Saving Private Lynch

London

The dramatic account of the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch in Iraq was faked by the U.S. military to turn her into a national hero, BBC News reported last week. The news network said its interviews with Iraqi civilians and doctors revealed that the commando operation was staged. No armed Iraqis guarded Lynch, and doctors treated her well; in fact, the BBC said, doctors had tried to return Lynch to American troops the day before, but the Americans opened fire on the ambulance carrying her, and it had to flee. The next day, U.S. troops swooped in, firing their weapons and shouting, “Go! Go! Go!” as video cameras rolled. The soldiers, Iraqis said, were firing blanks. “It was like a Hollywood film,” said Anmar Uday, an Iraqi doctor. Pentagon officials said the BBC report was “void of all facts and absolutely ridiculous.”