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Jessica Lynch

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.60.227.174 (talk) at 14:08, 13 December 2007 (Dropped prejudicial wording concerning the M16, clarified that all her unit's weapons failed). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Jessica Dawn Lynch
Jessica Lynch at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, April 28 2004.
Allegiance United States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service2001 - August 27 2003
RankQuartermaster Corps Private First Class (PFC)
Unit507th Maintenance Company
Battles / wars2003 invasion of Iraq
AwardsPurple Heart
Prisoner of War Medal
Bronze Star
Army Service Ribbon
Other workAugust 27 2003, Lynch was given a medical honorable discharge

Jessica Dawn Lynch (b. April 26 1983, Palestine, West Virginia) is a former Quartermaster Corps Private First Class (PFC) in the United States Army. Lynch became famous after her widely publicized recovery by U.S. special operations forces.

Lynch, along with major media outlets, have since accused the United States Government of fabricating this story as part of the Pentagon's propaganda effort[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] to manipulate the American and global public opinion into accepting and sympathizing with the[8] 2003 invasion of Iraq.[9][10][11][12]

Nearly every aspect of her rescue story is disputed. [citation needed] Accounts of the events in between Lynch's capture and her rescue were incomplete and contradictory, and Lynch herself has no clear recollection of this period. Dr. Greg Argyros, assistant chief of the Department of Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where Lynch was treated, stated, "[A]nytime anybody goes through a traumatic event of any kind, there is the risk that they may have a period that they don't remember what happened."

On April 24 2007 she testified in front of Congress that she had never fired her weapon—her M16 rifle jammed (as did all weapons systems assigned to her unit—and that she had been knocked unconscious when her vehicle crashed.[2] She woke up later in an Iraqi hospital. She blamed the media and the military of lying for their own gain. She said during her testimony, "They should have found out the facts before they spread the word like wildfire."

Biography

Lynch's family wasn't able to afford to send their kids to college, and when Greg Jr (the eldest child) had to quit because of lack of funds, the other Lynch children looked for other ways to pay for their higher education.[13] In the summer of 2000, an army recruiter talked about how the government would pay for their school, "he did not lie to the kids", Jessica's mother said. He said there was always the possibility of war in the future. "But at that time it was before Sept. 11, and there was no terrorism," Jessica recalls, "so we were like, 'That would never happen to me.'"[13] On September 19 2001, barely a week after 9/11, Lynch entered basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and later Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for her Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) as unit-supply specialist at Fort Lee, Virginia.

Battle in Nasiriyah

Main article: Battle of Nasiriyah

On March 23 2003, a convoy of the United States Army's 507th Maintenance Company and the 3rd Combat Support BN elements made a wrong turn into enemy territory and were ambushed near Nasiriyah, a major crossing point over the Euphrates River northwest of Basra,[14] The convoy was supposed to detour around the town and instead turned directly into it, eventually running into an ambush.The ambush was unlikely to have been set up in advance, because the Iraqis knew less than the Americans what course the convoy would take. The navigational error has never been properly explained, because the soldiers had GPS receivers and maps. However, the convoy was a long one, and if the soldiers who knew the route and their location were not near the front of the convoy, it could easily have taken a wrong turn before it was possible to rectify the error. Apparently, the convoy took more than one wrong turn.

Jessica Lynch, then a 19-year-old supply clerk with the 507th Maintenance Company (based in Fort Bliss, Texas), was injured and captured by Iraqi forces[15]. She was initially listed as missing in action. Eleven other soldiers in the company were killed in the ambush and five other soldiers, later rescued, were captured. Her best friend, Lori Piestewa, was seriously wounded in the head and died in an Iraqi civilian hospital, possibly because it was not possible to do delicate neurosurgery in that hospital under wartime conditions (such as intermittant electrical power).[16]

A video of some of the American prisoners of war, including Lori Piestewa, was later shown around the world on Al Jazeera television. After the war footage was discovered of both Lynch and Lori Piestewa (in the footage Lori was still alive) at an Iraqi hospital[17].

Prisoner of war

After some time in the custody of the Iraqi army regiment which captured her,[18] Lynch was taken to a hospital in Nasiriya. Iraqi hospital staff, including Doctors Harith Al-Houssona and Anmar Uday, claim to have shielded Lynch from Iraqi military and government agents who were using the hospital as a base of military operations. U.S. forces were tipped off as to Lynch's whereabouts by an Iraqi, sympathetic to her plight, who told them she had been tortured and injured but was still alive. The Iraqi was described as a 32-year-old lawyer, initially described only as "Mohammed" and later identified as Mohammed Odeh al Rehaief. In light of Mohammed's role in Lynch's rescue, Mohammed and his family were granted refugee status by the United States.

Initial reports indicated that al Rehaief's wife was a nurse by the name of Iman in the hospital where Lynch was being held captive,[18] and that while visiting his wife at the hospital, al Rehaief noticed that security was heightened and inquired as to why. However, hospital personnel later confirmed only part of al Rehaief's story, indicating that while al Rehaief had indeed visited the hospital, his wife was not a nurse there, nor was there any nurse by the name of Iman working there. While visiting the hospital from which Lynch was eventually extracted, al Rehaief claimed that he had observed an Iraqi colonel slapping Lynch. "My heart stopped", said al Rehaief, "I knew then I must help her be saved. I decided I must go to tell the Americans."[18]

al Rehaief's story has been disputed by doctors working at the hospital, who claim that Lynch was shielded and protected from Iraqi military personnel by hospital staff and was cared for well throughout her stay at the hospital. [19] It is entirely possible that she received the best care that that hospital could provide, which was not as good as American military hospitals could provide.[citation needed]

Moreover, according to reports, on March 30, Dr. Al-Houssona reportedly attempted to have Lynch delivered to the U.S. forces, an attempt which had to be abandoned when the Americans fired on the Iraqi ambulance carrying her.[20]

According to al Rehaief's version of the events leading up to Lynch's rescue, he walked six miles to a U.S. Marine checkpoint to inform American forces that he knew where Lynch was being held.[18] After talking with the Marines, al Rehaief was then sent back to the hospital to gather more information, which was used to plan Lynch's rescue.[18] Allegedly al Rehaief returned to the checkpoint with five different maps of the hospital and the details of the security layout, reaction plan, and shift changes.

The U.S. military reportedly learned of Lynch's location from several informants, one of whom was al Rehaief.[21] After al Rehaief came forward and confirmed Lynch's location, officials with the Defense Intelligence Agency equipped and trained an unnamed person, possibly al Rehaief, alternatively listed as an Iraqi informant and as a Central Intelligence Agency agent, with a concealed video camera. On the day of the raid, the informant walked around the hospital, secretly videotaping entrances and a route to Lynch's room. al Rehaief was reportedly paid for his services.

Rescue/Hospital Retrieval

A combat camera video shows the April 1 2003 footage of Lynch on a stretcher during her rescue from Iraq.

On April 1, 2003, U.S. Marines staged a diversionary attack, besieging nearby Iraqi irregulars to draw them away from Saddam Hospital in Nasiriyah. Meanwhile, a joint unit assault element of Delta Force, Green Berets, SEALs, Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJs), and a security force of Army Rangers launched a nighttime raid on the hospital and successfully rescued Lynch and retrieved the bodies of 8 other American soldiers[22].

According to doctors present, they were herded into groups at gunpoint and treated like insurgents; and valuable hospital property was recklessly damaged and destroyed. Additionally, the doctors stated that the Iraqi military had left the hospital the day before and that no-one in the hospital had offered any resistance to the American forces during the raid. Many military and Special Forces experts have defended the tactics of the operators who led the raid, saying that the men are trained to expect the worst and move quickly, treating each person they encounter as a possible threat.

Witnesses told the BBC that the special forces had known that the Iraqi military had fled a day before they swooped on the hospital, and that the entire event was staged, even going so far as to use blanks in the Marines' guns to create the appearance that they were firing. [23]

Lynch's injuries

In the initial press briefing on April 2 2003 the Pentagon released a 5min video of the rescue and claimed that Lynch had stab and bullet wounds, and that she had been slapped about on her hospital bed and interrogated.[24]

But Iraqi doctors and nurses later interviewed, including Dr. Harith Al-Houssona, a doctor in the Nasirya hospital, described Lynch's injuries as "a broken arm, a broken thigh, and a dislocated ankle". According to Al-Houssona, there was no sign of gunshot or stab wounds, and Lynch's injuries were consistent with those that would be suffered in a car accident. Al-Houssona's claims were later confirmed in a U.S. Army report leaked on July 10, 2003.[25][26]

The authorized biography, I Am A Soldier Too: The Jessica Lynch Story, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Bragg states that Lynch had been raped during her captivity, based on medical records and her pattern of injuries. Since the book was authorized by Lynch, the charges would have had been made with Lynch's consent. [27]

Departure from Iraq

From Kuwait, Lynch was transported to a medical facility in Landstuhl, Germany, where she was expected to recover fully from her injuries. On the flight to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the military medics kept her sedated and hydrated. Her family flew to Germany on April 5 to be reunited with her. In a statement, the hospital said, "Lynch had a big smile on her face when her parents arrived".

Lynch underwent back surgery on April 3 to correct a slipped vertebra that was putting pressure on her spinal cord. Since then, she has undergone several more surgeries to stabilize her fractures.

Eleven bodies were recovered at the same time as Lynch's rescue, nine from a shallow gravesite and two from the morgue. Following forensic identification, eight were identified as fellow members of her company, including Private First Class Lori Ann Piestewa. All were subsequently given posthumous Purple Hearts. Details of their deaths are unclear.

Private Lynch was shown during a controversial display on Al Jazeera television of four other supply-unit POWs. That video also showed a number of dead soldiers from that unit with gunshot wounds to the forehead.

Mohammed flees Iraq

After learning of al Rehaief's role in Lynch's rescue, Friends of Mohammed, a group based in Malden, West Virginia, was formed to press for al Rehaief to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen and to bring him to West Virginia. On April 29, 2003, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced that Mohammed Odeh al Rehaief, his wife, and their 5-year-old daughter had been granted humanitarian asylum on April 28[28]. Al Rehaief and his family were brought to the United States at his request April 10. Al Rehaief published a book, Because Each Life Is Precious, in October 2003, for a reported US$300,000.[29] He is now working in the U.S.

Return home

Jessica Lynch is awarded the Bronze Star, Prisoner of War and Purple Heart medals

Upon her return she was greeted by thousands of West Virginia residents and by then-fiancé Army Sergeant Ruben Contreras. Soon after her return Lynch and Contreras separated.

On April 12 2003, Private Lynch was flown to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to undergo specialized treatment and rehabilitation. On April 17, she underwent surgery to repair a bone in her right foot.

While recovering in Washington, Lynch was inundated with gifts and flowers from well-wishers, so much so that she asked the public to send cards instead. Her family suggested that the public send money to charity and relief organizations.

Lynch was released from the hospital on July 22, more than three months after her injury.

On August 27 2003, Lynch was given a medical honorable discharge. An authorized biography, written by Rick Bragg, was released in November 2003.

Lynch's criticism

Soon after her rescue Pentagon officials disputed a report appearing in the Washington Post that Lynch had fought back, and the first official report of Lynch's actions during her capture released by the Pentagon weeks later said that she did not appear to have fought back against her captors. The stories of her supposed heroics that day were spread by the news media and by Congressmen from her own state of West Virginia. [30][31]

Months after returning, Lynch finally began speaking to the public. Her statements tended to be sharply critical of the original story that was reported by the Washington Post. When asked about her heroine status, "That wasn't me. I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do ... I'm just a survivor.[32]"

She denied the claims that she fought until being wounded, reporting that her weapon jammed immediately, and that she could not have done anything anyway. Interviewed by Diane Sawyer, Lynch claimed, concerning the Pentagon: "They used me to symbolize all this stuff. It's wrong. I don't know why they filmed [my rescue] or why they say these things." [33] She also stated "I did not shoot, not a round, nothing. I went down praying to my knees. And that's the last I remember." She reported excellent treatment in Iraq, and that one person in the hospital even sang to her to help her feel at home.

Controversy also arose regarding the varying treatment and media coverage of Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson, an African-American soldier captured in the same ambush as Lynch, but rescued later. Critics, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, said that Johnson's race was a major reason that Johnson received little media attention and a smaller disability pension as compared to Lynch. Other criticism has focused on the ignoring of other members in her unit, such as Lori Piestewa, who had picked up Lynch when her vehicle broke down and was later mortally wounded by gunfire. Male prisoners in her unit received scant media coverage at all. It should be noted that the criticism was not directed to Lynch herself but what was perceived to be biased media coverage. Lynch always spoke with great respect for her fellow soldiers, especially the ones who were killed in the incident. Lynch had been best friends with Piestewa and at her homecoming gave this tribute:

Most of all, I miss Lori Piestewa. She was my best friend. She fought beside me and it was an honor to have served with her. Lori will always remain in my heart.

— excerpt from Jessica Lynch's homecoming speech[34]

Congressional hearings

On April 24 2007 Jessica Lynch gave congressional testimony before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the Pentagon had erroneously portrayed her as a "Rambo from West Virginia," when in fact, she never fired a shot after her truck was ambushed. (According to her authorized biography, her M-16 jammed.)

Earlier in the day, Pat Tillman's brother, Kevin Tillman, also testified. He and Lynch talked about misinformation and hype relating to the battlefield and how the military lied and twisted reality for propaganda purposes. She also met with the Tillman family and compared her incident in Iraq to Pat Tillman's in Afghanistan saying that "Our stories are similar". [1] She began her testimony by noting for the record that her appearance was not politically motivated.

In a prepared statement she said:[35]

  • "I believe this is not a time for finger pointing. It is time for the truth, the whole truth, versus hype and misinformation.

  • "I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary ... [T]he bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate tales.

  • "The truth of war is not always easy to hear but it is always more heroic than the hype."

Plans and wishes from college

Lynch is a sophomore student at West Virginia University's Parkersburg campus, on a full scholarship because of her military service.

On May 6 2006, Allison Barker of the Associated Press reported that Lynch, who had completed her freshman year, avoids her military past at school despite wearing a brace on her left foot protecting nerve damage from her capture: "I think people recognize who I am; they just don't make it obvious. That's good for me because it gives me the opportunity to blend in and not stick out and really experience the college life, just like they are." Lynch also talked about her career plans and legacy: "I know I want to do something with children. [But] I haven't really found my direction, with everything I've been through....I want people to remember me as being a soldier who went over there and did my job. Nothing special. I'm just a country girl at heart."

On August 24 2006, Good Morning America Weekend Edition co-anchor Kate Snow reported that Lynch wrote a letter stating she will have a baby by the end of the year. Foxnews.com reported that Lynch and her boyfriend Wes Robinson will have their first child in January. Jessica made the statement: "I was not sure if this could ever happen for me, learning to walk again and coping with the internal injuries that I still deal with pale in comparison to the tremendous joy of carrying this child." Jessica gave birth on January 19 2007 through a caesarean section, and named her daughter "Dakota Ann" after her fallen friend, Lori Ann Piestewa, the first woman (of the US-led Coalition) killed in the Iraq War.[36]

Topless photographs

On November 11 2003, Larry Flynt announced to the Associated Press he purchased photographs of a topless Lynch who was "frolicking with the soldiers" in an Army barracks. Flynt told the press that the soldiers who sold him the photos "wanted to let it be known that she's not all apple pie". While Flynt admitted he had bought nude photos of PFC Jessica Lynch to publish in Hustler magazine, he later changed his mind and the photos were not released. Flynt claimed his decision to "lock [the photographs] in a vault" was because he thought she was a "good kid" who became "a pawn for the government". "Some things are more important than money", he said. "You gotta do the right thing". The alleged photographs have never been leaked or published.[37]

TV movie

An NBC TV movie depicting Lynch's ambush and rescue, Saving Jessica Lynch, which was about Mohammed's account of him rescuing Lynch aired in the U.S. on November 9 2003, starring Canadian actress Laura Regan as Lynch. In an interview published in the August 15, 2005, Time magazine, Lynch stated that she saw some of it, but that the inaccuracies in it upset her enough that she did not finish watching all of it. Much of the content in the movie had been disputed by others.[38][39]

References

  1. ^ "Myth Making". MSNBC. 2007-04-20. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  2. ^ a b "Hearing on Tillman, Lynch Incidents: Jessica Lynch's Opening". You Tube. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  3. ^ "The truth about Jessica". The Guardian. 15/05/2003. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Pentagon plans propaganda war". BBC News. 2002-02-20. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Michel Chossudovsky (2002-02-20). "War Propaganda". Global Research. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Rumsfeld's Roadmap to Propaganda". National Security Archive. 2006-01-26. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "U.S. Psychological Operations: Military Uses Networks to Spread Misinformation". Democracy Now. 2004-02-12. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Iraq war illegal, says Annan". BBC News. 2004-09-16. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Noam Chomsky, Media Control 2nd Edition, page 22. Seven Stories Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58322-536-6
  10. ^ Anthony Lappé and Stephen Masrshall, True Lies, page 43. Plume, October 2004. ISBN 0-452-28531-3
  11. ^ Noam Chomsky, Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance, page 109. Penguin Books, 2003. ISBN 1-141-01505-5
  12. ^ "Media Manipulation". Global Issues. 2006-04-17. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b By NANCY GIBBS (Monday, Nov. 17, 2003). "The Private Jessica Lynch" (HTML). Time magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  14. ^ PDF
  15. ^ "Rambo image was based on lie, says US war hero Jessica Lynch". The Guardian. April 25 2007. Retrieved June 7. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'". BBC News. 2003-03-15. Retrieved May 5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Lucas, Dean (2007). "Famous Pictures Magazine - Jessica Lynch" (HTML). Famous Pictures Magazine. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  18. ^ a b c d e Lynch, David J. (April 3 2003). "Iraqi lawyer's courage leads Marines to Lynch" (HTML). USA TODAY. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "House panel to probe reports on Tillman, Jessica Lynch". CNN. April 10 2007. Retrieved April 24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'"
  21. ^ Dana Priest, William Booth, and Susan Schmidt (Tuesday, June 17, 2003; Page A01). "A Broken Body, a Broken Story, Pieced Together" (HTML). Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-08-01. Tipped that Lynch was inside Saddam Hussein General Hospital in Nasiriyah, the CIA, fearing a trap, sent an agent into the facility with a hidden camera to confirm she was there, intelligence sources said. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Associated Press (January 30, 2006). "Army Decorates Lynch's Rescuers" (HTML). www.military.com. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'
  24. ^ presented by John Kampfner and produced by Sandy Smith (May 15 2003). "The Truth about Jessica" (HTML). The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "Army's Analysis of Former Prisoner of War Jessica Lynch's Capture", Fox News, July 10 2003
  26. ^ John Kampfner (May 16 2003). "Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'" (HTML). BBC News Online. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Rick Hampson. "Lynch book tells of rape by captors". USA Today. Retrieved April 24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ Terry Frieden and correspondent Kelli Arena contributed to this report. (Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Posted: 2:18 AM EDT (0618 GMT)). "Iraqi who helped rescue POW granted asylum" (HTML). CNN. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "PR Specialist of Debunked Persian Gulf War Incubator Story Promotes New Book on Lynch 'Rescue'", Democracy Now', October 17 2003
  30. ^ Delong, M. "Politics During War." New York Times, April 27 2007
  31. ^ Priest, D., Booth, W., Schmidt, S. "A Broken Body, A Broken Story, Pieced Together." Washington Post, June 17 2003
  32. ^ AP (2007). "Rescued POW disturbed by exaggerated early reports of her ordeal" (HTML). NCTimes. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ "Lynch: Military played up rescue too much" (HTML). CNN. Friday, November 7, 2003 Posted: 7:24 PM EST (0024 GMT). Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Lynch, Jessica (July 22, 2003). "Hero's Welcome For Jessica Lynch" (HTML). CBS. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  35. ^ "UPDATE: Army Ranger at Hearing Says He Was Told To Cover Up Pat Tillman's Killing". Editor and Publisher. Tuesday April 24 2007. Retrieved April 24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Macon Morehouse (Friday January 19, 2007). "Former POW Jessica Lynch Welcomes a Daughter". People (magazine). Retrieved April 24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "Flynt won't publish topless Lynch photos", CNN, November 11 2003
  38. ^ "Tinseltown Eyeing POW's Tale", Entertainment Online, April 10 2003
  39. ^ "NBC to make movie about POW Jessica Lynch", CNN, April 11 2003

Further reading

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