Statement on MacBeth Video (IVAW)

[Sapphire Blue]

Questions have been raised about Jesse MacBeth and his claims of service in Iraq. MacBeth came to Iraq Veterans Against the War in January 2006 asking for help, and the organization and its members extended itself to help him in various ways. Assisting veterans is one of the founding principles of IVAW and it is a mission that we take seriously. After looking into his recent claims, we have learned that Jesse is not what he represented himself to be. Accordingly, IVAW does not in any way endorse Jesse MacBeth or any of his accounts involving military service. He -- and he alone -- is responsible for them. IVAW was not aware of the creation of the video program featuring MacBeth, and did not authorize use of our logo in the program.

The timing of the widespread circulation of the MacBeth video interestingly coincides with the ongoing military investigation of the recent Marine massacre of two dozen civilians (including women and children) in Haditha, – what is being termed as an atrocity by one member of Congress (R). MacBeth’s false statements unfortunately have played into the hands of those who would deny that any atrocities whatsoever are occurring in Iraq. While such murders by military personnel are reprehensible, ultimate blame for these actions must be placed on the responsible commanding officers, Donald Rumsfeld, and the Bush administration who have created the context for chaos in through an illegal and unjust war and occupation which they admit has no end in sight.

IVAW is a young and growing organization of courageous veterans and active duty soldiers in the “War on Terror” whose mission is to end the war in Iraq through immediate withdrawal of troops. We believe that veterans should be given the benefits they deserve upon returning home, and that the United States owes reparations to the Iraqi people for the destruction of their country. The invasion and occupation of Iraq was ill conceived and dishonestly sold to the American people, and IVAW members have the special vantage point of first-hand experience of the war to know why it’s wrong and why we need to bring the troops home now.

http://www.ivaw.net/index.php?id=219

[Tom Joad]

1. Thanks for posting this. I think some people think his video was

authorized by the IVAW. It was not.

[Sapphire Blue]

2. You're welcome.

Yes, it certainly seemed that some people believed IVAW authorized the video.

[MH1]

3. I'll second that.

:dem:

I know everyone at DU knows this by now (I hope anyway) but it's important to realize how fakes like this can hurt a movement.

[Junkdrawer]

5. Kick

:kick:

[Junkdrawer]

20. .

[Junkdrawer]

4. I posted this Monday before I heard of the Haditha incident...

The jury is out. HOWEVER, it would be a "nice" trick to have all the coming vet atrocity stories discredited by this kind of stunt.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1260163#1260210

Seems fewer are biting the Rove bait. Good.

[grytpype]

8. I don't think Rove had anything to do with this.

I think Macbeth is just a derelict and a crackhead who was looking for someone to leech off of, and IVAW got taken in by him. They just need to be more careful about who they assist.

[Tom Joad]

13. IVAW had nothing to do with the video. And neither did Rove.

I just can't emphasize that enough. To IVAW's credit, they did not assist him in publicizing false info. Not to say they are perfect, but we don't know that IVAW did anything wrong besides just assisting Macbeth.

I do agree that Rove had nothing to do with the video, as i said below.
I think we are mostly of the same mind here.

[Junkdrawer]

15. Not all "Rovian" tricks are done by Rove himself...he devises strategy...

But the timing of the promotion of this particular video stinks to high heaven...

[dionysus]

6. YES!!

I agree totally with this

[grytpype]

7. Macbeth washed out of basic training, was never a Ranger

For those of you who were waiting for the other shoe to drop on Jesse Macbeth... it seems his discharge papers (DD-214) have turned up. He claimed to be a decorated Ranger, deployed to Iraq, who killed at least 200 civilians with his own hand. The truth, according to his DD-214, is that he washed out of basic training at the rank of E-1 and was never deployed to Iraq.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/27/145957/376
http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=3957

[TahitiNut]

11. I can't imagine what it takes to wash out of basic these days.

:eyes: The military is lowering its standards almost daily to find enough 'patriotic' Americans willing to serve a nation of people that don't care enough to remove a criminal regime sending them into harm's way for corporate greed and lust for power.

Pass me my Big Mac and Slurpee, please. :puke:

[tabasco]

19. They have lowered standards. Abysmally low.

Part of Rumsfeld's plan to improve the military.

I would not want to be a commander these days.

[TahitiNut]

9. "ultimate blame for these actions must be placed on the responsible ..."

"ultimate blame for these actions must be placed on the responsible commanding officers"

Amen! :applause:

[katinmn]

10. It was another Rovian/RNC trick to downplay the Haditha Massacre

by muddying the waters.

If the MacBeth video could get lots of attention and then be debunked, then the Haditha Massacre would lose impact as it reached the masses. Neocons thrive in chaos.

I wish federal law enforcement would investigate who was behind the video but I think they are too busy investigating Quakers.

[Tom Joad]

12. That allegation really has no basis in fact,either.

Believe me, i put nothing past Rove & co. However, unless there is evidence that what you are alleging is true, lets not make any other unfounded statements.
There is the strong possibility that Macbeth was simply acting on his own, that he is a sick individual, and because of the reality of war crimes taking place, people were too easily fooled.

Just because Rove, et.al. have done dishonest tricks, does not mean that all bad things that happen are the result of criminal conspiracies. Sometimes bad things happen.

We can be very vocal about what is occurring, about which there is very clear evidence, like Haditha, as you mentioned. Also what happen at Fallujah. Depleted Uranium. White Phosphorus. There is hardly any end to what can be clearly proven.

[katinmn]

14. Not asking you to share in my opinion.

Just giving my own. I'm against groupthink.

[burythehatchet]

16. Exactly right

Take the painful truth and turn it into a lie. We've again been Rathered.

[pnorman]

17. Here's the Wikipedia dope on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Macbeth

It may not be a Karl Rove "prank", but if they ever should "round up the usual suspects", he'd be Numero Uno!

pnorman

[stephinrome]

18. Thanks for posting n/t