before.

She deserves our support.

[ElementaryPenguin]

41. She IS a hero in my book now!! She's telling the truth - that this

Misadministration is lying its ass off about her story - and God only knows what else!! (From what we've been able to ascertain - EVERYTHING else!!) Right on, Jessica!! You WERE at the right place at the right time, because YOU are brave enough to expose the truth - this administration lies - and their whole story about you is nothing but complete bushit propaganda!!

[SCAMBABY]

42. ???

But was is the truth ??

[gardenista]

52. Was WHAT the truth?

Are you implying that Jessica Lynch is lying now? When she says that she is hurt by the media manipulations of her story? When she says she was used as a "symbol" by the BFEE?

What are you saying?

[ignatius]

44. I give her big time credit for having the integrity and courage

to tell the truth. She has been used by this administration in the worst possible way. Lesser people would have gone along, taken the money, and been content to live a lie.

[FuseONE]

47. the problem here

is that with something like rape, how do you PROVE that it DIDN'T happen? no one knows for sure. and if they don't know for sure, why put it out there? the media is disgusting, i swear. she's got some guts though, for actually pointing out that whole ridiculous rescuce episode. I'll give her that.