When a "Marine" Lies about Atrocities in Iraq

For more than a year, former Marine Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey has been telling anybody who will listen about the atrocities that he and other Marines committed in Iraq but as it turns out the atrocity story turned out to be false, even by his own admission. But the other irresponsible thing is that the MSM ran with this story without checking it for its veracity or see that it is corroborated with other eye-witnesses about the so-called atrocities claimed by Massey. MSM like USAToday and other presses were quick to swallow Massey's lies. Ron Harris of the Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau ask this question in his article, "Why did the press swallow Massey's stories?"

The Associated Press, which serves more than 8,500 newspaper, radio and television stations worldwide, wrote three stories about Massey, including an interview with him in October about his new book.

But none of the AP reporters ever called Ravi Nessman, an Associated Press reporter who was embedded with Massey's unit. Nessman wrote more than 30 stories about the unit from the beginning of the war until April 15, after Baghdad had fallen.

Jack Stokes, a spokesman for the AP, said he didn't know why the reporters didn't talk to Nessman, nor could he explain why the AP ran stories without seeking a response from the Marine Corps. The organization (AP) also refused to allow Nessman to be interviewed for this story.

This guy, Jimmy Massey, ought to be put into jail. Anybody who lies like that ought to be put into the brig because he purposely tried to undermine operations in Iraq by falsifying events in Iraq just so he could sell his book, "Kill, Kill, Kill" in France. Just like Michael Moore, he'll say anything to make a buck. And they say they're against capitalism? A big "HA!" on that part since they practice it anyway.

Michelle Malkin says that this Massey story has legs. More stories about this will be forthcoming. Anybody in the Armed Forces whether a Marine, Air Force, Army or whatever, commits a crime, they deserve to get a fair trial but upon being found guilty, they go into the brig.

Now, will liberals get up and shame Massey for lying and shame the MSM for running with a story without any fact finding follow ups first? Seriously, do you really, really....really think liberals will do that? Maybe they'll blame eeeeeevil Karl Rove for masterminding this one here? Of course, what else would people expect?

Truths should be sought out, even if it's about atrocities committed by Armed Forces and they need to be told...honestly and correctly. But what Massey exemplified wasn't anything about the business of "Semper Fi" but about greed, resentment, and wanting the recognition. We get fake stories about the Koran in the toilet at Gitmo, Jimmy Massey's false stories of atrocities committed by Marine troops in Iraq and so on.

Once again the MSM failed miserably in following up Massey's claims as what all good journalists are supposed to do. But because of their left-leaning agenda, they choose instead to run with the story and lose more credibility than ever as a news organization.