An Open Letter To Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
Dear Mr. Kucinich, with all due respect, would you kindly consider shutting your fucking pie hole. I understand you opposed the war in Iraq, and I further understand that you have aspirations to be President yourself (good luck with that), but to use the raid that rescued Pfc. Lynch as your own own personal political tool to gain a little attention demeans yourself and your position as a U.S. Representative.
Yes, I know that conspiracy theorists and huffy media outlets like the BBC would like to portray the raid as "fake" or "staged," and they can come up with any number of ass-backwards facts to support their case, but I think the facts thus far clearly show that, although the military may have used edited footage of the raid as a PR piece, the raid itself was very real.
I see, Mr. Kucinich, that you want the Defense Department on to release unedited footage of the raid and to answer questions about Pfc. Lynch's injuries. Well, I thought I'd save the Defense Department some precious time and answer your questions myself. Hope you don't mind.
Did U.S. troops encounter any Iraqi forces in the hospital?
Irrelevent. Nasiriyah, at that time, was far from under coalition control. Perhaps you, Mr. Kucinich, would have felt confident entering the hospital unarmed and simply asking hospital workers if they had seen a stray U.S. Pfc. laying around somewhere, but given the fact that the hospital was used as a fedayeen paramilitary headquarters just days before, I think a forceful raid was justified whether they encountered Iraqi forces or not. Oh, and by the way, The Defense Department admitted early on that they encountered no resistance in the raid, so what's the point of asking this again? Oh, right, publicity.
Were U.S. troops fired upon during the rescue operation?
Again, irrelevent. However, the troops did take enemy fire prior to entering the hospital, so it stands to reason that they were expecting resistence inside the building as well. As for any use of force, the raid employed the use of flash bangs which, though they are loud and bright and probably stunned more than a couple workers, they hardly constitute an undue use of force, given the situation.
Did U.S. troops have information suggesting that Iraqi forces had abandoned the hospital?
Yet once again, irrelevent. Would it make a difference to you if intelligence indicated a fedayeen headquarters two days prior or two hours prior? Would you not employ the same precautions and tactics either way? Mr. Kucinich, I can only say that I'm happy as hell you weren't in command of any actions during this war, because you would have been crying in the sand demanding exact up-to-the-second intelligence before taking any sort of action. And, in the chaotic and ever changing nature of war, that's not a luxury commanders have in abundance. Sometimes, two day old intelligence is the best they have to go on, no matter the technology or sophistication.
Did Lynch sustain any gunshot or knife wounds?
Everyone together now. . . irrelevent! All indications pretty much show that Pfc. Lynch was neither shot nor stabbed, but at the time of the raid, how the hell was anyone supposed to know that? Now, of course, we know with some degree of certainty that she suffered a head wound, an injury to her back, and multiple fractures to her arms, legs, and her right foot and ankle. Bullet wounds or no, stab wounds or no, this girl wasn't going anywhere without help. Oh, and lets not forget the bodies of unit comrades also found in the hospital who DEFINITELY had bullet wounds. Perhaps you'd like to switch places with Pfc. Lynch, Mr. Kucinich. I'm sure she'd like the opportunity as well.
Did U.S. officials have information suggesting that hospital staff were trying to deliver Lynch to American forces?
Ah, yes, the stickler. The big kahuna question. The thing that makes you go "hmmmmm." Well, not really. Listen, in war, you're going to get conflicting intelligence on just about everything. But, let's pretend intelligence dropped on central command's desk indicating that hospital staff was trying to deliver Lynch to American forces. How much credibility would you give to the report? Would you throw up your hands and thank the powers that be for such a great gift and then go sit out on the front steps smoking a cigarette awaiting the delivery of Pfc. Lynch? Or, would you opt to put things in the hands of coalition forces specifically trained to carry out a rescue mission? And, really, how do you know that the information is not, in fact, misinformation sent out so coalition forces would allow an ambulance loaded with high explosives to park itself right in the middle of a Red Cross facility and detonate?
Did U.S. forces fire at ambulances?
See answer to above question. In a country where you had Baghdad Bob promising unconventional attacks, and where you had a pregnant woman blowing up in the name of martyrdom for her and her unborn child, I, too, would tend to err on the side of caution when an "ambulance" nears a checkpoint, particularly in an unsecure war zone such as Nasiriyah. But, hey, if it would rest your moral nerves to go up to every truck coming at you and ask if they're carrying a wounded U.S. Pfc., you go right ahead. I'll be right behind you, behind a bunker, with my fingers in my ears.
Thank you for your time.
Posted by Ryan at June 4, 2003 10:43 AM
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