Lynndie England lecture nixed after threats

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Sean Lengell

"Thousands and thousands of honorable men and women have and are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. They don't get book deals and invited to lecture at the Library of Congress," the posting states. "It's a disgrace that the dishonorable profit and that we use government property and resources to glorify the gutless."

The posting had 25 comments by Friday evening. While none of the comments contained violent threats, several were critical of Ms. England.

Mr. Moore, a Vietnam War veteran, said he doesn't agree with or condone the actions of all of the series' speakers but that it's important to "hear all sides."

"I try to be apolitical and have left- and right-[leaning speakers], and that's why it was very popular," he said.

As a counterpoint to Ms. England's talk, Mr. Moore had planned a later event with the prosecutor who handled the former soldier's case.

Ms. England was a private in the Army Reserve when she was shown in lurid photos holding a naked prisoner on a leash and posing with a pyramid of naked detainees.

One of 11 soldiers convicted of singled out for wrongdoing at the Iraqi prison, she was convicted in 2005 of six of seven counts involving prisoner mistreatment, and acquitted on a second conspiracy count. She was sentenced to three years in prison, of which she served about 17 months.

Mr. Moore, who has had booked about 50 speakers for the veterans forum during the past eight years, said he has decided to discontinue the series effective immediately because he fears that future guests may bring additional threats.

"I can't operate in an environment like that," he said. "I think enough if enough. I can't do something that might embarrass the library."

Mr. Moore said he is frustrated that a small group of protesters can stifle free speech for others, comparing the situation to disruptions caused by protesters at recent congressional town hall meetings.

"I guess that's just the environment right now," he said, adding that free speech in "is pretty well dead" in the U.S.

A request to interview Ms. England through a publicist Friday was unsuccessful.