Jesse Macbeth

Jesse Macbeth

Jesse Adam Macbeth (b. Jesse Adam Al-Zaid, in 1984) is an anti-war protester 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 a person appearing to be Macbeth explained that he had grown up as a Muslim in Saudi Arabia and felt that he could be an asset who could communicate in Arabic, but he encountered harassment on the basis of his religion.