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Seriously, the Dallas Morning news is good. They still have to use AP wire reports, though.

I nearly came unglued when I saw your post. Upon reflection, I agreed that you're right -- the Dallas Morning News can be good when they do their own reporting. However, they so often have their reporters tied up with fluff (like the recent article about what Trish Hinojosa would do if she were president) and depend on junky AP wire reports. The news editors are also keen on filtering the news so that only politically correct stories get published.
I had a big running battle with news editor Tim Connolly several weeks back after they refused to publish anything about Jordan thwarting a terrorist attack. I happen to know several Americans in close connection with the Jordanian government and they were believers. The guy's e-mail address is TConnolly@dallasnews.com. Feel free, folks, to pick up where I left off. Here are several of our e-mail exchanges:
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Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX,

I do believe that Jordanian authorities uncovered and thwarted a significant plot, but this report from AP strikes me as both unclear and possibly misleading. A "chemical bomb" that could kill 20,000 people AND destroy buildings over a mile radius? That doesn't sound like any weapon we're familiar with, except maybe a nuclear bomb. In an interview last week with the San Francisco Chronicle, King Abdullah described a plot to attack the prime minister's residence and other buildings with trucks loaded with explosives. That does sound like a plausible plot, and the source of the information is named and credible, unlike the source in the AP story. If we get a clear and credible description of this plot, we'll put it in the paper.

Tim Connolly

International Editor

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Thank you very much for your kind note, Mr. Connolly.

My first thought is that I’m not surprised when an AP report is “unclear and misleading.” The words AP, unclear, and misleading are often found together, or at least they ought to be. The best thing I can say about AP is that they’re not Reuters. And the best thing about Reuters is that they aren’t AFP.

My second thought (my degrees are in chemistry and chemical engineering) is that standard bombs are usually used to disperse chemicals. The old mustard gas mortars from WWI were simply regular mortars that, when exploded, released the mustard gas. Of course, a nuclear bomb is definitely possible and it might take one to level that much area. It’s just my guess though (and probably yours, too) that the half-mile radius is an exaggeration or a mis-translation.

My final thought is that this calls for the DMN to do some research rather than wait for a “clear and credible description of [the] plot” to land on the desktop. That’ll never happen if you’re depending on AP or the other news agencies. The DMN often prints news with partial information and includes the appropriate caveats. You should do the same in this case.

I’m glad that you’re familiar with the story from the San Francisco Chronicle – here’s a collection of recent articles from a variety of other sources as well as Jordanian and US Embassy contacts. Certainly these ought to allow you to piece something together. Shoot, if nothing else, call the SFC and see if they’ll let you can mine their sources. This is a big story, if true.

Jordan’s Prime Minister’s office (ask to speak to Asma Khadr)
            Phone: 962-6-464-1211
Fax:      962-6-569-5541

Jordan’s Ministry of Information
Office of the Minister
P.O. Box 9903
Amman 11191, Jordan
Phone: 962-6-585-1305
Fax:      962-6-585-1305
minister@moict.gov.jo

US Embassy -- Jordan [provided list of contacts here -- DallasMike]
American Embassy
P.O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan.
Phone: 962-6-590-6000
Fax:      962-6-592-0121

Your counterparts at the Jordan Press Association
BBC – Saturday, April 10^th, 23:05 GMT
AFP – Tuesday, April 13^th, 4:18 PM
BBC – Wednesday, April 14^th, 0:10 GMT
CNN – Wednesday, April 14^th, 6:07 GMT
Google cache of Aljazeera story – April 14^th
ABC News – Wednesday, April 14^th, 6:20 AM
Reuters – Sunday, April 18^th, 12:46 AM
AP – Tuesday, April 20^th, 3:55 PM
AFP – Tuesday, April 20^th, 6:14 PM

-Michael XXXXXXXX
Garland, Texas

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Dear Mr. Connolly,

Even CNN is now covering the story of how Jordan thwarted a “chemical and poison gas” WMD attack instigated by an Al Qaeda operative in Iraq. According to the Jordanian government, the attack would have killed approximately 80,000 people. Ha’aretz is reporting with a little more detail the confessions of the terrorists, which were broadcast a couple of hours or so in Jordan. It looks like Jordan’s GID did their usual thorough work.

This is a big story that the DMN missed when it first had a chance to report it. The domestic angle to this it that it appears that Iraq or terrorists supported by Iraq really did have the capacity to control the deployment of WMDs, regardless of whether the WMDs were physically located in the country.

Here’s a portion of a response I received the other day from [an American with high contacts in the Jordanian government] after I sent them the same information and links that I sent you. [Following is part of the response of the American]

“Hey those were great articles. I did enjoy reading them. It probably is about time that the story gets out.”

[Deleted material to protect identities -- DallasMike]

I hope that the DMN will now take the opportunity that it missed over the past several weeks and give this story the front-page attention that it deserves. Truthfully, it bothers me quite a bit that the DMN ignored this major story even after I sent you news links as well as phone, fax, and e-mail addresses of knowledgeable people in the US Embassy, the Jordanian government, and the Jordanian news media. What more could you have needed?

The notion that the DMN was waiting for better information just doesn’t fly – I provided you what now appears to be a good analysis of what was going on and it would have been a simple matter to confirm what I told you or to dig for additional information. The only reason that I can think for not having published this story so far is that DMN has too much capital invested in the notion that WMDs in Iraq never existed.

Best regards,

-Michael XXXXXXX
Garland, Texas

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Other exchanges follow. The long and the short is that the Dallas Morning News is looking for any excuse not to print the story.

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Dear Mr. McCullough,

Thanks again for the info. I thought the CNN report was illuminating, in that it seemed to indicate there was no consensus among intelligence people exactly what kind of attack was envisioned. ABC is now reporting skepticism within Jordan on the government's claims that a major plot was thwarted. I personally believe, based in part on the information that you have shared, that a major attack was plotted, but I remain skeptical of these numbers being thrown around. The plotters may have said they wanted to kill 80,000, but there is little indication--in my mind--that they knew how to do that. They are terrorists, and it serves their purpose to have people fearful of them and their projected capabilities. I think it also serves the purposes of the Jordanian government to have their people believe that a major attack was thwarted. That doesn't mean one wasn't thwarted, but I find the skepticism within Jordan interesting. So why don't we pursue this story ourselves more vigorously? Because this is one of many plots or reported plots, and we have limited staff and resources. I'm not convinced this plot is one that demands our attention more than several others. I don't think the connection to Iraq--at least to the Hussein government and WMD--is clear at all. Be that as it may, we will continue to monitor the reports, and we do appreciate your input.

Regards,

Tim Connolly