IWA for Sunday June 25th 2006,

Hey folks,

Well I didn’t have to look far to find the IWA this week. I’ve had it since Tuesday. This perhaps may be the most controversial IWA I have ever given out. But there is no other contender this week. I know that some of you may take offense to this, but it is just clear that this winner DESERVES it.

The IWA goes to,,,,, Ken MacKenzie, the Uncle of Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca 23, of Houston, one of the two soldiers who disappeared after a firefight in Iraq, found dead with possible signs of torture, not far from where he and the other soldier, Thomas Lowell Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore, were last seen.

I understand losing a loved one. I understand when you lose someone you love, you may not be thinking straight, and end up saying stupid things. But I have some questions about Mr. MacKenzie.

First realize this. This is not Kristian Menchaca’s Mother, nor Father. This is an Uncle that we do not know the relationship. We do not know if they were close. Or if, which appears more likely, this is someone seeking a spotlight, and possibly a lawsuit from the Government. He sounds an awful lot like a card carrying Bushwhacker, but I do not know this for fact. Nor do I know the role he played in Menchaca's life while Menchaca was alive. But I do know this, this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard.

In an interview with Matt Lauer on the "Today Show", when asked,

"A group linked to al-Qaeda on its website has claimed that they actually took Kristian and another soldier. What's your reaction to that?"

MacKenzie said,

"My reaction is the United States government should have immediately notified these Shura Council mujahadeen that the United States government was offering a $100-million reward and offering to exchange the 2,500 mujahadeen detainees that Prime Minister al-Maliki of Iraq plans to release several weeks from now. I think the U.S. government was too slow to react to this, they should have had a plan in place. Because the U.S. government did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid for it with his life."

Now this statement is so bizarre, that even MMD paid employee Matt Lauer had to interrupt, He said,

"Let me just interrupt for a second. Obviously the U.S. has a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. We do have reports that up to 8,000 troops, U.S. and Iraqis, are out searching for your nephew and also reward money is being offered in Baghdad or in the area for any information leading to the finding of your nephew. Are you suggesting that you think the U.S. government should pay a ransom?"

The response of MacKenzie? He said,

"Yes. The ransom is available from Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party funds seized by the U.S. government. More than $100 billion in cash and gold, that the U.S. government apparently had plans to return to the government of Iraq. I would think that that money, part of it, could be used to pay ransom. That would not be coming out of U.S. taxpayer pockets, by the way. It could be paid out of the bank account where it now reposes. I think that that money should have been earmarked for this type of a hostage situation."

Lauer continued to clearify, {I truly think that Matt could not believe what he was hearing} he asked,

"Mr. MacKenzie, obviously you are dealing with this as a personal and a family tragedy. I can certainly understand that, but wouldn't that then make it very profitable for terrorists in Iraq and other parts of the world to kidnap westerners because they could reap huge amounts of money from it?"

MacKenzie said,

"Yes, but they are doing that anyway. I don't know if that would escalate or encourage them to kidnap more westerners and more U.S. soldiers. But I rather doubt it. My concern is the humanitarian concern."

Ok, again, I understand the possibly that this is a grieving family member. But these are outrageous statements to make. Even if my Son Joshua was killed in combat, as much as this would kill me inside, I know for a fact that I would NEVER suggest that paying a stupid amount of money for ANY hostage civilian, or military personal, will, A- get them back alive, B- prevent any other abductions, or C- do anything else but ENCOURAGE more.

Although I can appreciate your loss, and wish you peace in your time of need, I have to say that you Mr. MacKenzie, making these statements, ARE idiotic. Therefore Sir, you ARE the Idiot of the week.
Peter