Posted on 10/28/2004 7:39:51 AM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
It has all the makings of an incendiary story: a chilling pre-election videotape featuring a supposed member of al Qaeda, declaring in English that "blood will run red in the streets of America."
The problem, say ABC News executives, is that they can't determine whether the tape, obtained by a producer, involves a real threat -- or even the identity of the figure on it, a man wearing an ammunition belt and a headdress that obscures his face. The network enlisted the aid of the FBI and CIA but still can't authenticate the 75-minute videotape.
"We're not quite there to broadcast something that would be quite frightening," investigative reporter Brian Ross said yesterday. "I'd love to have the exclusive, but first we'd like to get it right."
ABC was put in the awkward position of defending its insistence on fully checking out the story after the Drudge Report posted a huge online headline: "ABC News Holds Terror Warning Tape...."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The latest DRUDGE teaser.
"ABCNEWS EXECUTIVES CONSIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AIRING DISTURBING TERROR TAPE DURING ELECTION WEEK... MORE..."
ruh roh.
IS this promise (the streets will run red with blood) from Al -Qaeda -- or the vote fraud hacks at the DNC?
Drudge has a siren and the headlines FBI/CIA authenticate terror tape...right now.
Al -Qaeda
Please let me know if my thinking is off here, but don't reminders of how dangerous terrorists are, or that we have enemies out there help Bush?
It seems like if terrorism is on the front, folks are oging to go with the guy who wants to go after the enemy.
If it's authenticated, they'll have to release it. No way around it.
Perhaps they won't BROADCAST it, but they'll have to make it available. If something happened and they had suppressed the warning...well, God help 'em.
Now that the tape has been authenticated, ABC should air it. They should not be in the position of gaming the news and considering the political implications of releasing this tape. If it authentic, it is newsworthy. If it helps the President, it helps the President. If it hurts the President, so be it.
The RATS should remind the terrorists that if they take out NYC prior to the election Bush takes New York's electoral votes!< /sarcasm >
And when has this stopped them before?
LOLOL.....hotfoot.......love that headline
What may be useful is if Drudge can find out what political implications ABC was talking about in his teaser:
"ABCNEWS EXECUTIVES CONSIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AIRING DISTURBING TERROR TAPE DURING ELECTION WEEK... MORE..."
Thanks.
This tape is nothing more than a nuisance. Just ask Senator Kerry.
It doesn't matter who said what in the tape, all that really counts for the Dem's and MSM is does JFK feel it will give him a boost.
At least ABC paused to think, even if for all the wrong reasons. Thinking, if then followed by fair and balanced reporting is all we can ask from the MSM. If they do air the tape, I hope that they will have some folks come on to point out that the terrorists obviously don't want Bush elected again, and if they have something like this planned, they are likely to implement it no matter who gets elected.....but that is expecting a lot from the MSM.
stupid question - but since the govt has a copy now - why cant they release it under the auspices of security ?
I'll be interested in seeing which parts they choose to air -- cause I don't think they'll air the entire hour-long production. So will they air the empty-headed ranting, or will they play the heart of the threat?
Since they thought twice about airing it, we can be sure they think it will help the President.
The terrorist warns that there will be an attack if Bush is re-elected.
Ohio voters aint Spainards.
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