Elizabeth O’Bagy: Researcher Who Made Case For War In Syria Fired For Lying On Resume

Researcher Elizabeth O’Bagy has been fired by the Institute for the Study of War, just days after the Syria expert penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed cited by Secretary of State John Kerry in making the case for military action in Syria.

O’Bagy had claimed that she received a Ph.D. from Georgetown University, but the Institute for the Study of War soon learned that was not the case, and the researcher was fired.

“ISW has accordingly terminated Ms. O’Bagy’s employment, effective immediately,” the institute said in a statement.

Elizabeth O’Bagy was an unpaid intern when she started at the institute, and because she was a fluent Arabic speaker was pulled into work on Syria.

O’Bagy wrote an op-ed piece for the WSJ, “On the Front Lines of Syria’s Civil War,” that has been cited by both John Kerry and Senator John McCain in making the case for US military intervention in Syria.

The piece itself has also garnered controversy. The 26-year-old O’Bagy was listed as a “senior analyst” at ISW, but did not reveal in the article that she had a connection to a Syrian rebel advocacy group.

The Wall Street Journal later added a clarification that read:

“In addition to her role at the Institute for the Study of War, Ms. O’Bagy is affiliated with the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a nonprofit operating as a 501(c)(3) pending IRS approval that subcontracts with the U.S. and British governments to provide aid to the Syrian opposition.”

For her part, the fired researcher has defended herself, writing on Twitter: “I have never tried to hide that Ive worked closely with opposition & rebel commanders. Thats what allows me to travel more safely in Syria.” She added, “I’m not trying to trick America here. I’m just trying to show a different side to the conflict that few people have the chance to see.”