Some DUers can't let go of lying ex-marine

Is Jimmy Massey telling the truth about Iraq?

In scores of newspaper, magazine and broadcast stories, at a Canadian immigration hearing and in numerous speeches across the country, Massey has told how he and other Marines recklessly, sometimes intentionally, killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians.

Among his claims:

Marines fired on and killed peaceful Iraqi protesters.

Americans shot a 4-year-old Iraqi girl in the head.

A tractor-trailer was filled with the bodies of civilian men, women and children killed by American artillery.

...

Each of his claims is either demonstrably false or exaggerated - according to his fellow Marines, Massey's own admissions, and the five journalists who were embedded with Massey's unit, including a reporter and photographer from the Post-Dispatch and reporters from The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.

...

The details of Massey's stories changed repeatedly.

For example, he almost always told his audiences and interviewers of an event he said he'd never forget: Marines in his unit shooting four civilian Iraqis in red Kia automobile.

In some accounts, Massey said Marines fired at the vehicle after it failed to stop at a checkpoint. In another version, he said the Marines stormed the car.

Sometimes he said three of the men were killed immediately while the fourth was wounded and covered in blood; sometimes he said the fourth man was "miraculously unscathed."

Sometimes he said the Marines left the three men on the side of the road to die without medical treatment while the fourth man exclaimed: "Why did you shoot my brother?" In other versions, he said the man made the statement as medical personnel were attempting to treat the three other men, or as the survivor sat near the car, or to Massey personally.

...

In another story that Massey often tells, he and other Marines in his platoon fired upon a group of innocent demonstrators shortly after they arrived in Baghdad. Massey said that the demonstrators were protesting the Marines' presence, holding signs in English and Arabic.

The Marines heard a shot, Massey said, and in panic began firing into the demonstrators.

In some versions, the demonstrators were near a checkpoint. In other versions, they were outside a prison on a road about 200 meters away, or anywhere from 5 to 15 miles from Baghdad International Airport.

Massey told a version of the story before an immigration hearing in December in support of an American soldier trying to flee to Canada. Then, Massey said he and the Marines killed four of the demonstrators. In other interviews, he said the Marines shot at 10 demonstrators and killed all of them but one, whom he let crawl away.

Changing, unverifiable stories that are contradicted by many others. You'd think that'd be enough for everyone to condemn him as a liar.

Don't count on it.

Check out some responses to the story by members of the Democratic Underground forum:

Southsideirish
Sun Nov-06-05 06:29 PM
1. Surprise! Surprise! "Fellow Marines" disavow his comments!!


mirandapriestly
Sun Nov-06-05 06:31 PM
2. This line gave me a good laugh.
"The Marine Corps investigated Massey's claims and said they were "unsubstantiated"


BareNakedLiberal
Sun Nov-06-05 06:42 PM
3. It is good that he is out of the country
I am sure that he would be suicided here in the states.


shance
Sun Nov-06-05 06:53 PM
6. Blame the truth tellers. Continue the delusion and lies so people
can continue believing the delusion and lies, and continue to live in their superior, racist hallucination that all is well, that we are 'bringing Democracy' to other nations.


daleo
Sun Nov-06-05 07:09 PM
11. Bush and his troop are the real liars when it comes to Iraq
We know that. They waged aggressive war on a country based on lies. Everything else is distraction.

There are a few voices of reason, but they might be "moles" from the Conservative Underground forums.