If you haven’t watched the video of the Army Ranger accusing the US of committing war crimes in Iraq, don’t waste your time. It’s a complete fraud. Jessie Macbeth is not an Army Ranger. He’s not even a very good fake.
What kind of sick bastard pretends to be an Army Ranger just to dishonor them? I’d love to know the real name of the guy in the video. I think he and whoever else was involved with producing the video should at least be sued for defamation of character on behalf of all Army Rangers.
Here’s Jessie Macbeth’s Ranger picture.
Here are the two type of sleeve rolls used by the US military.
On the left is the sleeve roll style used by the Navy and Marine Corps. No one in the Army would ever roll their sleeves like this under any circumstance, especially if they’re going to be photographed posing in front of the flag for an official photo.
On the right is the way the Army and Air Force roll their sleeves. You can’t possibly mistake one for the other and the sleeves are rolled in such a different way that you couldn’t accidentally roll your sleeves wrong. But even if you did, someone would say something to you. You can’t walk around on base wearing the uniform improperly without someone saying something to you.
I used my uniform in this picture. I was in the Marine Corps for four years and I’ve been in the Wisconsin Air National Guard since 2001, so I know how to roll both ways. And don’t tell me the rolls are sloppy. I know they are. If I was going to actually get in uniform, I would make the rolls much tighter and neat.
There’s more details that prove Macbeth is a fraud, but I’m not going to cover them all. Uncle Jimbo already did that, so check it out.
The anti-war crowd is desperate for someone in the military to say what they want to hear, but so far they’ve come up empty handed. Their first attempt, Jimmy Massey was at least actually in the military. However everything he said was a complete lie. Of course Massey and the rest of anti-war movement refuse to admit he lied. But what good is just one guy that says the military is committing war crimes in Iraq? They need more. After all, over a hundred thousand military members have served in Iraq and they can only get one to say what they want to hear. Apparently they couldn’t wait for the real thing, so they had to manufacture Jessie Macbeth. That’s really pathetic. And then to produce such an easily debunked video is just hilarious. The people that made the video know absolutely nothing about the military.
Yeah,
Boy it was fun watching everyone pummel this vermin. It’s hard out here for a poseur.
I am trying to gen up a Mad City based Blogger’s ball. I will advise if I can get the corporate masters free up any funding.
Cordially,
Uncle J
Comment by Uncle Jimbo — Tuesday 23 May, 2006 @ 14:17
A Mad Bloggers Ball would be sweet. It could be an annual event. I don’t like AT&T, but they’re trying to push into the blogging market and they are a major advertiser at Madison.com. You might be able to get them to host the event.
I can’t believe there are still some people trying to defend this fraud. The sleeves in the picture seal it for me. I know for a fact that no one in the Army would ever wear their sleeves like that for an official picture (or any other time for that matter). Just like I would have never rolled my sleeves like the Army when I was in the Marine Corps. That are absolute truths and some people just can’t wrap their heads around that.
Comment by Steven A. Stehling — Tuesday 23 May, 2006 @ 21:40
“The anti-war crowd is desperate for someone in the military to say what they want to hear, but so far they’ve come up empty handed.”
I suppose the following news can only support that contention, strongly reinforcing the notion that ONLY unshakeable integrity prevails within the Corps as well. Semper Fi:
Military Expected to Report Marines Killed Iraqi Civilians
A military investigation into the deaths of two dozen Iraqis last November is expected to find that a small number of marines in western Iraq carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of civilians, Congressional, military and Pentagon officials said Thursday.
Two lawyers involved in discussions about individual marines’ defenses said they thought the investigation could result in charges of murder, a capital offense. That possibility and the emerging details of the killings have raised fears that the incident could be the gravest case involving misconduct by American ground forces in Iraq.
Officials briefed on preliminary results of the inquiry said the civilians killed at Haditha, a lawless, insurgent-plagued city deep in Sunni-dominated Anbar Province, did not die from a makeshift bomb, as the military first reported, or in cross-fire between marines and attackers, as was later announced. A separate inquiry has begun to find whether the events were deliberately covered up.
Evidence indicates that the civilians were killed during a sustained sweep by a small group of marines that lasted three to five hours and included shootings of five men standing near a taxi at a checkpoint, and killings inside at least two homes that included women and children …
Comment by Nemo — Friday 26 May, 2006 @ 20:41
Three important things.
1. The Marine Corps is not trying to cover up the incident.
2. It was a small group of Marines acting improperly in violation of standing orders and the rules of engagement.
3. The Marines in question are being throughly investigated and will face serious criminal charges if it is found they acted improperly.
The anti-war crowd has been claiming that atrocities are being covered up. This incident, while completely unacceptable, proves that the military is not covering up war crimes and will investigate alleged incidents. And also important, they inform the public when they’re investigating an incident.
Comment by Steven A. Stehling — Saturday 27 May, 2006 @ 4:40
“The anti-war crowd has been claiming that atrocities are being covered up. This incident, while completely unacceptable, proves that the military is not covering up war crimes and will investigate alleged incidents.”
To the contrary — in this case, it is certain *military* commanders (of the non-GAGA persuasion), the press, and members of the Congress who are all attesting to *genuine* atrocities in Iraq — not the first, certainly — that are coupled with the strong likelihood of an official cover-up. (The investigation of that particular aspect is yet to begin, according to the article, but it certainly doesn’t *look* good from the history of bogus “explanations” floated to the press.)
And proving a negative is a logical impossibility. All that can be deduced from this case is that this particular incident *is* being investigated; others have not been. Moreover, this sweeping generalization tactic of lashing out, a la “straw man”, at “the anti-war crowd” — as if it spoke in all one voice — for releases of information outside its control really doesn’t dignify your arguments in the least. (Need I even *ask* if you could produce a single reliable news item purportedly quoting “the anti-war crowd”, en masse?) Yes, I know we all do it from time to time. But let’s deal with the facts here, and leave the sweeping innuendo aside for now, shall we? Very little of either of these somewhat similar reports can be rationally attributed to “the anti-war crowd”, insofar as I can see.
However, there are abundant examples of such officially suppressed atrocities, large and small, throughout military history. And the US is hardly immune to such accusations. (Think Vietnam — My Lai, Tiger Force Platoon, and Operation Phoenix, to name just a few sordid examples. “Ears, anyone?”) Yes, I know — My Lai was eventually rendered a “show trial”; but the Pentagon refused to open any investigation of Tiger Force’s atrocities when they were finally revealed, and Operation Phoenix was of course officially sanctioned “US policy”.
Responding to your itemized list:
1) The Corps, or elements of its chain of command, may very well have been directly involved in the initial cover-up. The military quite typically “takes care of its own”, unless willful insubordination is involved And it’s illogical to insist that “couldn’t” be the case when that part of the investigation is not even underway yet.
2) So what? In this particular case, there were indeed about a dozen Marines (according to the reports) run amok under a Staff Sergeant’s authority, possibly even *following* his orders. In the case of Tiger Force, it was the better part of a platoon. At My Lai, it was a whole damn company, if I recall correctly. But an atrocity is an atrocity is an atrocity. And this is but one of many. If I could cite you an example of, say, an entire Division that went on a rampage, what difference would it make? You could still always say that it was “only” a Division acting in violation of “the rules of engagement” and therefore “not representative of the military as a whole”, and make no real point. What is, is! Atrocities have occurred, they are frequently covered up, and the system, as it is, readily facilitates such abuses, UCMJ notwithstanding.
3) That remains to be seen. Yes, they’re now being investigated, but the notion that “justice will prevail” ultimately is nothing more than an assertion of personal belief — one that is rather at odds with history. There have been many such war crimes incidents where justice was *never* served, due strictly to “political” considerations. Going all the way back now to the final days of World War II, a good many Axis war criminals (and possible war criminals) were simply *recruited* after the fact by the US government and granted full amnesty, simply because they “could be of use”. That, of course, was “Operation Paperclip”. Our own potential war criminals in that conflict were simply never brought to trial — “victors’ justice”. (Try as I may, I can’t recall offhand the name of the General who oversaw the US bombing campaigns, including the fire bombings of entire cities and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But he later openly admitted that, had things turned out differently, he and the others in charge would very likely have been indicted for war crimes or crimes against humanity.)
To cite a much more recent example, following the Palestine Hotel shelling (during the early occupation of Baghdad) — in which civilian journalists were killed in what was purportedly a known “no fire” zone — CentCom spokesman General Vincent Brooks issued the “standard disclaimer” that the incident would be thoroughly investigated. But as a fellow commander later revealed, NO such investigation was ever undertaken. (Moral: Don’t believe everything you hear.)
Jesse Macbeth’s assertions are but one symptom of a wider “disease”. If it ultimately turns out that his statements are indeed fraudulent, that won’t change by one iota the ugly realities of war, as the contemporaneous revelation regarding Haditha makes abundantly clear. If you personally have never been involved in any such questionable incident — and it’s conceivably somewhat difficult to do (or perhaps realize) in the capacity of an Artilleryman — consider yourself blessed. But remember, having served in Iraq does not convey the omniscience of having served in ALL of Iraq, at ALL times, in ALL capacities. Each of us has only an exceedingly narrow perspective of our world, limited primarily to our own experiences. And we cannot meaningfully refute broader, more painful allegations via personal experience and beliefs alone.
Comment by Nemo — Sunday 28 May, 2006 @ 3:20
It is a fake, as a cadet in both ROTC and Civil Air Patrol, and with an uncle who served in Vietnam, thats fake, not only is the sleeve roll wrong, but it’s not even an Army Beret, The Berets the Airborne wear are
Maroon/Red, I know this because I’ve talked to Airborne Rangers when I work security at airshows with the C.A.P.
Comment by RtG_BLACK_OPS — Sunday 28 October, 2007 @ 13:09
It is a Fake no Doubt. I served 8 years under the 75th…For all you who are not aware the 75th is a Ranger unit and I for one would personaly Love to get my hands on a punk like that and show him what a real Ranger is.
Comment by SFC_Evener — Sunday 4 November, 2007 @ 0:34
i personally would love to get my hands on this little punk!! for one his sleeves are def rolled wrong, the roll on his baret is on the wrong side of his head too. and who ever said thats not an army baret it is its just on the wrong side, rangers wear tan barets just so you know, regular airborne wear maroon. you obviously weren’t talking to any rangers then. the last thing i would like to say is that his uniform looks like shit its not pressed, he doesnt have any insignia either, army rangers are known for thier neatness of dress. thats how i know for a fact his def not a U.S Army ranger. that guy needs to be found and prossicuted for fraud!!
Comment by CSM — Thursday 24 January, 2008 @ 13:18