More on Jessica Lynch

[juliod]

CNN has finally covered the faking of the Lynch story, but not in a very critical way. They merely repeat official announcements that the claims are 'ridiculous' and "void of all facts".

Neither CNN nor the official announcements make any real argument against the BBC claims, only denouncing them. The DoD has refused to release the unedited tapes of the raid, and CNN did not apparently repeat any request for them or pressure them to provide any counter-evidence.

Neither does CNN revel that they understand the original claims. They quote the spokesman as saying "If we had good knowledge we could drive in and take her out, we certainly would have done that rather than a joint operation. We don't look to do them in a more difficult, complex way," he said. "It's not up to me to second guess, but I can't imagine we would have done anything differently." CNN did not report that the BBC claims the hospital attempted to deliver Lynch to the US forces in an ambulance. That might qualify as a less difficult or complex way.

Investigative reporting at it's best?

DanZ

[Pilgrim]

Well, what are you going to do? Got to love Military Intel. er...

[Pilgrim]

They don't look to do it in a more comploex way? This from the group that gave us $20,000 toilet seats.

[Undomiel]

Lynch was not shot by a bullet, she was hit by
a rocket-launched grenade according to her own confession, which she says was the last thing she remembered before she woke up in the hospital. She sustained multiple injuries, including a broken spine. The other 9 soldiers that were with her, are all dead (details of their demise are unknown). The iraqi doctors told the Navy SEALs that ALL 9 were DOA. Their bodies are buried behind the iraqi hospital where Lynch was kept. The iraqi doctors claim that earlier in the day, on the day of Lynch's rescue, the Fedayeen and most of the Baath Party were in the hospital. They changed into normal street clothes, and escaped barefoot into the street. The hospital doors were locked, according to the doctors.

This begs the following questions:

If they had nothing to hide, why were the doors of the hospital locked? And why would they be surprised if the Navy SEALs, who probably were aware the Fedayeen and Baath party were in the hospital, broke in the door?

Why were all 9 soldiers proclaimed Dead On Arrival at the hospital? Did none of them survive a rocket-launched grenade?
Since there was some question as to whether they were the american soldiers shown dead on a Al Jereeza newscast, supposedly executed by the Fedayeen with a single bullet to their brains, would it really big that big of a stretch for the Navy SEALs to be armed to the teeth and shoot their way into the hospital when even the iraqi doctors admit the Fedayeen had been in the hospital earlier the same day?

These are some of the pieces of information that were left out of the BBC broadcast. The BBC is going solely on the words of the iraqi doctors and leaving out alot of what was actually said by the doctors, who were probably just very nice people in a very bad situation.

[Undomiel]

In addition, there's every possibility the hospital was used by the Fedayeen and Baath party as a shelter during the conflict since American and British military try to avoid bombing mosques and hospitals. Who knows how long they were actually in there. Perhaps the video footage from Al Jezeera of the executed american military men was filmed right behind the hospital, in the hospital cemetery, where they were then conveniently buried. The iraqi doctors would have no control over their deaths and would just tell the press what they were told to say - "DOA".

[Epoetker]

I sense that I will be liking Undomiel very much on this board.

[spl_cadet]

Today @ 04:11 PM post located here
Epoetker:

I sense that I will be liking Undomiel very much on this board.

You just like the fact that she's conservative and female

[Undomiel]

The iraqi doctors, themselves, provided most of the information. They were the ones that said the Fedayeen and Baath party had been in the hospital the same day. They also admitted the doors were locked. They also said the 9 DOAs were buried outside in the hospital cemetery. I wonder if the US military plans on exuming their bodies and bringing them home. If so, I bet they will be autopsied for evidence of how they died. It would probably be considered a matter of national security, and be performed without prior permission from the surviving wives or family members.

[juliod]

The BBC is going solely on the words of the iraqi doctors

The BBC actually sought out witnesses. Which is good journalistic technique. The US media simply reports official information without question. Not good.

Witnesses may be mistaken. Or they might not tell the truth. But it is frustrating to see the media participating in the creation of a myth. Especially when operations seem to have been specifically organized for publicity.

DanZ

[Undomiel]

The BBC actually sought out witnesses.

Has it not occured to you that asking the iraqis [read - potential enemies] what happened in a wartime situation is counterproductive to getting realistic answers? What part of this slips by your personal alarm?

She was not shot. Gun, grenade, what difference does it make? She was still wounded, had metal schrapnel in her from the grenade, a broken spinal column, broken bones in other places, and various other lacerations from the flying metal. She was carted off to the iraqi hospital with 9 other american soldiers who are now dead. Let's not forget at some point, there were Fedayeen and Baath party members in there, too.

Witnesses may be mistaken. Or they might not tell the truth. But it is frustrating to see the media participating in the creation of a myth.

If the woman was wounded by a grenade, her story is quite similar to the one presented. It's just a matter of semantics - bullet - gunpowder, metal, grenade - gunpowder, metal. Not only that, if the iraqi doctors say the Fedayeen were in the hospital, there's no way it can be established that there wasn't sufficient reason for the SEALs to be armed to the teeth and storm the building. Police would do the same thing under much less dangerous circumstances. Since the door was locked, did you expect the SEALs to walk up to it and knock? Considering they suspected Lynch was inside being abused by Fedayeen along with the nine other military men, they reacted just as they should have.

Especially when operations seem to have been specifically organized for publicity.

The cameras followed the guys everywhere - into the mansions, the streets, the towns, you name it. Why is it suddenly a publicity stunt if it follows them to the scene of a rescue?

(Edit: Apparently they can't make up their minds.

"Dr Harith was on duty when Private Lynch was brought to al-Nasiriyah general by Iraqi soldiers a few days after her capture on March 23. She was a member of a 15-member US Army maintenance company convoy that was ambushed after taking a wrong turn near the city.

At the time, she was suffering from a head injury, a broken leg and arm, a bullet wound to her leg, a pulmonary oedema and her breathing was failing. In a hospital inundated with war casualties with few drugs, her condition was stabilised and she regained consciousness."

That's from one report. Here's another:

"Army colonel who runs the military hospital in Germany where Jessica was taken. He said the evidence "did not suggest that any of her wounds were caused by either gunshots or stabbing."

Nobody really knows what happened, but her. She claims she was hit by a rocket-launched grenade when they took that wrong turn and were ambushed.

It really amazes me how quickly the vultures descended on this incident on the word of iraqi doctors. The soldiers that were with her died. Lynch was critically injured. The hospital had Fedayeen in it. Add this up. Here's another quote:

"But missing from this tableau of selfless Iraqi co-operation and American military efficiency were the less palatable details of the Nasiriyah rescue mission. During the raid, the Navy Seals seized a member of the Fedayeen militia who led them to 11 bodies, two in the hospital ward and nine in a freshly dug grave. It is now believed that nine of the bodies were those of Private Lynch's colleagues from the 507th Company. The remains have been shipped back to the US for forensic tests."

Doesn't sound like a cakewalk to me.

[juliod]

Has it not occured to you that asking the iraqis [read - potential enemies] what happened in a wartime situation is counterproductive to getting realistic answers? What part of this slips by your personal alarm?

Are you suggesting that anything stated by an Iraqi is automatically suspect? Given that at least some of the story about Lynch is untrue, does that give you reason to question the original version of events. (I am refering to the alledged bullet wounds. It was reported that she was shot.)

Do you expect to get "realistic" answers from a media that only reports official information, and asks no difficult questions?

Doesn't sound like a cakewalk to me.

Would merely taking delivery of Lynch in an ambulance have been simple enough for you?

DanZ

[Epoetker]

Are you suggesting that anything stated by an Iraqi is automatically suspect?

Yup.

Given that at least some of the story about Lynch is untrue, does that give you reason to question the original version of events. (I am refering to the alledged bullet wounds. It was reported that she was shot.)

Undom already answered this question for you.

Do you expect to get "realistic" answers from a media that only reports official information, and asks no difficult questions?

Of course not, which is why I considered the CENTCOM briefings much more trustworthy than anything the Iraqi Ministry of Information put out. Small mistakes on one side vs. systemic total deception on another does not equal all sides being equally untrustworthy.

[Undomiel]

Delivering her to the americans would've been great, problem is, we don't know how true that is either. You're still taking the word of a potential enemy as more accurate and truthful. I'm not sure why you feel this way. Let me give you some perspective on it. If you were/are american and your life or the life of one of your loved ones was hanging in the balance, would you trust an american military man's word before an iraqi's? (Before you answer, realize my husband has been in the air force for nearly 20 years. We've struggled the whole time with finances and health issues. It has not been a cakewalk or penthouse suites and finery. He worked hard for what he earned and would be the first person to defend you if you were in trouble and he had anyway to assist you. This is the truth.) Now tell me, is there any reason you can think of to not trust his word over that of a potential enemy? Even one reason will suffice.

[Passant]

I see the same old problem going on here. Some people who want to accept the entire story. And some people want to reject the entire story. Did the military play up the entire event and make it seem more dramatic than it was, of course. Was the whole thing a staged event, including soldiers firing blanks, of course not. As usual the truth lies somewhere in between.

She was not shot. Gun, grenade, what difference does it make? She was still wounded, had metal schrapnel in her from the grenade, a broken spinal column, broken bones in other places, and various other lacerations from the flying metal.

I am not arguing the truth of this statement, but I am curious. Where did you get this information? I have been unable to find any details of her wounds, just curious.

[Undomiel]

Which story? I listed about 4 I think.

One report had the iraqi doctors saying she did not have bullet wounds but she did have a broken spine and other broken bones.

Another said, she did have a bullet wound in her leg and other various broken bones. this one was also from an iraqi doctor.

Another one said she didn't appear to have wounds consistent with bullets. this was from the doctor in germany.

She said, the last thing she remembers was the grenade, and then waking up in the hospital.

Nobody honestly knows what happened. It's all a jumbled mess.


(Edit: Oh my, and here's another one: "Lynch's family in West Virginia said doctors had determined she'd been shot. They found two entry and exit wounds "consistent with low-velocity, small-caliber rounds," said her mother, Deadra Lynch. " lol )