thedrifter
07-30-03, 05:58 AM
A Casualty of Distinction
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Exclusive commentary by Thomas Guzman
Jul 28, 2003
The number of Iraq War casualties keep climbing. Here is the story of one such casualty.
President Bush had made his historic landing on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. The President posed for the cameras and claimed that victory had been achieved in Iraq. The truth of the matter was that to this soldier, the war was hardly over; it had simply morphed into a different phase of combat which was as deadly as ever, with very little cover.
His group had been taking sniper fire for several weeks. He was an Iraqi war veteran with considerable experience, a trained professional, respected by his team. The enemy however, just considered him to be a target, someone to be treated without respect or compassion.
He was performing a very unfamiliar and dangerous new task which had evolved as a result of the miscalculation and lack of proper planning by the administrations in Washington and 10 Downing Street. He lacked the proper training and mental where-with-all to perform his new task well. The combination of these deficiencies, in an otherwise, distinguished and highly trained professional, cost him his life.
The enemy had just discovered his presence. Then, they methodically tracked him down and isolated him from his group. The attack was unmerciful and unrelenting. Afterwards, he was left badly shaken, but otherwise appeared in tact. Time proved the opposite to be true. 24 hours later he bled out and died.
His body did not land on the torrid hot sands of Iraq itself, but had instead fallen on the soft grass, in the woods near his Oxfordshire home in England.
He was Dr. David Kelly, 59, a former United Nations weapons inspector who had advised the British Government on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Dr. Kelly was reported missing by his wife. His body was later found about 2 miles from his home. His body lay, on the crest of a hill near a copse, of ash and oak trees, where, according to the police, he apparently took some prescription pain killers and slit his left wrist.
The chain of events leading up to his death, are both outrageous and unnerving.
Andrew Gilligan, of the BBC had broken a story, a short time ago, referring to "senior and credible" intelligence services source, who stated that the Blair administration had modified a report on Iraq's WMD capabilities. The allegedly modified report, made the claim that not only did Iraq have Weapons of Mass Destruction, but that Iraq was now capable of launching these WMD's in 45 minutes.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw defended the inclusion of the 45 minute claim in the dossier and Tony Blair's director of communications, Allister Campbell, vehemently denied the accusation that the report was modified and demanded an apology from the BBC. Meanwhile, there was a furious manhunt by the British, for the "mole" that the BBC reporter, was using as his source.
It was known that as a former United Nations weapons inspector, Dr. Kelly was at odds with the statement made, by both George Bush and Blair, who claimed that two alleged mobile chemical weapons labs had been found. Dr. Kelly told the press, that he had examined the alleged labs in person and agreed with the Iraqi's explanation; the two vehicles were intended for the production of hydrogen to fill artillery balloons.
Kelly had also acknowledged that he had some conversations in the past with Andrew Gilligan. That was enough for the Ministry of Defense to publicly reveal, that an unnamed man had come forward which it believed was the "mole" behind Andrew Gilligan's disputed report, regarding the Iraq intelligence dossier.
Kelly had unwillingly been put under the spotlight as the alleged mole. He was put before a House of Commons committee, to deny he had told journalist Andrew Gilligan that the Government had 'sexed up' its crucial September dossier that made the case for war against Iraq.
Afterwards, he complained to his family about his distress. He was being publicly humiliated by the Ministry as they questioned him in connection to Gilligan's "mole".
On 15 July, Dr. Kelly was ordered to appear before Foreign Affairs Select Committee, where he faced an unrelenting barrage of questions. Kelly was alone in his defense. Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay aggressively taunting the scientist, "You've been thrown up to divert our probing. Have you ever felt like the fall guy? I mean, you've been set up, haven't you?'
The following day, he went before an even more formidable interrogation. Kelly was in a private session before the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Kelly took his life 24 hours after wards.
After consulting with Dr. Kelly's wife, the BBC publicly stated that Dr. Kelly had indeed been Gilligan's source.
Not all the casualties are in Iraq and the power to destroy people is not only the province of tyrants in remote parts of the world. The enemies are apparently amidst us and they are willing to destroy anyone in their desire to avoid either inquiry nor explanation.
http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_6227.shtml
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive commentary by Thomas Guzman
Jul 28, 2003
The number of Iraq War casualties keep climbing. Here is the story of one such casualty.
President Bush had made his historic landing on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. The President posed for the cameras and claimed that victory had been achieved in Iraq. The truth of the matter was that to this soldier, the war was hardly over; it had simply morphed into a different phase of combat which was as deadly as ever, with very little cover.
His group had been taking sniper fire for several weeks. He was an Iraqi war veteran with considerable experience, a trained professional, respected by his team. The enemy however, just considered him to be a target, someone to be treated without respect or compassion.
He was performing a very unfamiliar and dangerous new task which had evolved as a result of the miscalculation and lack of proper planning by the administrations in Washington and 10 Downing Street. He lacked the proper training and mental where-with-all to perform his new task well. The combination of these deficiencies, in an otherwise, distinguished and highly trained professional, cost him his life.
The enemy had just discovered his presence. Then, they methodically tracked him down and isolated him from his group. The attack was unmerciful and unrelenting. Afterwards, he was left badly shaken, but otherwise appeared in tact. Time proved the opposite to be true. 24 hours later he bled out and died.
His body did not land on the torrid hot sands of Iraq itself, but had instead fallen on the soft grass, in the woods near his Oxfordshire home in England.
He was Dr. David Kelly, 59, a former United Nations weapons inspector who had advised the British Government on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Dr. Kelly was reported missing by his wife. His body was later found about 2 miles from his home. His body lay, on the crest of a hill near a copse, of ash and oak trees, where, according to the police, he apparently took some prescription pain killers and slit his left wrist.
The chain of events leading up to his death, are both outrageous and unnerving.
Andrew Gilligan, of the BBC had broken a story, a short time ago, referring to "senior and credible" intelligence services source, who stated that the Blair administration had modified a report on Iraq's WMD capabilities. The allegedly modified report, made the claim that not only did Iraq have Weapons of Mass Destruction, but that Iraq was now capable of launching these WMD's in 45 minutes.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw defended the inclusion of the 45 minute claim in the dossier and Tony Blair's director of communications, Allister Campbell, vehemently denied the accusation that the report was modified and demanded an apology from the BBC. Meanwhile, there was a furious manhunt by the British, for the "mole" that the BBC reporter, was using as his source.
It was known that as a former United Nations weapons inspector, Dr. Kelly was at odds with the statement made, by both George Bush and Blair, who claimed that two alleged mobile chemical weapons labs had been found. Dr. Kelly told the press, that he had examined the alleged labs in person and agreed with the Iraqi's explanation; the two vehicles were intended for the production of hydrogen to fill artillery balloons.
Kelly had also acknowledged that he had some conversations in the past with Andrew Gilligan. That was enough for the Ministry of Defense to publicly reveal, that an unnamed man had come forward which it believed was the "mole" behind Andrew Gilligan's disputed report, regarding the Iraq intelligence dossier.
Kelly had unwillingly been put under the spotlight as the alleged mole. He was put before a House of Commons committee, to deny he had told journalist Andrew Gilligan that the Government had 'sexed up' its crucial September dossier that made the case for war against Iraq.
Afterwards, he complained to his family about his distress. He was being publicly humiliated by the Ministry as they questioned him in connection to Gilligan's "mole".
On 15 July, Dr. Kelly was ordered to appear before Foreign Affairs Select Committee, where he faced an unrelenting barrage of questions. Kelly was alone in his defense. Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay aggressively taunting the scientist, "You've been thrown up to divert our probing. Have you ever felt like the fall guy? I mean, you've been set up, haven't you?'
The following day, he went before an even more formidable interrogation. Kelly was in a private session before the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Kelly took his life 24 hours after wards.
After consulting with Dr. Kelly's wife, the BBC publicly stated that Dr. Kelly had indeed been Gilligan's source.
Not all the casualties are in Iraq and the power to destroy people is not only the province of tyrants in remote parts of the world. The enemies are apparently amidst us and they are willing to destroy anyone in their desire to avoid either inquiry nor explanation.
http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_6227.shtml
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: