Hope Rocco appreciates how invaluable his reports have been. If we had more of Rocco's quality and fair reporting on the real goings on in Iraq the countrywide opinion towards our efforts there would be quite different. Though I have found it quite interesting how more balanced coverage of the surge has been seen lately. An interesting development.
Speaking of interesting developments here' an update on our favorite fraud reporter in Iraq. Take a bow everyone. We sniffed this phony out in two seconds. Shame on him.

From Micehelle Malkin's site
'THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp–author of the much-disputed “Shock Troops” article in the New Republic’s July 23 issue as well as two previous “Baghdad Diarist” columns–signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods–fabrications containing only “a smidgen of truth,” in the words of our source.

Separately, we received this statement from Major Steven F. Lamb, the deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad:

An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims.

According to the military source, Beauchamp’s recantation was volunteered on the first day of the military’s investigation. So as Beauchamp was in Iraq signing an affidavit denying the truth of his stories, the New Republic was publishing a statement from him on its website on July 26, in which Beauchamp said, “I’m willing to stand by the entirety of my articles for the New Republic using my real name.”'