Jesse Macbeth

Jesse Adam Macbeth (b. March 21, 1984; name changed to Jesse Adam Al-Zaid in 1986) is an anti-war protester and convicted criminal who falsely claimed to be an Army Ranger and veteran of the Iraq War. He lied in alternative media interviews that he and his unit routinely committed war crimes in Iraq. Transcripts of the video were made in English and Arabic.

According to the U.S. Army, there is no record of Macbeth being a Ranger, or serving in a combat unit. He was discharged from the service after having been declared unfit or unsuitable for the Army, or both, before he could complete basic training.

After his release from the Army in 2004, Macbeth presented himself as a veteran, telling war stories and garnering attention from mainstream, alternative and student media outlets. He joined Iraq Veterans Against the War in January 2006, and represented, or was scheduled to represent them, publicly at various events throughout the country before the organization required proof of service. The organization has since said it does not endorse Macbeth or his accounts of military service. Accounts in Macbeth's name appear on Military.com and Myspace.com, and both were used to post claims about military service in Iraq.

On September 21, 2007 Macbeth admitted in federal court that he had faked his war record. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan declared that Macbeth had been in the Army for just 44 days and had been dismissed as unfit. In 2008, after being released from prison, a statement by some claiming to be Macbeth was posted, in which he claimed to have been raised as a Muslim in Saudi Arabia. He stated he felt he could be an asset who could communicate in Arabic, but purportedly encountered harassment on the basis of his religion.

Macbeth alleged Iraq war atrocities in interviews posted to the Internet as web pages and video. He was featured in the 2006 PepperSpray Productions video, posted at Peacefilms.org, Jessie Macbeth: Former Army Ranger and Iraq War Veteran. A link to the video was posted May 21, 2006 on the community blog Metafilter.

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