Remember the Right's "Phony Soldier" Scott Beauchamp? Well, interesting news ...

[beachmom]

To refresh your memories, Scott Beauchamp wrote a piece for TNR about the horrors of war in Iraq. He came under attack, and then TNR did an investigation. It seemed murky to me, but the Right Wing blogs went nuts and pummeled him over and over again, like he was a "Winter Soldier" and trashed John Kerry some, and so on. Here is a post I wrote about the situation back in '07:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=273&topic_id=142785

Flash forward to this startling news.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=30030

http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/remember-when-the-cons-went-berzerk-over-scott-beauchamp/

Remember how they were saying that he was lying about the atrocities he saw being committed in the field?

Guess what — his NCO, and one of the guys who said he was lying, has now been nailed for committing atrocities right around the same time he was accusing Beauchamp of lying:

A senior enlisted Army soldier was convicted on Wednesday of killing four handcuffed and blindfolded Iraqi men with pistol shots to the backs of their heads shortly after arresting them in Baghdad two years ago, The Associated Press reported.

A military jury in Germany, where his unit is deployed, found the soldier, Master Sgt. John E. Hatley, guilty of premeditated murder in the deaths of the men, whom he and several other members of his unit had detained after a firefight with insurgents in Baghdad in spring 2007, according to testimony in the case.

From John Cole's blog, here is what Hatley said about Scott Beauchamp:

My soldiers conduct is consistently honorable. This soldier has other underlining issues which I’m sure will come out in the course of the investigation. No one at any of the post we live at or frequent, remotely fit the descriptions of any of the persons depicted in this young man’s fairy tale. I can’t and won’t divulge any information regarding this soldier, but I do sincerely appreciate all the support from the people back home. Again, this young man has a vivid imagination and I promise you that this by no means reflects the truth of what is happening here. I’m currently serving with the best America has to offer. I have worked and fought closely with every soldier within my company and they are consummate professionals in an area most people can’t fathom. I’m proud of my soldiers and would gladly give my life for any one of them. Please continue to keep them with you in your prayers and thank God that we have these courageous men willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country, Americans, and the people of this struggling nation.

Sincerely,


1SG Hatley

Of COURSE, radio silence from the right wing bloggers and the media on this. They reported the conviction but not the Beauchamp angle. Just another example of how the Right are a bunch of liars, and how they never correct their lies even if it amounts to trashing someone who is still serving honorably in the service to this day.

[karynnj]

1. Wow - Has this connection gotten any mainstream coverage?

Beauchamp really had his reputation destroyed for speaking what looks like it was the truth. I didn't realize that he was still serving. I can imagine that those rw stories have not made that easy as it is likely some of his peers read the garbage. I hope that something is done to validate what he said (if possible) and that that gets near the same press those stories did.

[blm]

2. This needs to go more mainstream - GD could be a start since it does get read by

some of the left journos and MSNBC production staffers.