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September 13, 2013

Syria Researcher Cited by Kerry, McCain Fired for Lying About Credentials 
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A Syria researcher whose worked was cited by Secretary of State John
Kerry and Arizona Republican Sen. John Mc Cain to help bolster support
for military strikes in Syria has been fired after lying to her employer
about having a doctoral degree. Elizabeth O'Bagy worked for the
Institute for the Study of War. She wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street
Journal that was cited by Kerry in testimony before the House Foreign
Affairs Committee last Wednesday. He said her name incorrectly.

John Kerry: "A woman by the name of Elizabeth Bagly, B-A-G-L-Y, just
wrote an article, she works with the Institute of War, she's fluent in
Arabic and spent an enormous amount of time studying the opposition,
studying Syria, she just published this the other day, very interesting
article, which I commend to you. The general belief, there is a real,
moderate opposition that exists."

The Wall Street Journal attached a clarification to O'Bagy's opinion
piece noting that she is also affiliated with a group called the Syrian
Emergency Task Force which subcontracts with the U.S. government to
assist the Syrian opposition.

 

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