Jesse Macbeth
Jesse Adam Al-Zaid (born March 21, 1984; name changed from Jesse Adam Macbeth in 1986) is an American anti-war protester, author, and
On September 21, 2007, Macbeth admitted in federal court that he had faked his war record. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan declared that Macbeth had been in the Army for just 44 days and had been dismissed as unfit.[6]
Allegations and other claims
Macbeth alleged
Various problems were reported. Macbeth's uniform as worn in the video was inconsistent with Army regulations or inconsistent with his purported identity. U.S. Army spokesman Boyce said, "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", and he wore his beret with the insignia over the wrong eye.[5]
Eastern Arizona Courier article
On November 3, 2003, Pam Crandall, a reporter for the Eastern Arizona Courier, interviewed Macbeth. In the interview he reportedly made false claims that he had returned from Iraq two and a half months prior – roughly in late August 2003, after sustaining a back injury. The article quoted Macbeth falsely stating he had been shot in the back by an
The article states that Macbeth falsely claims to have attended a hearing that month, about a medical discharge from the Army, alleging he had undergone surgeries to remove shrapnel from his back. Macbeth falsely claimed in the article that "The Iraqis would stand in a crowd and shoot at us. We had to kill civilians to get to them because we were ordered to shoot anything that came at us. I keep having nightmares about it."[9] The EA Courier later ran a story detailing Macbeth's fraudulent claims.[10]
Army service and afterwards
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.[11]
An April 23, 2004, guest editorial attributed to Macbeth also appeared in The State Press about the protest and dispute, claiming he had already spent 16 months in Iraq. The war had only begun 13 months earlier at that point. The writer asserted 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 2006.[12]
Macbeth joined
On May 23, 2006, Pierce County, Washington Superior Court issued a bench warrant for Jesse Adam Macbeth, underlying charges of violating a protective court order and fourth degree assault.[14]
In custody
Macbeth had a warrant issued against him, pursuant to which he was apprehended and booked on November 16, 2006.[15] The Pierce County Legal Information Network Exchange lists 2 counts of felony domestic violence court order violation (held on $20,000 cash or bail bonds), 2 counts of assault in the fourth degree ($5,000 cash-only bail, as well as being committed to custody) and 2 counts "other concurrent assault in the fourth degree charges", and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence (committed to custody).[15]
Charge and guilty plea
On May 18, 2007, a criminal complaint was unsealed in the United States District Court in
On June 7, 2007, Macbeth pleaded guilty to one count of
References
- ^ Poster soldier for anti-war movement was a fake, seattlepi.com; accessed March 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Jennifer (September 21, 2007). "Man who posed as military hero sentenced to 5 months in prison". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
Tacoma man who falsely claimed to be a military hero sentenced to 5 months in prison
- ^ a b Khadduri, Imad. "By my hands alone, I took out 201 people". Free Iraq. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c Schogol, Jeff (May 28, 2006). "Man who bragged of murdering Iraqis debunked by Army". Stars & Stripes. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ Brian Ross and Vic Walter (September 21, 2007). "Anti-War YouTube 'Vet' Admits He Is Faker". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- ^ "Vets against war", metafilter.com, May 21, 2006; retrieved May 30, 2006.
- ^ "PepperSpray Productions' Retraction Statement for our Video "Jesse Macbeth: An Iraq Veteran Speaks Out" Archived 2006-08-11 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved June 1, 2006
- ^ Pam Crandall,"Soldier struggles with memories of Iraqi war", Eastern Arizona Courier, November 3, 2003 (subscription required)
- ^ Macbeth fraudulent claims detailed, eacourier.com; accessed March 15, 2015.
- ^ Supreme Court of Arizona Public Access to Court Information (search "Jesse Macbeth") Archived 2006-05-12 at the Wayback Machine, supreme.state.az.us; accessed January 6, 2015.
- ^ Supreme Court of Arizona Public Access to Court Information (search "Jesse Macbeth") Archived 2006-05-12 at the Wayback Machine, supreme.state.az.us; accessed January 6, 2015.
- ^ Jumper, Sharon (May 26, 2006). "Iraq veterans expose Jesse MacBeth to be a fraud". The Daily Kos. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 06-1-01994-8
- ^ a b "Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 06-1-01994-8, JESSE ADAM MACBETH". Pierce County Superior Court, Legal Information Network Exchange(LINX). Pierce County, Washington, USA. 2007. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Man charged with falsifying military record, armytimes.com; accessed March 15, 2015.
- ^ Man who lied about actions in Iraq admits faking forms, seattletimes.nwsource.com; accessed March 15, 2015.
- ^ Poster soldier for anti-war movement was a fake, seattlepi.com; accessed March 15, 2015.
External links
- Mirrored edition of the original video Wizbang
- Ranger School Class Photos, benning.army.mil; accessed March 15, 2015.
- "Coffee Plantation: what's the story", Arizona Indymedia
- The War the Media is Not Reporting — An Iraqi Veteran Speaks Out, archive of original interview at SocialistAlternative.org; accessed March 15, 2015.