Army: New Republic Scribe Lied

The military and the New Republic are at a standoff over the accuracy of a series of damaging diaries by an Army private in Iraq. Army investigators say they're fabricated, that no one in the unit corroborated his stories about petty cruelty among soldiers. But TNR Editor Franklin Foer told Kurtz the magazine checked the story with other soldiers who were present and they stand by the story, despite the Army's denial.

The Weekly Standard reported that PVT Scott Thomas Beauchamp conceded the falsehoods to the Army in a sworn statement; the New Republic says it’s their belief he signed something that didn’t contradict his columns—and added the military had stymied fact-checking. No one will be able to ask the author anytime soon, as Beauchamp’s punishment is confiscation of his laptop and cellphone. (More Iraq stories.)