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Pentagon calls BBC's Lynch allegations 'ridiculous'

The BBC report quoted witnesses and hospital officials as stating the United States knew that there were no Iraqi forces at the hospital when it conducted the commando raid, and that the United States special operations forces had used Hollywood theatrics, including blank ammunition, to make a show of rescuing private Lynch.

When will all of this nonsense end? It seems that the BBC would have us believe that the entire Jessica Lynch rescue operation was a farce. While when people hear words and phrases like Commando Raid, Ranger, SEAL, Special Forces, Delta Force, Covert, and Marine they tend to think of the melodramatic Chuck Norris or Sly Stallone type action. In all actuality this was indeed a commando raid. Meaning that specially trained infantry were used to get in and get out quickly. Additionally, this was a rescue, regardless of whether there was nobody there or not, we reaquired our personnel from foriegn nationals or from hostile forces. I am willing to bet that any of the soldiers that participated in this raid were quite GLAD that there was no opposition, but how could we KNOW that there was nobody there. We can say what we want about Army Intelligence, but any military person knows that within 10 minutes time your sitrep (situation report) could be completely changed.

I know that sea stories are often told by our troops, but I do have to admit our media has tried to ham things up a little bit. War is such a dramatic and traumatic experience that factual documentation could be gut-wrenching enough. I myself, was leary of the original reports of Jessica Lynch killing several Iraqi soldiers, expending all of her ammo, and being stabbed before taken into enemy custody. Though that could have been a sea story, that could have very well been the media. Some people have no problems embellishing or outright lying about events.

No matter what, I hope that this media circus rolls up its tents and drives out of town very soon. While Jessica Lynch may not be an Audie Murphy, she most certainly is a survivor of the truest sense. She was witness to a harrowing ambush in which many of her comrades were killed. That is drama enough for me......

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