Another Question For The MSM: When Did TNR and Beauchamp Decide To Go Public, And Why?

Beauchamp's statement implies that he himself made the decision to drop his psuedonym, and TNR's editors do nothing to correct this impression:

I am Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp, a member of Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division.

My pieces were always intended to provide my discrete view of the war; they were never intended as a reflection of the entire U.S. Military. I wanted Americans to have one soldier's view of events in Iraq.

It's been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq. I was initially reluctant to take the time out of my already insane schedule fighting an actual war in order to play some role in an ideological battle that I never wanted to join. That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name.

Is this true? Did Beauchamp decide that it was "important to stand by [his] writing under [his] real name?"

When did he decide that?

Was it, perhaps, after TNR received an email at around 3:00 AM the night before asking if the Baghdad Diarist was in fact Scott Thomas Beauchamp?

And when I say "asking if," I mean "informing that," and asking for comment or denial.

I know such an email was sent. Does TNR deny this? Do they deny that was the reason for Beauchamp's outing?

I confess I don't know if they had already decided upon this course of action. It's possible it was a coincidence.

It's possible that they decided before the email -- but only after they'd checked all their office computers and figured out they had a whistelblower in their midst.

TNR isn't answering questions about it. The MSM isn't bothering to ask. TNR's statement on the matter strongly implies that Beauchamp decided to reveal himself only in order to "stand by [his] words" under his real name.

Is that true?

Or another lie?

posted by Ace at 05:20 PM

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