I know this was a controversy not highlighted by too many news sources. I won't comment; decide for yourself.


Lynch informant makes first trip to West Virginia

By BRETT DUNLAP

CHARLESTON - When Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief first saw Jessica Lynch in an Iraqi hospital, he did not see an enemy soldier or an invader. He saw ''a child of God'' who needed his help.

The Iraqi lawyer, whose information helped lead U.S. soldiers to rescue the captured Wirt County resident, was in Charleston Friday during his first trip to the Mountain State to see the area where Lynch was from. He is scheduled to visit Wirt County Monday.

(AP on day of visit)

Al-Rehaief, his wife and young daughter wrapped up a four-day stay in West Virginia on Monday with a trip to Wirt County that included a stop at the Palestine Post Office, where a peace garden was planted in his honor last spring. ...

Al-Rehaief was given a plastic-wrapped commemorative envelope with a Purple Heart stamp issued earlier this year by the U.S. Postal Service. Similar envelopes, with the stamp's cancellation saying, "Jessica Lynch Station, Palestine, WV," were sold during Lynch's homecoming in July.

He also was given a souvenir crock and a jar of homemade apple butter. ...

Al-Rehaief next visited the high school, Lynch's alma mater, where he was named an honorary West Virginian. However, al-Rehaief did not meet with Lynch during the trip. [!]

"I hope to meet her soon, but to meet you is enough for me," he told the crowd.

The Lynch family's attorney, Stephen Goodwin, said Friday that the 20-year-old former Army supply clerk was too busy to meet with al-Rehaief because she is still going to rehabilitation five days a week and is dealing with commitments related to her book's upcoming release.

Keep in mind the visit happened Oct. 24.

I agree wholeheartedly.
Yes, but there is a distinct difference between questioning someone privately, and questioning them publicly. You have publicly suggested that this person, who has shown incredible strength of character, is motivated only by greed. You then offered only ambiguous commentary on your own views. Such questioning is akin to outright accusation, and if you don't appreciate that, then you don't quite grasp some important concepts of communication.

This is true in the same manner that I would be an ass if I asked "Was Hitler evil, or just a misunderstood savior?" Not to the same degree, obviously, but I exaggerate to illustrate the point. Publicly posing a question contrary to the common view suggests that I hold that contrary opinion, unless of course I state otherwise. Hitler was evil, and publicly suggesting otherwise would make me an ass. Jessica Lynch is not behaving like a greedy person, and suggesting otherwise makes you an ass.

For the record, I appreciate the irony in the fact that I am being an ass while suggesting that you are an ass. But that doesn't make me wrong.

...Also for the record, I acknowledge that it is your right to hold opinions that cause me to think you are being an ass. There's obviously no absolute right or wrong here.

I don't hate her. But I do hate celebrities. Someone pointed out something about sports stars them being fake and all that yeah thats true. I don't see the point of her name being EVERY WHERE! Ok she was POW leave it alone. If they made a story about every POW that would take forever. I think they did it just because shes a girl.

Not a hero, not greedy, just a victim trying to get something out of a very raw deal.

What you think of her makes every bit of difference to the discussion. Discussion is largely about sharing opinions. If all we did was toss around facts and no opinions, discussions would be about as interesting as Barry Manilow on Valium.
If you re-read my original post, you might note that the fact that I thought you were being an ass was very much a seondary point to the rest of the comment. It just so happens that you chose to respond only to that secondary point. You never responded to the main thrust of my post. Besides, it is an opinion, and opinions definitely contribute to the discussion. I shared the Ass comment as a device to indicate how powerfully I disagreed with the stance which it appeared that you were taking.

Incidentally, I don't think that you, as a person, are an ass; but in suggesting what you did, your behavior was ass-like (in my opinion). I know from previous posts you've made that you are thoughful and intelligent, but I also know that everyone is capable of being an ass from time to time, even if by accident. I demonstrate this ability frequently.

And white, and anglo, and pretty.

Look at what happened to her buddies Lori Piestewa and Shoshana Johnson.

She may be taking the military to task, but is she taking NBC to task? She can't make time to visit the guy that ultimately was responsible for saving her life because she has commitments to her book? Please. I don't see strength of character there.


While I appreciate that she joined the military, and that she put her ass on the line for her country (and indirectly me), that does not automatically equal hero.
The guy that threw a grenade into his CO's tent was in the military, too. Is he a hero?
That bacon from the other thread...he was in the military too. That make him a hero?
Dubya was in the military. That make him a hero?
My exhusband has been in the military for damn near 20 years. That make him a hero?
My nephew is in the Marines and was in one of the units that entered Baghdad that day. He was in one of the units that Oliver North was embedded in. Is my nephew a hero?

No.


The best she can come up with is "I don't remember." She's not out there on CNN saying, "You know Bill, I'm not a hero, and to be honest, I don't want the attention. I want to go home, do my physical therapy, walk again, and live the rest of my life in peace in West Virginia. I'm no different than any other man or woman that was over there."

If she was doing that, I'd have no problems with her. But she's not. She's busy with her new book. The one, presumably, that says she was raped. When all the doctors say she wasn't. She has a lawyer. Why isn't she issuing statements through him? Why isn't she prosecuting the jerk that said she was raped? She isn't out there defending her ...I don't know what to call it... non-hero-ness. Where's the strength in character in that? To stand up and say to the world, "I'm not a hero. I wasn't raped. I wish this would all end." THAT is character. But she's not doing that. Bet she'll be at the book signing, tho.

Look. I respect she got injured in a war waged by our country. She may not be a Greedy American, I'm still not convinced. But to me, she CERTAINLY isn't a hero.

Edit: I'm interested in her statements to Diane Sawyer. We'll see what she says and what kind of character she shows. I'd sincerely like to be able to say, "PFC Lynch is not taking advantage of her horrible ordeal." I really would.

What if she, gasp, <b>can't fucking remember?</b> I love all you people that second guess everyone to sound all fucking smart. Look, take a fucking hike. You and a few other assholes have next to nothing good to say, while slinging allegations that she's a liar or that "I don't remember" isn't good enough. Doctors have explained that the chances of her remembering are not very good, and that's not good enough for you. Okay. It was fun having you. Find another board.

Again, I fail to see how she's obligated to do <b>any</b> of this.

Not <b>all</b> the doctors. Some doctors. That weren't looking for signs of sexual abuse. They can't possibly know what did or did not happen to her before she got there. I have no idea whether or not she was raped; I just know that, right now, it's impossible to say either way. In other words, stuff it.

Why dontcha try reading some time? She's said that she doesn't consider herself a hero, that other people who have risked their lives are the actual heroes. She can't say for sure whether or not she was raped, so why the fuck would she say that she wasn't? She hasn't been out there saying "I was raped" either. Are you fucking retarded? Do you read anything other than the bullshit that other retards are spewing?

What? This is practically ALL she is saying. Did you miss the headlines that said, "Jessica Lynch: I Am Not A Hero"?

She says she's not a hero, she didn't shoot or kill or even fight.

"My weapon did jam and I did not shoot, not a round, nothing," Lynch tells Sawyer. "I'm not about to take credit for ... something that I didn't do. But that may have been Lori (Piestewa) that fought fiercely till her death. You know, that may have been her. But that wasn't me, and I'm not taking credit for it.''

And meanwhile her
gung-ho brother is being shipped out, but she says: