Jessica Lynch & the Army's bullshit scam -

[allthumbs]

I am ashamed of the Army for what they pulled during this stunt - and I am definitely ashamed of the administration since I am sure there was intense pressure on folks in the military to make this whole story something it is not. I am also ashamed of the way the media and the Army have treated SP4 Johnson - who apparently DID put up a fight - but because she is black and because she is no beauty queen (neither is Lynch in my opinion) - she gets ignored.

 

It also now makes suspect anything the Army puts out, which is what really really pisses me off. So in order to try and make American people feel good about the war - they fabricated some bullshit and thought they would get away with it. Now they are sitting there with their hands in the cookie jar looking surprised - stupid is more the word. And how long will it take to regain the trust of the American people - better yet - how long will it take to regain my trust - a hell of a lot longer than I think it will take the rest of the country to forgive and forget. There are three kinds of people I have no use for - thieves, liars, and people who desert their friends when the chips are down and leave their friends with the load.

 

I now think I know why Lynch was reluctant to meet with the Iraqi who "saved" her. The whole thing was probably a scam set up by the Army and she was embarrassed to be drug out and put on display with this guy....

 

Well, we now have something that I can relate to that is similar to Viet Nam - the lying. I am disgusted with our government and our military for allowing this kind of thing to happen. We need a few heroes that can display moral courage as well as physical courage - people who can say no and stand their ground without flinching.

[glacier]

Did you hear that Hustler wants to publish topless photos of her taken at a beach prior to her deployment? There's classy.

[allthumbs]

she'll need to pluck her nipple hairs first

[rbw1966]

glacier said:

Did you hear that Hustler wants to publish topless photos of her taken at a beach prior to her deployment? There's classy.

 

Thinking anything associated with Hustler is classy is a stretch of the imagination.

[glacier]

Although you have to admit that Larry Flynt is technically more qualified to run for the governor of a large state than an actor as he has: a) run a successful business, and b) been involved in a case involving defense of the Constitution (1st Amendment). Although he may be a bit against the 2nd Amendment.

 

I doubt that he fears being too classy for his readers, tho'

 

[Ratboy]

glacier said:

Did you hear that Hustler wants to publish topless photos of her taken at a beach prior to her deployment? There's classy.

 

Actually, Larry Flint bought the photos but is refusing to publish them because he thinks she's a nice person and thinks she's been used as a pawn by the Bush Administration PR machine. Sounds like he's got some class to me.

[mtnear]

Ratboy said:

glacier said:

Did you hear that Hustler wants to publish topless photos of her taken at a beach prior to her deployment? There's classy.

 

Actually, Larry Flint bought the photos but is refusing to publish them because he thinks she's a nice person and thinks she's been used as a pawn by the Bush Administration PR machine. Sounds like he's got some class to me.

 

Either that or she's really ugly naked...

[graupel]

The Livingston Group is a lobbying firm in Washington DC run by a former Republican Congressman. This is the firm that is representing the Iraqi Lawyer, Mohammed Al Rehaief, who supposedly provided information for the Americans to recover Jessica Lynch and has the book and consulted for the made-for-TV movie. Employed at that firm is Lauri Fitz-Pegado, the woman responsible for coaching the 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl who testified in Congress that in Iraqi occupied Kuwait, babies in hospitals were being removed from incubators and left on the floor to die, which is now confirmed to be false.

 

Lauri Fitz-Pegado now represents the Iraqi Lawyer on behalf of the Livingston Group for the book and movie deals pertaining to his story of his involvement with the "rescue" of Jessica Lynch. http://quickstart.clari.net/qs_se/webnews/wed/db/Uhorrockswashington.Ra74_DON.html

 

 

 

The BBC questioned the account of events early on

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,956255,00.html

 

Now for the propaganda

http://www.msnbc.com/news/986663.asp?0sl=-20&cp1=1#BODY

===============================

 

Sources:

 

 

 

From http://www.proparanoid.com/congrec.htm

 

"In 1990, after the Iraqi invasion of their country, the Kuwaiti Government in exile formed "Citizens for a Free Kuwait." They hired the lobbying firm of Hill & Knowlton to attempt to influence public opinion in the United States toward entering the conflict. Lauri Fitz-Pegado was in charge of the effort. Her strategy was to use alleged witnesses to atrocities to tell stories of human rights violations in occupied Kuwait. Using their testimony live and on video news releases, she orchestrated what has come to be known as "the baby incubator fraud." Ms. Fitz-Pegado first coached a 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl, identified only at the time as "Nayira," to testify before Congress that she had seen Iraqi soldiers remove Kuwaiti babies from hospital respirators. Nayira claimed to be a Kuwaiti refugee who had been working as a volunteer in a Kuwaiti hospital throughout the first few weeks of the Iraqi occupation. She said that she had seen the Iraqis take babies out of incubators, take the incubators, and then leave the babies "on the cold floor to die."

 

Nayira's emotional testimony riveted human rights organizations, the news media, and the Nation. That incident was cited by six Members of the Senate as a reason to go to war with Iraq. However, it was later discovered that the girl--who had only been identified as an escapee from occupied Kuwait--was in fact the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States. It also turned out that Lauri Fitz-Pegado had concealed Nayira's real identity. Apologists for Lauri Fitz-Pegado say that she did not hide Nayira's real identity; she told Congressman Tom Lantos who Nayira was. But what Ms. Fitz-Pegado's supporters do not say is that Congressman Lantos' Congressional Human Rights Foundation received rent-free office space from Lauri Fitz-Pegado's firm, Hill & Knowlton. Their telephones were answered by the Hill & Knowlton switchboard, and Citizens for a Free Kuwait made a $50,000 donation to the foundation after the invasion. Instead of apologizing for Lauri Fitz-Pegado, we should be investigating those ties. "

 

====================

from http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:hwmIIipln6gJ:www.livingstongroupdc.com/inthenews/releases/news1.html+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

 

The Livingston Group hires Mohammed Odeh Al-Rehaief,

the Iraqi lawyer who assisted in the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch

 

 

 

Statement by former former Congressman Bob Livingston, President and CEO of The Livingston Group

 

"My initial role in the arrival of Mohammed and his family in the United States was that of a private citizen who is grateful to a heroic individual - an individual who has risked his life and the safety of his family to help rescue an American soldier. I am only one of a number of people, in and outside the United States government, who worked with a prominent NGO specializing in refugee cases on this effort.

 

"Mohammed was formally granted political asylum status in the U.S. and is employed at The Livingston Group. Much of his time over the past few months has been devoted to getting his family settled in the area. Mohammed has had surgery on an eye, which was seriously injured during his activities related to his role in the rescue of Jessica Lynch. He is studying English and contributing to the Livingston Group’s work related to the Middle East. He also has been working on a book to be published by Harper Collins. It addresses his role in the rescue of former POW Jessica Lynch. And, of equal importance, the book allows him to provide insights into the life of an Iraqi man coming of age in a tumultuous political environment."

 

Statement by Mohammed Odeh Al-Rehaief

 

"My family and I are very grateful to everyone who has welcomed us to the United States and contributed to our adjustment in this new environment. I am humbled by the honors bestowed upon me by various organizations and am pleased for the opportunities to travel to several cities on the East and West coasts of this beautiful country. We are learning a great deal about the United States. What has impressed us most has been the way we have been embraced by Americans. We look forward to improving our ability to communicate and contribute to this community and to helping those we left behind in Iraq." ==============================

 

Employed at the Livingston Group is Lauri Fitz-Pegado From http://www.livingstongroupdc.com/corporateoverview/team/fitzpegado.html

 

Honorable Lauri J. Fitz-Pegado

(Principal)

 

Lauri Fitz-Pegado has over twenty-five years of international experience in the public and private sectors. She provided strategic communication counsel to governments, non-profits and corporate clients independently and in partnership with Livingston Moffett Global Consultants for three years prior to joining the Livingston Group as a principal of the Livingston Moffett International Group Practice in May 2003. She also is responsible for The Livingston Group’s external communication and media relations. She served as Assistant Secretary and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce, promoting U.S. exports and assisting U.S. companies expand market share and compete for contracts around the world, overseeing a network of 130 offices overseas and 90 in the U.S. In 1997 she joined Iridium LLC, the world's first global satellite and paging company, where she was Vice President for Global Gateway Management and Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communication. A former Foreign Service officer who served in Latin America early in her career, Ms. Fitz-Pegado also provided domestic and

international clients public and government relations services over eleven years at Gray and Company and Hill and Knowlton. Ms. Fitz-Pegado is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves on the boards/advisory boards of the National Education Association Foundation for the Improvement of Education, Constituency for Africa, The Women's Foreign Policy Group, the United Negro College Fund's Institute for International Public Policy, The Ronald H. Brown Foundation and the American and African Business Women’s Alliance. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College and has a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Affairs and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese. lfitzp@livingstongroupdc.com

 

[bunglehead]

When I was captured I told them, "I'm an American"

And it's true, I did say that, I am an American.

[Dutch]

So check this out. PFC Lynch is up for a bronze star for being captured, and jepordizing the lives of others.

There is also a young Lance CPL up for the bronze star...He not only dragged his PLT Leader out of harms way, sustaining injury himself, but procceded to get his squad on line and lead by example in an assault taking their objective. Obviously the merrit of these two nominations differ. PFC Lynch I would say at most a Purple Heart... The young Marine who is in rank and age equal to PFC Lynch should be considered for somthing more prestigous, Perhaps even a Medal Of Honor. Publicity should not dictate honor.

[Scott_J]

Jessica Lynch had a bad time of it. That is fact, but she is getting this recognition because she has a vertical smile, and it looks good to award this metal to a female as some commanders are questioning the sanity of putting females in the field during actual fighting. Plus, Pres. Bush's advisers think this will look good to the American public...boost his ratings.

[marylou]

Um. I think race may also play into this. See first post on the thread, as there was an actual young female soldier (who is black) who both shot at the enemy with an actual gun, and was captured, before getting uncaptured.

 

But she was only a black person, so apparently this doesn't count.

[Dutch]

marylou said:

Um. I think race may also play into this. See first post on the thread, as there was an actual young female soldier (who is black) who both shot at the enemy with an actual gun, and was captured, before getting uncaptured.

 

But she was only a black person, so apparently this doesn't count.

 

Save me the anti semetic bull shit...If I here one more of you college sophisticate wanna bes bring up world hunger, racism, or world peace, Im gonna have a stroke.

Its not that the other other soldier was black, its that she was fat...did you see her, I would much rather bang a hottie like Jessica Lynch...If you need a Martyr....It helps if she is Hot..... Sex sells...sick? yes! true? VERY!!!! Lets accept the real world and quit hunting Ideals.

[scott_harpell]

damn dutch rules!

[cracked]

Dutch said:

marylou said:

Um. I think race may also play into this. See first post on the thread, as there was an actual young female soldier (who is black) who both shot at the enemy with an actual gun, and was captured, before getting uncaptured.

 

But she was only a black person, so apparently this doesn't count.

 

Save me the anti semetic bull shit...If I here one more of you college sophisticate wanna bes bring up world hunger, racism, or world peace, Im gonna have a stroke.

Its not that the other other soldier was black, its that she was fat...did you see her, I would much rather bang a hottie like Jessica Lynch...If you need a Martyr....It helps if she is Hot..... Sex sells...sick? yes! true? VERY!!!! Lets accept the real world and quit hunting Ideals.

[Scott_J]

God Damn Dutch when the Dog gets back we have to get together and be wild and evil.