Remember Nurse Nayirah? Was anybody ever held accountable for lying the US into First Gulf War??

[Andre II]

As the story has been often reported on I simply use the summary from wikipedia:

"Fifteen-year-old "Nayirah" (Nijirah al-Sabah, daughter of Saud bin Nasir Al-Sabah Kuwait ambassador to US) testified before the United States Congress in October 1990 that she was a refugee volunteering in the maternity ward of Al Adan hospital in Kuwait City, and that during the occupation by Iraq she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers dumping Kuwaiti infants out of their incubators "on(to) the cold floor to die," and then leaving with the machines.

The testimony came at a crucial time for the Bush administration, which was pressing for military action to eject Iraq from Kuwait. Nayirah's story was widely reported by the media and Bush referred to the story six times in the next five weeks. The story was an influence in tipping both the public and Congress towards a war with Iraq: six Congressmen would say Nayirah's testimony was enough for them to support military action against Iraq and seven Senators referenced the testimony in debate. The Senate supported the military actions in a 52-47 vote.

In reality, Citizens for a Free Kuwait, organized by the exiled Kuwaiti government, had hired Hill & Knowlton to gain support for the US counterstrike. Hill & Knowlton was paid $14 million by the US government for its help in promoting the Gulf War. It was not revealed until later that the girl was actually the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States. Frieda Construe-Nag and Myra Ancog Cooke, two maternity nurses in that ward, later said that they had never seen Nayirah there and that the baby-dumping had never happened."


WAS ANYBODY EVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR LYING THE US INTO WAR?

[Kagemusha]

1. Uh no, why?

I doubt Kuwait extradites daughters of ambassadors who perform acts of national heroism in support of the liberation of their country to the US for trial.

Edit: That's surely how they'd characterize it.

[Andre II]

3. Cause teh daughter didn't really act alone ...

Maybe her?

"Lauri Fitz-Pegado, later Assistant Commerce Secretary, invented Nayirah's story and coached the girl. She also prepared Iraq-invasion testimony for the United Nations which was later discredited, and later promoted a book about the rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch during the 2003 Iraq War."
(again from wiki)

[Kagemusha]

4. Oh ok, didn't realize an American was involved like that.

Then I have no idea why. Lack of proof? No political interest? No idea. (Edit: Just to be clear, lying the US into war isn't a crime. It's not. Freedom of speech. Lying to Congress, or coaching others to do so, is, however.)

[Andre II]

5. Which is exactly what this young girl did

she testified to Congress. And her story was invented by an American. And an American firm was paid for pushing going to war.

[Kagemusha]

6. I just can't recall even 1 person ever jailed for lying America into war.

Some consider that to be a legitimate act of politics after all. A time-honored tradition to drag the people where they are supposed to go.

I can't blame the girl much. She was a patriot for her country. All I can say for the other people is, Congress didn't care, and that's part of why stonewalling Congress is so popular now.

[Andre II]

7. Not blaming the young girl neither

but the people behind the lie. Like the lady inventing the story.
Inventing a story and preparing the lie to be staged in a testimory before Congress is NOT a crime?

[Kagemusha]

8. I thought I just said that part is a crime.

But obviously no one ever pursued it. I can't answer why exactly, I can only speculate. You seem to think that you know the facts of the case as hard proof. I wouldn't know to that degree.

[Andre II]

9. Didn't mean to contradict you

The info on Fitz-Pegado has been all over the news. And later she worked on Jessica Lynch...

[shraby]

2. Not any more than this administration has been held

accountable. Lying to the people is getting to be the norm and as long as it's tolerated, it will continue. Washington needs a good house cleaning. Weed out the incompetents, liars, those who write, vote on, and pass legislation that is unconstitutional. Get rid of those who would let illegality stand without impeachment. Once they are gone, choose very very carefully who will take their places. Just because they call themselves a Dem does not mean they are. Remember, the GOP has worked since at least Nixon's days to take over the government and I believe it included running Republicans under the Dem label so they can be there when the rubber meets the road, like now.

[Andre II]

10. Does anybody have any further info? n/t

[Hissyspit]

11. I'm sure most Americans still think the story was true. n/t