PFC. LYNCH
"I have important information about woman soldier in hospital," the Iraqi told the Marines.
Mohammed was taking a chance, not only in defying Iraqi authorities but in approaching the Marines. Saddam's Fedayeen and their allies had been dressing in civilian clothes to get close to U.S. troops, sometimes even faking surrender, only to open fire at short range. U.S. troops have also fired on civilians at checkpoints.
But with the mention of a woman soldier, Mohammed got the Marines' attention, and he was quickly ushered in to talk with officers who began grilling him about the hospital and the soldier inside. At the same time, Mohammed instructed his wife to go stay with their family -- and none too soon. That night, friends told him later, the Fedayeen showed up at his house and ransacked the place, searching for something.
It was not enough to simply tell the Americans that one of their own was at Saddam Hospital. Twice over the next two days, he said, they sent him back to the hospital to gather more information.
Peter Baker's Washington Post story is riveting and deserves a complete reading.
Yesterday, blogger Brian Kelley took issue with my criticism of reporters' use of "Jessica" to refer to Lynch: "If PFC Lynch had come out of that firefight drenched in the blood of dead Iraqis, there would be a hell of a lot more people calling her Private Lynch rather than Jessica these days." Now, it appears that she did just that. (I've been waiting for the story to be shot down, but it seems to be holding.) Smiling for the camera doesn't mean you won't go down fighting.