Jesse Macbeth

File:Macbeth Jessie.jpg

Jesse Macbeth

Jesse Adam Macbeth (born Jesse Adam Al-Zaid, 1984) falsely claimed to be an Army Ranger and veteran of the Iraq War. He lied in alternative media interviews that he and his unit routinely committed war crimes in Iraq. Macbeth began to attract significant attention after the release of a video containing his allegations; transcripts of the video were made in English and Arabic. According to the U.S. Army, there is no record of Macbeth being a Ranger, or serving in a combat unit: he was discharged from the service after having been declared unfit or unsuitable for the Army, or both, before he could complete basic training.

After his release from the Army in 2004, Macbeth purported himself to be a veteran, telling war stories and garnering attention from mainstream, alternative and student media outlets. He joined Iraq Veterans Against the War in January of 2006, and represented, or was scheduled to represent them publicly at various events throughout the country; the organization has since said it does not endorse Macbeth or his accounts of military service. Accounts in Macbeth's name appear on Military.com and Myspace.com, and both were used to post claims about military service in Iraq.

Allegations and other claims

Macbeth alleged the Iraq war atrocities in interviews posted to the Internet as web pages and video. He was featured in the 2006 PepperSpray Productions video, posted at Peacefilms.org, Jessie Macbeth: Former Army Ranger and Iraq War Veteran. A link to the video was posted May 21, 2006 on the community blog Metafilter.

PepperSpray Productions video

The video begins with narration, explaining that Macbeth "...served in Iraq for 16 months before being wounded..."

Afterward, Macbeth makes the following allegations, (approximate point in the video noted in parentheses):

• He and other U.S. Army Rangers were ordered "...do whatever it takes...to strike fear in the hearts of the Iraqis..." (1:07);
• He and other Rangers routinely executed children as part of the interrogations of their parents (6:15);
• He personally killed almost 200 men, women, and children, many at close range, and most or all noncombatants (7:30);
• He and other Rangers infiltrated a mosque, waited for about 200 worshipers to arrive and pray, slaughtered them with guns, ignited the bodies, hung them from the rafters, wrote anti-muslim graffiti on the walls, and left bodies in the streets in retribution for the March 31, 2004 mutilation, burning, and public display of American contractors' bodies in Fallujah (9:30);
• He and other Rangers shot and killed unarmed protesters and children who threw rocks (12:20);
• He personally killed a mother pleading for mercy, and her three children, including an infant, because he "had to."(16:05);

At the end of the video, he comments that the mainstream media will not quote him, which is why independent media are necessary so that truth can be disseminated.

At present, no other known primary sources have described the atrocities that Macbeth describes, all of which are apparent violations of Geneva Conventions.

The video repeatedly referenced Iraq Veterans Against the War, though the organization later stated that the use of its name was unauthorized. It was removed from the site May 23, 2006 after Army spokesman John Boyce said Macbeth had never been an Army Ranger.

PepperSpray Productions has since issued a retraction statement, noting "when we learned that Macbeth's service records were fraudulent, we immediately pulled the video and are no longer distributing it."

Transcripts of the video were made in English and Arabic.

Uniform

File:Macbeth uniform.jpg

This photograph of Macbeth was featured in the Pepperspray Productions video, Jessie Macbeth: Former Army Ranger and Iraq War Veteran.

Macbeth's uniform as worn in the video was inconsistent with Army regulations, and in some cases, inconsistent with his purported identity. Boyce is quoted in Stars and Stripes as saying "There are... numerous wear and appearance issues with the soldier's uniform – a mix of foreign uniforms with the sleeves rolled up like a Marine and a badly floppy tan beret worn like a pastry chef," Stars and Stripes also reported that Macbeth wore his beret with the insignia over the wrong eye.

socialistalternative.org interview

Macbeth was quoted in an April 26, 2006 SocialistAlternative.org article as saying "We would leave the bodies in the streets and blame it on the Shi'ites or the Sunnis. [In Fallujah] we were ordered to go into mosques and slaughter people while they were praying."

Macbeth is also quoted as saying he was "stabbed many times," has shrapnel in his knee, has been shot in the back, and that he has received the Purple Heart. He also says his unit was the 3d Ranger Battalion. The unit did not participate in the U.S. occupation of Fallujah. Macbeth also says he was "picked" for Ranger School. Ranger School students are strictly volunteers.

The article was replaced May 26, 2006 with a statement rejecting "use of false statements in the mistaken belief that they can in some way strengthen opposition to the war."

Eastern Arizona Courier article

The Eastern Arizona Courier reported on November 3, 2003 that Jesse MacBeth had returned 2 and a half months prior - roughly in late August of 2003, after sustaining a back injury. The article reported that MacBeth had been shot in the back by an M16 rifle while in an Iraqi tunnel, but that a Canadian nurse stitched him up and he continued fighting. (Canada was not a known participant in the Multinational force in Iraq at the time of the article's publication.) The article also says that he planned to attend a hearing that month about a medical discharge from the Army. There was no mention of stabbings or shrapnel in the article.

Army service and afterwards

Macbeth's form DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" record shows he entered U.S. Army service May 1, 2003 and separated from the Army June 13, 2003, without completing basic training, and with no authorization for decorations, medals, badges, citations or campaign ribbons.

The first known media report of Macbeth representing himself as an Iraq war veteran was the Eastern Arizona Courier article. An April 6, 2004 Arizona Indymedia article places him at the center of a dispute at a coffee shop near a campus of Arizona State University. Macbeth alleged that he was asked to leave the shop because he was wearing his uniform. The dispute eventually became a protest, covered in articles and editorials by the Arizona State University student newspaper, The State Press. An April 23, 2004 guest editorial attributed to Macbeth also appeared in The State Press about the protest and dispute, noting that he had already spent 16 months in Iraq. (The war's duration was only 13 months then.) The writer also asserted that he was about to be redeployed.

On September 28, 2004, Macbeth was convicted of fraudulent use of a credit card in Graham County (Arizona) Superior Court. Court records pertaining to the case also indicate parole activity through May of 2006.

Macbeth joined Iraq Veterans Against the War in January of 2006, and represented, or was scheduled to represent them on several occasions. The group publicly severed ties with Macbeth on May 27, 2006, noting in a statement that "...Jesse is not what he represented himself to be."

Military.com membership

A Military.com user profile for "Jesse a Macbeth" listed among his ribbons a Bronze Star (without a valor device), a Purple Heart, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Army Service Ribbon, and an Overseas Service Ribbon. He also listed among his badges the Ranger tab, the Special Forces tab, two awards of the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), two awards of the Combat Action Badge (CAB), A Parachutist Badge with three combat service stars, and a marksmanship award.

Decoration with both the CIB and CAB is possible under certain circumstances, though impossible without switching operational specialities. Decoration with two awards of the CIB is not possible without combat service prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Decoration with two awards of the CAB was not possible at the time of the profile's posting. A Parachutist Badge with 3 combat stars is not possible without having served in Operation Desert Storm or an earlier conflict.

On May 22, 2006, the profile had been updated to remove the decorations, though the profile still asserts service from 2001 to 2005 with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Infantry Regiment, an Army Ranger unit.

Military.com does not check the identities of any of its users; although the account is associated with Macbeth and features his photograph and mentions an Iraq Veterans Against the War affilitation, it is possible that the account was set up by someone else. The account has been active since 2005. Military.com also does not require proof of military service before professing veteran status. False or misleading statements of fact violate the Military.com user agreement.

Shadowhart on Myspace.com

On March 24, 2006, a Myspace user Shadowhart (with first name Jesse) posted a blog entry describing the alleged atrocities in Iraq. Some of the details of the alleged mosque atrocity are different from the story related in the video.

Myspace.com does not check the identities of any of its users; although the account has posted a rendition of a military document associated with Macbeth, it is possible that the account was set up by someone else. Impersonation is a violation of Myspace.com terms of service.

Military discharge record

Myspace.com user Shadowhart posted this form DD-214 purported to belong to Jesse Macbeth.

On May 26, 2006, Shadowhart uploaded an image, which he purports to be Jesse Macbeth's DD-214, the Department of Defense discharge document which summarizes military service. Critics believe the document to be altered, citing misspellings and other inconsistencies.

On May 27, 2006, QandO posted what it purports to be Jesse MacBeth's DD-214. The document indicates that MacBeth's discharge was an "entry-level separation."

Both documents say Macbeth's last duty station was 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, Basic Combat Training Brigade.

Falsification of a military discharge certificate is a federal offense.

External links

• Mirrored edition of the original video Wizbang
• 'Ranger' who boasted of murdering Iraqi civilians debunked by Army, WorldNetDaily, May 27th, 2006
• Ranger School Class Photos
• Iraq Veterans Expose Jesse Macbeth to be a fraud, DailyKos
• "Coffee Plantation: what's the story", Arizona Indymedia