October 12, 2008
UTNE READER

Saving Private Lynch

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New York Times reporter Jayson Blair may not have been the only person who lied about US Army Private Jessica Lynch. Apparently, so did the Pentagon. According to a May 15th report in the British newspaper The Guardian, Lynch may have starred in a war movie produced by the US military. Dr. Anmar Uday, one of two doctors who treated Lynch, told reporter John Kampfner that the rescue was executed ?like a Hollywood film,? complete with guns loaded with blank bullets and prefabricated explosions. ?They made it a show?an action movie like Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan.?

America?s handling of the rescue was a bone of contention for the British government. When the military ?refused to give information at [Central Command],? the British were left to ?fill in the gaps, off the record.? After several unsuccessful attempts at persuading Pentagon officials to present a more honest account, Simon Wren of the British Ministry of Defense wrote a confidential letter to the Prime Minister?s spokesman Alastair Campbell complaining about their mishandling of the event. Wren called the ordeal ?embarrassing? and later stated that the circumstances surrounding Lynch?s rescue had become ?conjecture.? When Campbell appealed to the White House, his requests were denied.

In researching the article, Kampfner asked Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman to release the unedited rescue footage in its entirety in order to ?clear up any discrepancies.? Whitman declined, saying, ?I understand there is some conflicting information out there, and in due time the full story will be told, I?m sure.? That may be awhile, as Private Lynch has no recollection of her rescue.

Go there>> The Truth about Jessica

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