New York, Nov 10: Jessica Lynch, the US soldier who was taken prisoner by Iraqis after she was injured and later rescued in a dramatic operations by Americans, has said that she was never beaten, never slapped nor interrogated by Iraqis while at a hospital in the country. A new book says that at the Saddam Hussein general hospital, Lynch was afraid Hussein' agents would bang through her door and torture her, or strap her to the gurney, mutilate her and carry her off to Baghdad.


But even though Iraqi men she did not believe were doctors came into her room and stared down at her as they spoke to her caregivers, she was never beaten. "No one even slapped me," she is quoted as saying.

Excerpts from the book, "I am a soldier, too: the Jessica Lynch story" by Rick Bragg are being published in the upcoming issue of 'Time' magazine.

"No one even asked me anything about our troops. I couldn't answer anyway." She said. All she could have told them was that she was a clerk, in charge of pencils, packs and toilet paper.

The book says that when in the hospital, she heard doctors saying that they had to amputate her leg. "we are going to have to amputate your leg," one of the doctors said. "They lifted her onto the table. 'no! don't!' she screamed.
Bureau Report