SAVING PRIVATE LYNCH

or How every U.S. war needs a Hollywood Hero

Review by Ian Antius--In another case of life imitating art, like the 1998 film "Wag the Dog," the U.S. military stages the "rescue" of Private Jessica Lynch, all-American soldier, to create their much-needed war hero. Unlike the film, this fantasy will not end after 2 hours-it will go on and on, deluding people about the real nature of this occupation.

Reported throughout Europe and Great Britain, yet strangely ignored by the U.S. press, the real story is somewhat of a shocker. According to a BBC investigation, most of the "official" U.S. story about her capture and subsequent "rescue" are not true. "Her story is one of the most stunning pieces of news management ever conceived," the BBC concluded-the polite British way of saying "liar, liar, pants on fire."

Unlike the U.S. claim, she was not wounded by gunfire but in a vehicle overturning. Her captors took her to an Iraqi hospital where she was cared for and her injuries treated. She was in no way mistreated and in fact, several days before her staged rescue, a doctor smuggled her into an ambulance and tried to return her to the U.S. military, but was shot at by U.S. forces and forced to return to the hospital.

"We were surprised," Dr. Anmar Uday told the BBC about the supposed rescue. "There was no military, there were no soldiers in the hospital. It was like a Hollywood film. [The U.S. forces] cried 'Go, go, go,' with guns and blanks without bullets, blanks and the sound of explosions," Uday said. "They made a show for the American attack on the hospital-[like] action movies [starring] Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan."

The sad thing is the number of people in this country willing to believe this fabrication, much like they believe the fabrication of the link between Sept. 11th and Iraq. Of course, it does not hurt the Bush administration that the U.S. press is "in bed" with the military. The talking heads regurgitate what they are fed upon command.