Widow of Soldier in Jessica Lynch Unit Blasts Bush

Yahoo News ^ | 3/23/04 | Jim Forsyth

[Soundman4x4]

CENTER POINT, Texas (Reuters) - At a ceremony on Tuesday marking the one-year anniversary of the Iraqi attack on Pvt. Jessica Lynch's Army unit, the widow of a soldier who died in the fight blasted President Bush (news - web sites) for "lying to America" to justify the Iraq (news - web sites) war.

In bitter comments beside the grave of Army Specialist James Kiehl, widow Jill Kiehl accused Bush of fabricating reasons to launch the invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

"The evidence that's starting to come out now feels like he (Bush) was misleading us," Kiehl said, holding the couple's 10-month-old son Nathaniel, born seven weeks after his father died.

"It's almost as though he had things fixed so it would look like he needed to go to war," she said.

James Kiehl, a 22-year-old computer engineer, was one of 11 members of the 507th Maintenance Company killed when their convoy took a wrong turn at Nassiriya in southern Iraq on March 23, 2003 and were attacked by Iraqi fighters.

Several members of the unit, not including Lynch, attended the ceremony in Center Point, 35 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Jill Kiehl described herself as "bitter" about Bush's decision to declare war on Iraq.

"It's upsetting that he (Bush) would have lied to America to get what he wanted," Kiehl said.

"In a way, it's like he used people. That's how I feel. I think the reasons for going over there were bogus and misleading."

[bcoffey]

I'm not impressed. I guess the Dems and partisan media have to stoop to cover anyone who happens to have a cross word to say about the President.

Oh well... such is life.

[COEXERJ145]

Let me guess Jill, you voted for John Kerry, didn't you?

(If she was old enough in 2000, I'd bet 100-1 that she voted for Al-Bore.)

[Blue Scourge]

First of all...you have my condolences and thank you for your husbands sacrafice, he didn't die in vain.

"It's upsetting that he (Bush) would have lied to America to get what he wanted," Kiehl said.

I'm usually willing to give a pass because of grief...but she has to realize that she can't just read something from the DNC home page and automatically believe it...to the Dems her husband was more of a terrorist than Saddam.

[Terry Mross]

I would imagine it would be very difficult not to be bitter having lost her husband and now with a child to raise alone. I don't know how I would feel if my child had died in any war. But I do think that saying the war wasn't just would be saying my child died for nothing. That would be even harder to take. But, I guess that's how she feels. I'm sorry for her loss and all the others who have lost loved ones in this neccessary war.

[shiva]

Dumb Broad.......

[sinkspur]

She's young and stupid. And, still grieving over her dead husband.

She's also likely a Democrat.

[solitas]

Some slug who has a political gripe makes Yahoo News - so?

[bcoffey]

I agree with your sentiments. My comment was more directed towards the media types who are trying to make points with it.

[marron]

If she gets her information from the major media how could she think anything else?

But her husband didn't die in vain. He died to put an end to a psychotic killing machine; there are several thousand people who won't die this month because that regime is gone.

And he died to get the people behind the first World Trade Center bombing at the very least; he died to put an end to a 12 year war and a 30 year reign of terror; he died to liberate 25 million people. He didn't die for nothing.

Bush didn't lie to get us in there, but a lot of people have lied to keep us out. And a lot of people have lied to try and steal the victory her husband died for.

[inkling]

Mrs. Kiehl, your husband did not die in vain.

[CindyDawg]

They are messing with her head during her time of grief. If President Bush would speak with her like he did with the English widow it might help her to understand.

[Paul Atreides]

Yeah, yeah, yeah....Bush rigged the Florida ballots, bribed, blackmailed, coerced the Supreme Court into ruling in his favor, planned the entire thing in Texas, and provided planes to the 9-11 terrorists. He's was planning all of this, while AWOL from the National Guard in Alabama.

[deport]

Here are some articles/threads about the events surronding James Kiehl

Kiehl laid to rest with full military honors

What happened to Spc. James Kiehl that made his widow sick after meeting with military breifers?

Funeral for a Soldier (Texas Style)

Funeral In A Small Town In Texas

[cwb]

I actually don't blame this on Jill; I blame it on a media that is only too happy to exploit the grief and anxiety of those families who have lost loved ones. What the media does to these people is a disgrace...and it isn't journalism. Who knows who she voted for, but with the partisan media and democrats completely politicizing this war, it is very easy for someone who is uninformed, to come to these conclusions. Heck, it's the only thing you see in the mainstream media today, and unless you know how to access alternative sources, you'd think Bush was a monster. It's past time to take the media on.

[philetus]

Be a shame if the Army messed up her pension.

[John Lenin]

Who did you vote for Jill?

[kristinn]

Before folks here finish trashing the widow Kiehl, perhaps you can explain how it is possible that she came to be spouting leftist propaganda at the memorial service.

[Swiss]

I think the ethics of the media is low about this issue. You have someone who is emotionally out of their mind with grief and then throw them into controversty by covering their remarks.

I always image that persons like this widow who make statements for or against the war gets a lot of grief from the other side by people she knows and don't afterwards. I picture hateful phone calls, e-mails, letters, comments, etc.

If she goes to seek attention ok but those in the Press should think what their story will do to someone already suffering and not print the remarks.

[cubreporter]

Our deepest sympathies to this young widow on the loss of her beloved husband and the tragic loss of their baby's father. It IS heartbreaking to say the least.

He was (as the song says in the Toby Keith Album) An American Soldier. A true American Soldier.

We are proud of him and his service to our country. We are so saddened he lost his life and we wish nothing but the best for his very young widow and their baby. God rest his soul and God bless his family. God bless America too. Listen if you can to the An American Soldier selection. It seems to say it all.

[Lancey Howard]

[cubreporter]

Our deepest sympathies to this young widow on the loss of her beloved husband and the tragic loss of their baby's father. It IS heartbreaking to say the least.

He was (as the song says in the Toby Keith Album) An American Soldier. A true American Soldier.

We are proud of him and his service to our country. We are so saddened he lost his life and we wish nothing but the best for his very young widow and their baby. God rest his soul and God bless his family. God bless America too. Listen if you can to the An American Soldier selection. It seems to say it all.

[Outraged]

I guess the Dems and partisan media have to stoop to cover anyone who happens to have a cross word to say about the President.

Cover?...I bet you dimes to donuts that she was manufactured (like Iago to Othello) by a loving call from the DNC machine...Just like the DNC telemarketers made the calls to old folks in Florida, filling their heads with lies and manufactured a scam (attempted election theft) via Robert Wexler.

[deport]

Jill Kiehl in her own words while awaiting the notification of her husbands death:

"I would rather have James go to war now and take care of it, than 20 years down the road have to send my son off, knowing that it could have been taken care of now," Jill said. "I think James would rather go to war and take care of it, rather than have to see our son go and possibly end up the same way."

[deport]

More from Jill

Jill Kiehl says they have supported the war and stood by President Bush 100 percent.

[hobson]

Google search returns at least 6 pages of articles link about her. She seems to be one of the "repeats" reporters like to use.

[wingman1]

It's doubtful the young widow will ever see your reply and be able to appreciate it. Just writing to let you know that I read it, and I appreciate it.

[SuziQ]

"The evidence that's starting to come out now feels like he (Bush) was misleading us," Kiehl said, holding the couple's 10-month-old son Nathaniel, born seven weeks after his father died.

I'm sorry this woman lost her husband, but in her bitterness and pain she's falling prey to the Democrats' Big Lie. There is no evidence of the President's misleading us. He explained why he was going to war against Iraq including WMDs, UN resolutions ignored, and the human rights abuses of the people of the country. The intelligence on which he based his notions about WMDs had been accepted by the previous administration, and by many European countries. If he was misled because our intelligence services were misled, he couldn't help that. I personally don't think he WAS misled; I think the WMDs are parked in a neighboring country which was friendly to Sadaam.

I think it's horrible of the media and Democrats to use these poor widows in order to better their political positions and try to regain power.

[Frank_2001]

Interesting...

[Mo1]

And she knows that President Bush lied because ?????

I'm sorry for her loss but she seems to be repeating what Kerry, Kennedy, Dashole have been yappying

[Mo1]

Wow .. why the change from her?

[Outraged]

...but in her bitterness and pain she's falling prey to the Democrats' Big Lie.

More like she IS PREY for the DNC machine, fed I am sure with every sort of questionably sourced agitprop of some back-stabbing leftist in sheeple's clothing.

She is nothing more than a child at 23 years old (a pawn).

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is the report from The Dallas Morning News ...

Apparently, the parents don't feel the same as the widow does. (See the video link there).

Widow of fallen Texas soldier blasts Bush

09:00 PM CST on Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Associated Press

CENTER POINT, Texas -- At a ceremony Tuesday marking the one-year anniversary of the Iraqi attack on Pvt. Jessica Lynch's Army unit, the widow of a soldier who died in the fight blasted President Bush for "lying to America" to justify the Iraq war.

In bitter comments beside the grave of Army Specialist James Kiehl, widow Jill Kiehl accused Bush of fabricating reasons to launch the invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"The evidence that's starting to come out now feels like he (Bush) was misleading us," Kiehl said, holding the couple's 10-month-old son Nathaniel, born seven weeks after his father died.

"It's almost as though he had things fixed so it would look like he needed to go to war," she said.

James Kiehl, a 22-year-old computer engineer, was one of 11 members of the 507th Maintenance Company killed when their convoy took a wrong turn at Nassiriya in southern Iraq on March 23, 2003 and were attacked by Iraqi fighters.

Seven others were captured, including Lynch, who was held for nine days before U.S. troops rescued her from a hospital.

Also Online

Video:KENS-TV's Joe Conger reports

Several members of the unit, not including Lynch, attended the ceremony in Center Point, 35 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Jill Kiehl described herself as "bitter" about Bush's decision to declare war on Iraq.

"It's upsetting that he (Bush) would have lied to America to get what he wanted," Kiehl said.

"In a way, it's like he used people. That's how I feel. I think the reasons for going over there were bogus and misleading."

Bush justified the invasion on grounds that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was linked to Al Qaeda, the Islamic extremist group blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. So far, no such weapons have been found and little evidence of Al Qaeda connections has turned up.

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/032403txcnkeil.b553e285.html

[MeekOneGOP]

AP

The Former Texas Rangers Association
honored Army Spc. James Michael Kiehl
on the first anniversary of his death in Iraq.

[Liberty Valance]

Prayers for the Kiehl family. I'll try to stop by and bring some flowers for Spc. Kiehl's grave this evening or tomorrow. It's about 15 miles from me. It's a very special cemetary where many former Texas Rangers are buried. I can understand the grief that seems to have overwhelmed Jill. I will say a prayer for her.

[bushfamfan]

Amazing she could be so bitter and spouting all that hatred. Obviously she thinks Bush is the epitome of evil, marching off to war against a well-meaning country like Iraq that was never a threat whatsoever. There are no excuses for her vile and despicable remarks. I will even venture to say she doesn't actually believe them, is just spewing because of her anger at the loss of her husband. But to go to the extent she is going is not going to make it ok. Death will give us all the answers.

[boxerblues]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1104408/posts

< snipped>

After the service, Kiehl's widow, Jill, expressed thanks for the community's support, and a clear distrust of President Bush.

"It's nice to know that there's people who are still remembering James," she said.

Jill Kiehl, who traveled from Iowa with her 10-month-old son, Nathaniel, said the downfall of Saddam Hussein meant the roughly 600 American troops killed in Iraq did not die in vain.

But she's skeptical about why the U.S. invaded Iraq, noting that neither weapons of mass destruction have been found there, nor a convincing link to terrorists.

"I'd say he knew full well what the situation was and he just covered it up or changed it to his liking," she said of Bush. "The full truth I don't think has really come out as to why we went there."

No such sentiments were expressed by Randy Kiehl, James' father, who said he stands behind the president 100 percent. He's still collecting information about his son's final hours, but sees no interest in finger-pointing one year later.

"There were errors made from Fort Bliss all the way through, so who do you hold accountable?" he said.

[MeekOneGOP]

That is so thoughtful of you.

I hope at some point in the future, the widow is enlightened and will put this
in perspective regarding where she lays blame for her husbands death.

did you see deports post above ? something changed it and hardened her heart ...

[armymarinedad]

There are five stages to the grieving process, shock, denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance. This woman needs compassion and understanding right now not being used as a political tool for the left or the right. My sons fight under the American flag. It is comprised of thirteen red and white stripes, and fifty white stars on a blue background. There is not a donkey or an elephant on it anywhere. I am as furious at the media for using this widow as any one of you, but I am also sickened by some here who use this woman's grief as an opportunity to promote their cause. The left has obviously gotten to this lady and she needs compassion and time to get through the grieving process. Anger toward her will only alienate her from conservative principals.

[cubreporter]

Thank you for those kind words. I wish she could know how many people appreciate her husbands sacrifice. After reading about what she may have been told or shown ... it makes me sick to my stomach.

Anyone who could dishonor the dead like it was reported that they do well, they deserve the ultimate in punishment in both this life and the next. God forgive their icy hearts and once again, God bless our American Soldiers.