Oh man did the Pentagon pick the wrong soldier to make into a hero

[underpants]

When the story broke and the actual story of what happened started to come out in the foreign press and it didn't quite square with the line the White House and the DoD were spewing several DU'ers expressed what they saw as Lynch's noncompliance with the story. We were right.

Whether it is just a matter of her refusing to support the lies because basically lying is wrong and she knows it (kudos to her folks) or if she is trying to turn the spotlight on her fellow troops she has thrown a monkeywrench into the only actual good news W&Co. are openly pining for.

Good for her. She could have just gone along with it but she is refusing to. They probably thought this simple little country girl would do what they told her to do but that simpleness (I don't mean that in a condescending way) has directed her towards simply telling the truth.

[AP]

1. Why would she tell lies for the government whose lies almost killed her?

?

[underpants]

11. They must have expected her to go for the $$$$ and be quiet

Which she is doing with the book but then she got squat from the NBC movie based on HER LIFE. The odd part is she was going to get that money from the book no matter what she said, lots of people will buy it and were going to no matter what.

[loudnclear]

23. Remember Charles Kruthammer asked "Why complain" when

referring to Jessica. He may as well have told her to shut up be grateful that the government was paying any attention to her at all. His line was that she got a book deal..so why complain about the military "using her" ore lying about her rescue. This is the same Charles Kruthammer (Inside Washington)who said about killing Palestinian children..."Who cares?" I am about to send the producer of this program a nasty e-mail to get the slime-ball off the program. He may be wheel-chair bound but he gets no sympathy from me.

[Jacobin]

2. You know what's amazing to me?

This is the most lying, duplicitous, scandal-ridden administration since probably Grant. Given the fact that they lie and make shit up constantly, you would think they would be better at it.

I mean. This poor Lynch girl, is getting SCREWED by AWOL. All she did was get in a wreck in Eyerack, go to an iraqi hospital and get pulled from her bed by a bunch of marines on steriods.

All of a sudden, she's like some posterchick for the invasion, and then when she comes out of the hospital, all the lies come tumbling down, and then the pics of her romping around topless (I couldn't care less, btw, young people do young people things).

Thank the gods for Larry Flynt who bought the pics and will help save her from further humiliation.

[KFC]

8. Why did Flynt bring it up anyway?

The right thing to do would be to buy them and never say a thing. Instead, he is very busy patting himself on the back. I'm glad he is not publishing them, although I would have had to take a peek at them for historical research purposes.

[underpants]

13. He' s NOT publishing them?

I must have missed that. Good we don't need to see that anyway.

[DuctapeFatwa]

18. Indeed we do not, which is why he is not

Whether any young girl takes her top off is of interest only to her and her friends at the moment.

[underpants]

32. As my wife said,"When Larry Flynt takes the moral high road on you..."

She didn't finish that line, she didn't need to.

[DuctapeFatwa]

20. He bought them from somebody. Whoever sold them could keep a neg

and publish them in the future. This will be almost impossible now that a household name has announced that he has bought them, whereas if Flynt has kept quiet, and they showed up somewhere, all you'd have would by Flynt suing them and claiming he had bought them.

There is no reason to suppose that whoever sold them to Flynt for money is so ethical that they would not have tried to get paid twice.

[spooky3]

21. but don't you think Flynt is savvy enough to hire lawyers

and whoever else is needed to ensure that he has exclusive rights to the photos now? I'm sure the sellers will happily take their $200K or whatever they got and be on their way rather than risk a lawsuit from him.

[DuctapeFatwa]

29. sure. but lets say Flynt kept quiet and Rupert Murdoch offered the guy

some huge amount for his remaining negative.

Flynt could come out, lawyers blazing, but the damage would be done, and people would be so busy gaping at the girl and blasting Flynt for trying to get publicity by making these outrageous claims that HE had been sitting on them and zog zog zog.

So they are LESS likely to get out now, the seller might as well burn his negative, if he tries to sell it even in Asia (who would not be nearly as interested in it) he will be caught and so heartily reviled that he would spend all his proceeds on security and lawyers and PR guys.

Also, whether you like him or not, Larry Flynt is no fool. There is no way that he could change his mind and publish those pics, or sell them to anyone else.

The bad part is, he can't even just give them to Jessica herself, or we are back to the original seller with his negative he kept back, which he could then publish and claim it was Flynt who must have kept a negative, and because no one knows who he is, and everyone knows who Flynt is, the public would believe Flynt did it.

The best case scenario would be if the public would cease to think it was either noteworthy or remarkable that she took her top off at a party or whatever, but that is a lot of social progress to hope for within her lifetime.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

44. The problem with your theory is that no other publisher would...

...attempt to publish the Lynch pictures because they know that Flynt would ruin them financially. Flynt is the 800-pound gorilla in that industry, and you just don't mess with him. Even a rightwing slimeball like Murdoch would hesitate to take on Flynt.

Additionally, any person who attempted to hold back a negative would also be in quite a bit of legal hot water should that picture should somehow get published. My guess is that he or she more than likely had to sign a document indicating that ALL of the negatives/photos had been turned over to Flynt.

I'm also assuming here that Flynt's excellent group of private investigators has already identified all of those people (including primaries, family and associates) that could possibly have a negative or photos. That would seem like a relatively easy task to accomplish compared to digging up long-buried dirt on congressmen.

[underpants]

34. Remember 'The People vs. Larry Flynt'? He sued Falwell

and won. I'm no big fan of Flynt (in general) but he does put his money where his mouth is and he usually wins. Part of the judgement against Falwell was that he personally had to write out the check to Falwell.

[OldSoldier]

35. Larry Flynt's played this game before

You know he bought the negatives too.

[Brian Sweat]

37. He bought the rights to them.

Anyone publishes them, they get sued.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

41. He HAD to say something in response to the article that came out...

...in a New York newspaper claiming that he was going to publish the pictures. They even claimed to have quotes from Flynt indicating his intent to publish the pics.

Since Flynt's statement clearly indicated his intent to never publish the pictures, the original newspaper had to back-off their original statements. No mention was made of any attempt to stick by their original alleged quotes from Flynt.

[wryter2000]

10. Pity the clueless

What are y'all talking about? Can anyone give a me a link to Jessica? I had a feeling she'd make sure the truth got out. What a brave and wonderful young lady.

[ibegurpard]

3. If this is the case then she really will deserve the accolade "hero."

n/t

[underpants]

7. She was/is untouchable

Literally.

Unlike almost anyone else who has said ANYTHING negative about W and/or the war there is no answer to what she says. The created the hero (yes she is a hero they all are) and it turned on them, in a way.

Even Fox can't try to slam her. They are just not reporting it, in fact they are trumpeting the lawyer's story (he works for Bob Livingston now).

[RuB]

4. She has turned out to be a true Patriot!

[tom_paine]

57. Yep, Jessica is a Real American Hero

She, near alone among her fellows, deserves the 'c' in American!

[WilliamPitt]

5. Don't mess with country girls

Tough as nails.

[underpants]

12. Indeed

They painted her as a simple little girl and I bought into that. I think a lot of this has to do with trying to turn focus on her best friend and the other troops who died in her companyas well as the 9 POW's who she saw everyday before the war. Good for her.

[VelmaD]

49. Words to live by.

Put 'em on a bumpersticker. And proof positive W is all hat and no cattle. A real country boy woulda known better.

This country girl sure is tickled to watch the junta squirm over this little booboo. Whoopsee. :-)

[Cocoa]

6. she might be unusual

Maybe the average person would have gone along, and the Bushies were unlucky.

Maybe whatever qualities cause her to resist the govt. contributed to her surviving her ordeal.

[underpants]

9. Around here we call this "hometraining"

When the official line was that she had amnesia her father immediately (when asked) and continually said no she didn't have amnesia but that she had been in a horrific wreck. From the start the whole family told the truth as they know it, that is apparently the way they live and the way they raised her to be which is not that unusual amongst most people. Good for all of them.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

15. Good point

Honesty is not dead amongst most people. Just in our current administration.

[underpants]

16. I don't think W&Co. counted on that trump card being played on them

Ooops.

They are so used to lying they might actually think that it is normal and that everyone will go along.

[hunter]

51. No, W&Co. are used to being bought...

They believe that everyone and everything "has a price," even themselves.

They are always surprised when they find a soul that's not for sale.

[TacticalPeek]

14. She's been to war and survived.

Bush lied when he said he's been to war. He's no match.

She redeems the uniform he stained.

[Myra]

26. "She redeems the uniform he stained"

Nicely said TacticalPeak.

It does appear that she might actually have
some character, and help reveal the many big
lies for what they are.

[0007]

17. A true hero and a real American girl -

Linda Tripp & Paula Jones are in a class of their own. And that's way down the ladder.

[maveric]

19. A co-worker caled her an "ungrateful traitor" the other day.

Stating that when she signed up for the military she also signed to comply to whatever reports are given about you.

Funny how before Jessica became a traitor she was lauded as a real true, red, white and blue, american hero. Now that she has chose to tell the truth, she is unamerican.

BTW, I asked this co-worker why the US is in Iraq and she all but screamed at me "because those people blew up the WTC, thats why we're there". I then pointed out that there was no link to 9/11 or terror bases in Iraq and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia really had terrorist training outlets and have for years. Whay havent we invaded them. She then snapped at me with a red-flushed face, "I dont have time for this nonsense!", and stormed out of the room.

Willful ignorance.

[spooky3]

22. good for you!

[ieoeja]

24. Like DNA in Illinois

One of the men released from death row in Illinois after DNA proved someone else was guilty of the crime was recently seeking a pardon (he was released, but not pardoned so technically he is still on record as having been convicted of murder). Everyone in my regular watering hole were complaining about his seeking a pardon to which I finally piped up, "but he didn't commit the crime?".

Their response was laughter and, "yeah, the weird liberal says something stupid again".

Sometimes it feels like I'm living in the Twilight Zone. It's hard not to question myself. Maybe it is me. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe it makes perfect sense to want a man proven innocent of a crime to pay for the crime anyway because ... and that is always the point that stops me. When I ask them to explain, they can never get beyond that point either. But they can happily retreat into the mindset within which they are living. I almost envy them.

[ibegurpard]

30. Wow

NO you're NOT crazy to be aghast at that kind of attitude. Keep speaking the truth.

[maveric]

31. Or they call you unamerican, a traitor and a communist

without coming up with any points of fact. Then when they are really cornered they bring up the Clinton blowjob incident stating that lying about consensual sex is worse than lying about an illegal war often calling the Big Dog a child molestor for messing with someone half his age.

Are these people just stupid or in serious denial?

[hippiegranny]

25. the winger in my office

was on a big rant about lynch today. the former poster girl for the war mongers has pissed them all off, so now they are screaming about the nudie pics and flapping some babble about how she refused to meet with her iraqi rescuer in w. va., what a bitch... and so on. i asked where they heard this about her dissing her rescuer and he said "on the news!" so i said, oh, then it must be true. haha. (did anyone else see this story "on the news?" or maybe hear it on talk radio...)

i observed that it was interesting how she went from hero to traitor as soon as she spoke up against the pentagon propaganda machine, which shut everybody up, cause they didn't have a comeback for that.

[shirlden]

27. Here is the story

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/10/27/iraqi.lynch.ap/

I am not sure what to make of it, but maybe we will get that answer tonight. I do believe the Eyerackie guy may just have been telling a bit of a fib. The U.SA. got him out of Iraq and into a cushion job here before Jessica was even out of Germany.

:think:

[wryter2000]

28. Thanks.

:hi:

[underpants]

33. al-Rehaief works for Bob Livingston who ironically resigned due to.....

Larry Flynt paying for information about an affair Livingston either was having or had had. Life is a circle huh?

[BiggJawn]

36. I heard that his PR firm handled the GW-One "incubator" story...

He's being repped by the same outfit that repped that "Kuwaiti girl" who swore she saw Republican Guards throwing babies on the floor and shipping Incubators to Bagdhad...Remember THAT story?

[truthspeaker]

38. quote:

quote: "The best case scenario would be if the public would cease to think it was either noteworthy or remarkable that she took her top off at a party or whatever, but that is a lot of social progress to hope for within her lifetime."

A-fucking-men. Breasts, big deal. We're a nation of prudes.

[Atman]

58. Wow...boobies!

Sheesh, people!

Hooters are big,
Boobies are small
Some have big brown nipples
Some seem to have no nips at all

And if the site of these fleshy mounds
Somehow seems to trouble you
Just remember the biggest boob
Is a pResident by the name of W.


This didn't start out as a poem, so please forgive me. It is all just so absurd. Being a member of AANR (look it up), I find this whole discussion about Jessica's boobies just laughable! In fact, I swear I heard her telling Diane Sawyer (in a clip...I didn't see the interview), that the pics are not "topless" pics...they were pictures of her taken by another soldier when she took a shower at the base, in a non-private facility.

As she pointed out, you're sharing everything with the guys, you're all part of the same team, you may have to put your hands into one of these guys' guts...she was dirty, and the only showers available were the big group locker room showers. So the eff what?

Grow up, America.

[iverglas]

39. kewl - old lies, new lies?

The "Kuwaiti girl" who told the incubator lie, we'll recall, was actually the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US. The PR firm was Hill & Knowlton.

The entire story of the lie, and of congressional complicity in it, was exposed some time afterward (and of course too late) by the CBC, and I've always been fond of the story.


Here's some on the recent one:

http://quickstart.clari.net/qs_se/webnews/wed/db/Uhorrockswashington.Ra74_DON.html

John Stauber, of PR Watch, a publication of the Center for Media and Democracy, went on "Democracy Now!," a program broadcast by Pacifica Radio and Television on Oct. 17, and charged that al-Rehaief's book "is being promoted by the PR specialist infamous for coaching 'Nayirah' the Kuwaiti girl, in the later-debunked 1990 testimony to Congress that she'd seen Iraqi soldiers murdering Kuwaiti babies."

According to Stauber, Lauri Fitz-Pegado, another member of the Livingston Group, is promoting al-Rehaief's book and was the public relations specialist "infamous for coaching 'Nayirah.'"

... According to book by Stauber called "Toxic Sludge is Good for You," Fitz-Pegado at that time worked for Hill & Knowlton and it had arranged the hearing through the influence of two congressmen -- Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif.; and Rep. John Porter, R-Ill. Lantos is still in Congress and supported the Iraq war.

The idea that the Iraqis had killed 312 Kuwaiti babies swept Washington that fall, hardening commitment to help the wealthy kingdom of Kuwait and form a coalition to drive out the Iraqis who had invaded the neighboring country. Everybody talked about it from President George H.W. Bush on down.

And it's widely credited with rallying the public support needed to start the war. It's all just so World War I, isn't it?

(Do a search for "al-Rehaief" knowlton and you'll find more stuff about the current kerfuffle.)

Here's the whole tale of the original sordid tale:
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0906-01.htm

The key moment occurred on October 10, when a young woman named Nayirah appeared in front of a congressional committee. She told the committee, "I saw the Iraqi soldiers come into the hospital with guns, and go into the room where 15 babies were in incubators. They took the babies out of the incubators, took the incubators and left the babies on the cold floor to die."

Hill & Knowlton immediately faxed details of her speech to newsrooms across the country, according to CBC's Fifth Estate's documentary. The effect was electric. The babies in incubator stories became a lead item in newspapers, and on radio and TV all over the US.

It is interesting that no one – not the congressmen in the hearing, or any journalist present – bothered to find out the identity of the young woman. She was the daughter of Kuwait's ambassador to the United States, and actually hadn't seen the "atrocities" she described take place. (When later confronted with the lack of evidence for her claims, the young woman said that she hadn't been in the hospital herself, but that a friend who had been there had told her about it.)

I read a comment on the net from someone, within the last year, (likely just prior to this invasion of Iraq, if I recall) -- someone who had managed to remain blissfully ignorant of the falsehood of the original story, and even the story itself, and was actually telling it as a true fact he had just learned -- that Bush II had just then trotted it out at a graduation ceremony, perhaps somewhere in Texas. I searched around to see whether I could find where he'd been and what he'd said, but to no avail. If he actually was still spewing that very dirty lie this time around, it would be something worth knowing.

.

(edited to add omitted word)

[JHB]

40. Different Firms

The incubator lie was courtesy of Hill & Knowlton.
http://www.hillandknowlton.com/

Al-Rehaief was hired by The Livingston Group (mostly a lobbying firm).
http://www.livingstongroupdc.com/

[iverglas]

43. read my link ^^^

Posted just above.

I'm not fluent in the details of the Jessica Lynch tale; doesn't especially interest me. But the Hill & Knowlton connection did.

http://quickstart.clari.net/qs_se/webnews/wed/db/Uhorrockswashington.Ra74_DON.html

According to Stauber, Lauri Fitz-Pegado, another member of the Livingston Group, is promoting al-Rehaief's book and was the public relations specialist "infamous for coaching 'Nayirah.'"

... According to book by Stauber called "Toxic Sludge is Good for You," Fitz-Pegado at that time worked for Hill & Knowlton and it had arranged the hearing through the influence of two congressmen ... .

(You'll want to read the whole article; you're probably already familiar with what's in the other article I linked to, about the first-time-around lie.)

Same faces, different letterhead? Same connections, one might assume?

I find the connection fascinating, even though I don't really know what it's all about this time around.

;)

(phormatting phixed)

.

.

[truthseeker1]

46. I heard that too - Hill & Knowlten

is the name of that PR firm.

[iverglas]

48. aaaaaaaargh

Do you guys ever consider reading answers to the questions?

I dug up some information with very little difficulty -- searched for the guy's name and Knowlton. Found all sorts. Posted it twice already. Right above here. Even suggested in my subject line to read it.

I just don't know what the deal with the Jessica Lynch story is, so I don't know what the significance of the information is. I'd love to know, because I think the Hill & Knowlton connection is lots of fun.

Anybody gonna give it a shot?

.

[JHB]

54. Sheesh

Do you guys ever consider reading answers to the questions?

Yes. Sometimes more than consider.

I dug up some information with very little difficulty -- searched for the guy's name and Knowlton. Found all sorts. Posted it twice already. Right above here. Even suggested in my subject line to read it.

I just don't know what the deal with the Jessica Lynch story is, so I don't know what the significance of the information is. I'd love to know, because I think the Hill & Knowlton connection is lots of fun.

The "connection" is that this Fitz-Pegado person worked at H&K in 1990 and works at Livingston today -- an unsurprising career track for a Washington PR/marketing/lobbying type (aka. lowest form of parasite). Near as I can tell, just a standard double-shot of corporate and Washington incestuousness.

Anybody gonna give it a shot?

[iverglas]

56. sigh ;)

Sorry to sound testy ... but what *I* posted *was* the connection -- "that this Fitz-Pegado person worked at H&K in 1990 and works at Livingston today". What I don't have any idea about is who the players -- not the PR players, the real life players, the doctor etc. -- are, and what they're up to.

I don't watch CNN, you see, and have not taken an interest in Jessica Lynch trivia. I watch CBC ... which is why I knew all about the dirty rotten lying that went on around Gulf War I.

That lying was so absolutely vile, and was so facilitated, and had such an effect on the world, that I'm really just genuinely curious about what the liars in question are/might be up to now. Very probably just incestuous - I'm no conspiracy buff - but I was curious all the same.

I have a friend whose nephew actually was a baby in Iraq (Najaf) at the time GWI started. Unlike the make-believe babies cooked up by Bush and the Kuwaiti royal family and Hill&Knowlton, that baby really did die, for want of medical care, a very early victim of the war/embargo.

... typo
.

[truthseeker1]

47. Isn't he the one who said Lynch was raped?

Lynch could be pissed at him for making that story up and therefore not willing to meet with him because of it.

[Brian Sweat]

52. No, supposedly the story came from medical records.

Although, they never said whether they were the records kept by the Iraqi doctors or the army doctors. The Iraqi doctors have disavowed the claim, so I assume they came from amry doctors.

[leanstreets23]

42. This woman's gone from

administration's dull blowup doll, to America's bright sweetheart
overnight. Her family and community can be very proud.

[bobthedrummer]

53. Hi leanstreets23

welcome to DU. :hi:
Four of her rescuers have died.

[Search Party]

45. Hero to Zero

the world is all Black & White

typical Freeper logic :eyes:

[Mairead]

50. "What's with all the ad-libs??!?"

[Algorem]

55. What about dirtbag Rick Bragg?Looks like a sleazy,bloated Elvis imper-

sonator with a drug problem.He was suspended by the N.Y. Times for taking credit for a story he didn't write and had to resign.Couldn't the Pentagon get a less scandalous hack to put his name on their bullk?

[underpants]

60. He was on the Today show with her this morning

and that was what I thought too. For crying outloud don't you own a suit?

[Braden]

59. you knew when they said she had Amnesia

this story was a total fabrication.

Was she raped? I hope not. History tells me to put more faith in the Iraqi Dr's than the US Army Medical team on the issue of honesty. She's not a hero for stumbling into a firefight but she is certainly a brave person.

I tend to agree that her disavowal in the Paper this morning makes her into a legitimate hero candidate. now she needs to keep pressing. There is no keeping her from the talk shows. She is a creation of their own making and we can't suddenly see her fade from view.

[kispoko]

61. someone mentioned this....

someone mentioned that jessica "dissed" her alleged iraqi savior, mohammed odeh al-rehaief.... it's true (per se)

he was in west virginia a couple weeks ago.... there is a group out of a suburb of charleston, 'friends of mohammed,' who sponsored his trip.

he ended up making his way to this area, to my city (parkersburg, where they filmed jessica's interview), and then on to the next county, which is jessica's.... he was in elizabeth, the seat of wirt county, not more than a few miles from jessica's home. and jessica never met with him.

mind you, i think they were filming the interview in parkersburg that day, and she has to have therapy here as well.... it's not more than a half-hour away from elizabeth though. and they were giving every half-assed excuse they could think of as to why it wouldn't be possible for her to meet with him..... you could tell something was up. if there was someone who'd saved my life like that (allegedly), there'd be no way i wouldn't find a way to reach 'em being that close. none.

only later, a week maybe, did that excerpt come out from her book about jessica not remembering this guy, and even contradicting what he'd claimed about being slapped an' all that.... at that point it was kind of an 'aahhhhhh..... so that's what that was about' kind of thing.... but like i said, you just had to know somethin' was up either way, and that guy was always a bit suspicious to me, given that he seemed to have the official administration seal of approval an' all....

turns out this guy was probably telling fairy tells.... yet another in a long line of people to exploit jessica lynch, and very likely a pentagon propaganda pawn (ok, i didn't have to pile on the alliteration.... whatever).... there were even some people here upset with jessica about that before this all came out, when she didn't bother visiting him.... jesus christ though people, use a little critical thinking here..... ya gotta know somethin's up

but that's what happened.... tis true, but think of it what you will... just further evidence to me that jessica's not going to be used by anyone and willingly submit to it

[underpants]

62. The irony of them promiting a LAWYER is almost too much

They imported yet another lawyer into the US....and here I thought they hated lawyers.

[All Hat No Cattle]

63. Jessica may be the Pentagon's lynch pin

and now she has pulled it out and exposed the lies the Pentagon told about her via the Iraqi lawyer she refused to meet with.
Sounds to me like Jessica knows exactly what she is doing.

[kispoko]

64. yup

and let me be the first to welcome ya to du, all hat no cattle :)

here's to you :toast:

[realFedUp]

65. Bet her taxes are audited next year....

don't fly in small planes either Jessica.

[Mike F]

66. Not a hero

I was afraid that she was under strict orders from the military to play up her "rescue" to make Liar's War look good.

[JackSwift]

67. First the Dixie Chicks, now Jessica Lynch

Go Grrl Power!!