Local Paper Reveals: U.S. Colonel Died in Iraq in Green Zone -- Running on a Treadmill

[Newsjock]

Source: Editor & Publisher

For years, the deaths of U.S. military personnel in Iraq have often been reported to the press and public by the Pentagon on extremely sketchy ways, while remaining "under investigation." These are often cases, it turns out, involving death by illness or accident or suicide. In many cases, only the efforts, or at least proximity, of local newspapers brings out the truth while the lengthy investigations go on.

Yesterday, The Huntsville (Ala.) Times reported that Col. Stephen Scott, 54, had died while working out on a treadmill in the U.S. Embassy in the Green Zone after it was rocketed by insurgents earlier this week, according to his sister. He was only the ninth officer at his level killed in the war to date.

Another officer, Maj. Stuart Wolfer, 36, who leaves behind a wife and three young children, died in the same place at the same time while exercising. He had been serving in the Army Reserves when called to duty. His name was invoked by Rep. Robert Wexler in questioning Gen. David Petraeus in Washington, D.C. yesterday.

The Associated Press earlier this week carried an item, based on the Pentagon's release, which stated only that "two soldiers have died in Iraq of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with indirect fire."

Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003788395

[Tab]

1. In other words

Not only did the mortars hit the green zone, but they actually hit the embassy.

Haven't exactly heard this broadcasted much.

[MADem]

2. Hmmm. They found the gym. Wonder if they have the semiannual PT test schedule, too?

Think it's time to put a few more blast walls and revetments around that facility?

[struggle4progress]

8. Sounds like a side-effect of Patrick McHenry's idiocy. eom

[badgervan]

14. That Little Twerp....

... hopefully cut his own political throat with his little stunt. If he had been anyone but a congressman, he'd be in a brig right now.

[MADem]

15. Yep, Mister OPSEC gets the Tool of the Month Award... nt

[merh]

3. They both died while exercising - at the same time?

:shrug:

in the green zone ....

[MADem]

16. Sounds like an argument for scrapping that "fatboy" bullshit.

In times of war, no one gives a shit how nice your uni looks or if you're fit-n-trim. If you know how to stay alive, and you know how to keep your subordinates alive, you're the Star of The Day!

[still_one]

4. The media is scum for pimping us into this war, and then not covering it /nt

[Changenow]

5. WAIT!!! Some imbecile Republican Rep

betrayed the locations of bomb hits, at the gym, in the Green Zone earlier this week.

If there were media this dot would be connected.

[tanyev]

9. Here it is:

GOP Rep Reveals Details of Green Zone Attack; Did he Get U.S. Soldiers Killed?

In an effort to bolster his own national security credentials in the midst of "Sniper-gate," Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) gave away intelligence information last week that could have aided Shi'ite militias and/or other terrorist organizations in targeting the Green Zone. Only two days after McHenry promoted a video of himself in the Green Zone describing in detail the effectiveness of the rocket attacks on Easter Sunday, the area was hit with a barrage that killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded 17 others. It was the deadliest attack on the Green Zone so far this year.

http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/81606

[darue]

10. yeah, they wouldn't let him in. sounds like it was 'officers only hour' in the gym

turns out that... let's see how did he denigrate the guard? I forget. anyway, that guard may well have saved his miserable life.

[dflprincess]

6. All the military in Iraq is on treadmill

they keep running, but they're not getting anywhere.

[Plucketeer]

7. And will keep doing so

until they end up like these two officers!

[MADem]

17. That's true in so many ways.

In the larger sense, sure, but in the smaller sense as well. You sure can't go out for a run around the GZ perimeter, can ya?

[zonkers]

11. looks like that youtube vid got pulled. Transcripts there.

[rgbecker]

12. You guys are always just reporting the negatives.....

America has brought thousands of soccer balls to the Iraqis and built gyms and health clubs throughout the land. This proves it and these kind of stories aren't reported on by the liberal press.

[ashling]

13. Running from indirect sniper fire

[TheLastMohican]

18. Can you say....

Sitting ducks?

Our soldiers and officers are being picked one by one while even unsuspecting it. This is called guerilla warfare and I don't think any one of those enlisted planned to fight something like this.