Saving Private Lynch - a study in propaganda

[khaosworks]

Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'
Private Lynch was almost shot by US soldiers
By John Kampfner

Private Jessica Lynch became an icon of the war, and the story of her capture by the Iraqis and her rescue by US special forces became one of the great patriotic moments of the conflict.

But her story is one of the most stunning pieces of news management ever conceived.

Private Lynch, a 19-year-old army clerk from Palestine, West Virginia, was captured when her company took a wrong turning just outside Nasiriya and was ambushed.

Nine of her comrades were killed and Private Lynch was taken to the local hospital, which at the time was swarming with Fedayeen. Eight days later US special forces stormed the hospital, capturing the "dramatic" events on a night vision camera.

They were said to have come under fire from inside and outside the building, but they made it to Lynch and whisked her away by helicopter.

Reports claimed that she had stab and bullet wounds and that she had been slapped about on her hospital bed and interrogated.

But Iraqi doctors in Nasiriya say they provided the best treatment they could for the soldier in the midst of war. She was assigned the only specialist bed in the hospital and one of only two nurses on the floor.

"I examined her, I saw she had a broken arm, a broken thigh and a dislocated ankle," said Dr Harith a-Houssona, who looked after her.

"There was no [sign of] shooting, no bullet inside her body, no stab wound - only road traffic accident. They want to distort the picture. I don't know why they think there is some benefit in saying she has a bullet injury."

The article goes on to quote witnesses at the hospital saying how the rescue raiders attacked a soldier-less hospital, armed with blanks, and how, in actuality, the hospital had tried to give Lynch over to the Americans two days before the rescue, but had to abort because the troops opened fire on the ambulance. All this is part of a documentary called "War Spin" to be aired on BBC2 on May 18, 7.15 BST. Should be worth watching - wonder if BBC World is going to broadcast it?

I suppose it's better for all concerned that Lynch can't remember a thing now.

Comments

[missfairchild.livejournal.com]

A version of this has been splashed all over the Grauniad's G2 supplement today, and I intended to post a link to it for you (but then w*rk happened).

The original hoo-haa made me sick to the stomach, so am glad to see that some attempt has been made to redress the balance.

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

I want it on BBC America, dammit - my cable company doesn't have BBC World Service.

mebbe I should suggest it to them - I am an employee

[binkiegirl.livejournal.com]

I recall reading that the doctors at the hospital had been trying to "give her back" for days, but were meeting with resistance, then they had this terrorizing attack where they broke lots of stuff and snatched her from the very hands of evil....whatever.

Everything on US media is spin. Everything. I can't believe people are so shocked that this NYT reporter (for example) made up stories. Three Quarters of what we see/read/hear from news sources in the states is fabricated.

You know....taking a fighter jet to an aircraft carrier was $7 more expensive than a helicopter? Give. Me. A. Break.

[kaasirpent]

Only 3/4? You're being awfully magnanimous.

Re:

[binkiegirl.livejournal.com]

Well, you know...I try to be bipartisan ;)