News

'Hero-gate' hits the White House

Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:49

The Bush Administration is under pressure about the way it created heroes out of soliders in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

US Army Private Jessica Lynch testified before the Congress that the portrayal by the Pentagon, White House and media of 'the little girl rambo from the hills of West Virginia' was simply 'not true.'

'However, I'm still confused about why they chose to lie and try and make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were legendary', Ms Lynch added.

The Congressional committee also heard testimony about the death of Pat Tillman, a US Army ranger and former American football player who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Cpl Tillman's friend Bryan O'Neal said he was ordered not to say the incident was friendly fire by his battalion commander.

The families of Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch testified that the White House and Pentagon manipulated their stories for the sake of political gain.

Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, said he plans a deep investigation into the 'deliberately' false Pentagon accounts.

He added that President George W Bush and former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld may be targets.

'We don't know what the (former) secretary of defense knew. We don't know what the White House knew,' Congressman Waxman said.

He added: 'These are questions that the committee seeks answers to.'

Congressman Waxman, a Democrat, is one of many from his party who originally voted in favour of the authorisation bill to invade Iraq.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Washington Correspondent Robert Shortt says these hearings are 'very embarassing' for President Bush at a 'politically-charged' time in Washington.