After a thorough investigation that lasted nearly a week the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division has concluded that the allegation(s) made by Private Thomas Scott Beauchamp, the Baghdad Diarist, have been
refuted by members of his platoon and proven to be false
The official investigation the 4th IBCT Public Affairs Office qualified as thorough and professional concluded late August 1st. Officials would not speculate on the possibility of further action against Private Beauchamp, nor would they confirm his current whereabouts or status. I would recomend drawing and quartering in this case.
He should be discharged dishonorably; he should stand before his compatriots, have the buttons velcro cut from his uniform, and be made to walk between two files of his compatriots out the front gate of the camp.
#1
...and be made to walk between two files of his compatriots out the front gate of the camp.
By "camp" I hope you had in mind that he walk out the gate of FOB Falcon onto the friendly streets of Baghdad.
Matt Sanchez -- a Marine Reservist, resently in Iraq interviewing the troops (not on active duty)
After a thorough investigation that lasted nearly a week the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division has concluded that the allegation made by Private Thomas Scott Beauchamp, the "Baghdad Diarist", have been "refuted by members of his platoon and proven to be false"
The official investigation the 4th IBCT Public Affairs Office qualified as "thorough and professional" concluded late August 1st. Officials would not speculate on the possibility of further action against Private Beauchamp, nor would they confirm his current whereabouts or status.
Sergeant First Class Robert Timmons, the acting public affairs official of the 4th IBCT, 1st ID, in the absence of Major Luke Luedeke, remarked that despite the high level of attention this case received in the American media, soldiers at the 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div, a "surge" Brigade, have not been distracted from their missions.
In the month of July, Operation Dragon Hammer resulted in the capture of over 110 detainees and "no mission has been delayed or adversely effected by the investigation into Private Beauchamp's allegations of misconduct among the soldiers of his unit the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment", said Timmons.
The 4th IBCT, 1st ID Area of Operations, Rasheed District in Western Baghdad is one of the toughest and most violent districts in the Iraqi capital.
#1
To the nutroots types, this just means that the Army is covering up what really happened. And they are now silencing a brave soul who dared to speak lies truth to power.
#2
Today Jimmy's World is just SOP for the MSM. Once they had some sprinkling of shame for fraud. Now, it's all about the narrative, never about the facts.
#4
I am going to bet that Pvt Beauchamp spendsthe later partof his tour fighting urine stains or litter and not the enemy. How could you trust him on your squad? Maybe they could make a fire team composed of this yahoo, Lt Watada, and some of the other wankers/whiners and see how well they do.
Posted by: Army Life ||
08/03/2007 20:27 Comments ||
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#8
More importantly, when is this turd going to be court martialed? When is The New Republic going to publish a front page retraction? WHEN AM I GOING TO GET MY FORTY ACRES AND A MULE PONY?!?
John Wroblewski's son was killed in Ramadi in 2004. Now, he says, the U.S. should focus on winning the war.
By Kevin Ferris, Inquirer Commentary Page Editor
John Wroblewski suggests Congress stop all the talk about leaving Iraq in 60 days, or 90 days, or 120 days. Instead, what the country needs, he says, is "more discussion about victory and how we're going to win."
What he seeks is leadership. Courage, to stand up to a relentless, smart and brutal enemy. Patience, to see the nation through the inevitable dark days. Strength, to set priorities and see them through.
Wroblewski sees these characteristics in those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, young men and women he considers heroes. Is it too much to ask the same of those who sent those troops into combat?
The high school athletic director from Jefferson Township, N.J., is unapologetic in his support for the war and those fighting it - "You can't separate the troops and the mission," he says.
Often, he says, the news out of Washington makes you "grit your teeth." Worse are declarations that the war is lost. "When [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid said that, it just turned my stomach," Wroblewski says. "How can a leader of this country, when we have men on the battlefield, and we've shed the blood of our sons and daughters, how can he say we've lost?" he asks.
So Wroblewski speaks out. He calls in frequently to talk-radio programs. He campaigned against antiwar congressman John P. Murtha (D., Pa.) last year. He and his wife, Shawn, were among the counterprotesters facing off against Cindy Sheehan two years ago near President Bush's ranch. He's told the president to his face - twice - how important it is that the United States complete the mission in Iraq.
The Wroblewskis understand the cost of war. The oldest of their four sons, Marine 2d Lt. John Thomas Wroblewski - "JT" to his family, "Lt. Ski" to his men - was killed in a Ramadi ambush on April 6, 2004. He'd enlisted only weeks after Sept. 11 and had been in Iraq for a little more than a month when he was shot.
Wonder if MoDo believes JT's mother has 'absolute moral authority'?
"He just loved being in the Marines," his mom says. "Even if he could come back now and stand in front of us, knowing all the heartache, he'd say: 'Suck it up. I'm doing it again.' "
It was a running joke between them. If he caught her crying over a TV show, he'd roll his eyes and say: "Mom, come on, suck it up."
Even with all that heartache, the Wroblewskis are resolute about finishing the job. "Do people really think that if we pull out, the terrorists will say: 'We're going to leave you alone now,'?" John asks.
He was encouraged by this week's New York Times commentary "A War We Just Might Win," by two Brookings Institution scholars, Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack, who have been critical of the conduct of the war. Wroblewski hopes the article helps others see what he's always believed: U.S. forces are making a positive difference on the ground and can win this war.
Wroblewski saw the troops in action when he traveled to Iraq earlier this year. He had hoped to see the Ramadi street where his son was fatally wounded. On that spot, he wanted to place a stone from the family's yard and a New Jersey quarter. Though he never made it into the city, he passed the stone to a journalist who, in turn, gave it to a chaplain. The Wroblewskis later learned that the stone sits on the windowsill of a government building near where JT was hit.
While in Iraq, Wroblewski was impressed by the morale of the troops he met, even many who recently had their deployments extended. "They were disappointed," Wroblewski says, "but still believed that they had to get the job done."
Those troops and others, especially the Marines who served under JT and stay in touch with his family, inspire the Wroblewskis. Other families of the fallen sustain them.
And, in one place, they have found the wartime leadership the times demand: the White House. They have met the president three times, twice with other families and, on June 12, privately. When Bush said there were others there they should meet, Shawn was sure (hoping, actually) he meant Laura Bush, but she had to settle for the vice president, the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Though the settings for these meetings are grand, intimacy comes quickly, as family memories are shared, tears are shed, and hugs freely given. The determination to finish the mission that JT and others have died for is made clear.
Many do not share that determination. But the Wroblewskis are hopeful - that Congress can show the patience that John witnessed in Iraq, the strength the family felt in the Oval Office, and the courage that comes with every memory of their son.
Posted by: DanNY ||
08/03/2007 06:09 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
Too bad we can't exchange politicians for soldiers for a tour of duty.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/03/2007 6:21 Comments ||
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#2
Wow. Clearly the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial staff has a strong point of view.
#4
John Wroblewski understands the nature of war and this war. Do it to win. Now, how is his view communicated to politicians such as Pelosi, Reid, etc.?
#5
Agreed, TW. I'm almost beginning to wonder if the Brookings Institute column in the NY Times was a "tipping point" for the media. Not that they've suddenly "got religion," but that the writing's on the wall (we're staying 'til we win) and they want to be *out front* of the good news when it happens.
But, then, I remember it's all about Bush with the MSM and I sigh.
Posted by: BA ||
08/03/2007 11:22 Comments ||
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#6
I am a strong supporter of both intervention and the September deadline for progress. Baghdad could be pacified by booting the Shiites out of the south Tigris area, while leaving north river sunnis to their fate. If the leadership won't come to its senses by September, then they never will.
As it is, the finest US troops are re-fighting Clinton's Kosovo madness.
#7
ION, REAL CLEAR POLITICS > IRAN - Young man searching for a lost puppy is reportedly arrested and charged wid "Moral Corruption"; + Washington police and authorities are reportedly prepping ["just in case"/precaution?] due to intel or info recvd about possible AQ Terror attack on the US Congress bwtn now and 9/11/2007.
#8
I think the Brookings column could have been a goad to the rest of Big Media and to the Dems as well: we've seen what's going on, and you really, really don't want to be on the wrong side of a win.
The claim that Hamas was unconnected with Johnstons kidnappers is wrong. The evidence points instead to an elaborate piece of manipulation, with Hamas using the kidnap to open a line of communication with Britain (as its Gaza leader, Ismail Haniyeh, boasted last week).
The government not only sanctioned an informal visit to Britain by a senior Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad, but the UK Consul-General in Jerusalem, Richard Makepeace, met Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza to ask for his help in freeing Johnston.
In doing so, the Western embargo on contact with Hamas was broken an important step in Hamass strategy of gaining international legitimacy, and integral to its plan to undermine Mahmoud Abbas, take over the West Bank and further its goal of Islamising the region.
Qu'elle surprise!
It was Hamas which had everything to gain from the ordeal of Alan Johnston, its friend whom the BBC was about to transfer out of Gaza anyway and its strategy has worked brilliantly. Not only did it open communication with Britain, but the idea of negotiating with Hamas is now gaining traction fast on both sides of the Atlantic.
This agenda is being pushed by organisations such as Conflicts Forum, whose director Alastair Crooke is now a constant media presence. Material posted on the Conflicts Forum website whose slogan is Listening to Political Islam, Recognising Resistance openly promotes Hamas itself.
Recognizing resistance = Recognizing terrorism. At least Crooke's last name is pronounced properly. It is these Western facilitators of Islamic terrorism that represent a threat almost equal in significance to that of Islam itself. I am almost obliged to agree with those who maintain that such enablers are even more dangerous and a greater enemy. If it were not Islam, most likely these same useful idiots would find another equally seditious and violent cause to further. It is only Islam's incredibly craptacular evilness that makes me continue to think otherwise.
While there are undoubt-edly differences between them, the Islamists form an unbroken continuum of fanatical religious war against the West. Their strategy involves both terrorism and non-violent cultural aggression a fact the establishment, obsessed by its belief in divide and rule, refuses to grasp.
Yo, George! Are you paying attention to any of this?
Secular Arab states, horrified by the collapse of nerve in the one power which might save them from the Islamists, are now looking for deals with radical Sunnis to counter the greater threat of Shiite Iran. The emerging EU/American strategy is to help that process, gambling that the Sunni Islamists will fight the Shiites rather than topple secular Arab governments. The wooing of Sunni Hamas is the Wests opening gambit.
This strategy is lethally ill-judged. It fails to recognise that, despite all the splits between Islamist factions, they are united by a common project of Islamising the world. The most likely outcome of this suicidal Western approach will be the further radicalisation of Arab and Muslim society, the toppling by Islamists of secular Arab regimes and a strengthening of the global jihad.
Yo, George! Any of this getting through your thick skull?
This most dangerous development has been given an enormous boost by the way the Johnston kidnap has been manipulated no small thanks to the BBC itself.
The BBC needs to be torn limb from limb with its entire staff fired then arrested tried and convicted for high treason.
#2
"You know, we're sitting on 4 million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 200,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?"
#4
The story of astronauts getting sloshed before being rocketed into space reminded me of this old Hollywood Squares exchange: Peter Marshall: If you're going to make a parachute jump, you should be at least how high?
Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
After a thorough investigation that lasted nearly a week the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division has concluded that the allegation(s) made by Private Thomas Scott Beauchamp, the Baghdad Diarist, have been
