Posted on 10/20/2006 1:21:54 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Imagine you're a leading news magazine. You've published a major story claiming that Afghanistan is a brewing disaster in which Al-Qaeda can once again roam with impunity. So bad is the situation, say you, that for purposes of your article you've dubbed the country "Jihadistan."
Now comes the Pentagon, and in painstaking, point-by-point fashion, refutes so many of your article's assertions as to call its overall validity into question. How do you respond?
A. In a rigorous, systematic manner, you contest the Pentagon's arguments and prove that you were correct in the first place.
Or - if you're unable to do that because the Pentagon was indeed right;
B. You correct your original article, or offer the DoD a reasonable amount of space in your pages to make its case.
This of course is not a hypothetical. As I had written here, Newsweek did indeed publish in its international edition of October 2nd a major, 2200-word, story entitled The Rise of Jihadistan, painting a grim, back-to-square-one, portrait of Aghanistan as a largely safe haven for Al-Qaeda.
And the Pentagon did indeed respond with a detailed, point-by-point debunking of the Newsweek story. Here is just one example:
NEWSWEEK CLAIM: "Five years after the Afghan invasion, the Taliban are fighting back hard, carving out a sanctuary where they -- and Al Qaeda's leaders -- can operate freely. Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups now have a place from which to hatch the next 9/11."
PENTAGON RESPONSE: This assertion is contradicted within the same article by Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, Commander, Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan. He points out that al-Qaeda or its successors have nothing like the liberty that allowed them to plot September 11 in the open. He states, "They have no safe haven inside Afghanistan that if we find it, we will not strike against them." It is one thing for al-Qaeda remnants to operate within Afghanistan's borders while being vigorously pursued and attacked by Afghan, NATO, and Coalition forces -- as is happening now. It is quite another thing for a terrorist organization to have an entire nation where they can plan, train, and launch attacks with impunity -- as Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda did in Afghanistan before September 11. There is simply no comparison between the situation in Afghanistan when 9-11 was "hatched" to the situation today.
OK, back to Newsweek's response. Did they go for 'A,' or 'B'? As you might have guessed, Newsweek chose 'C': neither of the above.
As per a letter of October 11th from Newsweek to the Pentgon that this NewsBuster has obtained, a suddenly demure Newsweek now claims that its blockbuster article, presented as objective fact, was merely its "analysis" of the situation in Afghanistan. Newsweek doesn't even attempt to take on the Pentagon's systematic dismantling of its article. Nor will Newsweek agree to a correction or to making available any significant space to lay out the Pentagon case. Instead, while observing that the Pentagon is "free and welcome" to disagree with it [thanks!], Newsweek offers to publish a "concisely" written letter. Consider that by "concise" Newsweek likely means at most 200 words, whereas this NB item itself extends to over 620 .
So here we have a mainstay of the MSM that - when confronted with a serious challenge to its reporting on a matter of crucial national interest - attempts to downplay a major piece as mere "analysis." And rather than either replying seriously to the Pentagon's systematic refutation, or covering those arguments in its own pages, offers the Pentagon no more than the barest opportunity to respond.
Is this evidence of a news organization with a burning desire to get to the truth, or another lamentable example of drive-by journalism?
Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY. Webcasts and podcasts of Mark's award-winning TV show 'Right Angle' here. Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
Newsweek/NewsBusters ping to Today show list.
Oh this is good!
Wow.
Remember when Spiro Agnew caused such a firestorm by referring to the media as "nattering nabobs of negativism"?
He was so right.
Great piece by Finkelstein, he nailed it. Thanks for posting.
any links to Newsweak's backtracking???
I can't argue with you. Then again, I'm Finkelstein!
I might post a link later. Nothing available at this moment.
LOL! I guess that just goes to show how much of a newbie I am. I still think it's a great piece.
NewsWeak Jihadi Propaganda.
*I* am Spartacus.
Ah, Newsweek, just another traitorous left-wing rag, destined for the ash heap of history along with the rest of the dinosaur media...
If you click on NewsBusters link above, and go to original NewsBusters item, you will find a clickable link for "letter."
Oh but ok, cause their the MSM....they can do anything....
I'm starting to wonder how much work the CNN people did to create that filty thing they have been showing about our Troops dieing....
somehow the American public must hold these peoples' feet to the fire.
Many in the American public are totally oblivious to the MSM's concoctions and lies. Many, many years of having a monopoly on news has brainwashed and dumbed-down a large portion of the American public.
I don't think there is anyone on this forum who believes that Newspeak would EVER! publish a pro-admin article. They are almost as far left as The Nation, a rag which makes it its business to be anti-American.
Unfortunately many of them do not want to know, because that would mean they have been fooled for most of their lives. I love my parents, but they will believe the Newsweek story because it is in Newsweek. To believe the Pentagon would mean that Newsweek lied and if they lie about Afghanistan, that would mean that they lied about other things. Those "other things" are most of the reasons my parents are Democrats. That is also the "truth" for lots of the pre-boomers.
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