Posted on 11/27/2006 3:41:07 PM PST by lowbridge
Posted by Greg Sheffield on November 27, 2006 - 13:25.
The news that six Sunnis were captured by Shiites, doused with kerosine and burned alive, was too sensational to not be picked up by the mainstream media. But it turns out that the event never happened. Furthermore, the Iraqi "spokesman" relied on to give all information regarding this event is as fictional as the story itself.
Jamil Hussein, the man news reports called "police Capt. Jamil Hussein," was the source for all information regarding the burning. Although he is mentioned by USA Today, the Associated Press, CBS News, and other outlets, Central Command says no such person exists. Centcom also asked the Associated Press to retract the story unless it has proof beyond Jamil Hussein's word.
Flopping Aces has a press release from Centcom, which is in charge of all U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Associated Press:
On Nov. 24, 2006, your organization published an article by Qais Al-Bashir about six Sunnis being burned alive in the presence of Iraqi Police officers. This news item, which is below, received an enormous amount of coverage internationally.
We at Multi-National Corps - Iraq made it known through MNC-I Press Release Number 20061125-09 and our conversations with your reporters that neither we nor Baghdad Police had any reports of such an incident after investigating it and could find no one to corroborate the story. A couple of hours ago, we learned something else very important. We can tell you definitively that the primary source of this story, police Capt. Jamil Hussein, is not a Baghdad police officer or an MOI employee. We verified this fact with the MOI through the Coalition Police Assistance Training Team.
Also, we definitely know, as we told you several weeks ago through the MNC-I Media Relations cell, that another AP-popular IP spokesman, Lt. Maithem Abdul Razzaq, supposedly of the citys Yarmouk police station, does not work at that police station and is also not authorized to speak on behalf of the IP. The MOI has supposedly issued a warrant for his questioning.
I know we have informed you that there exists an MOI edict that no one below the level of chief is authorized to be an Iraqi Police spokesperson. An unauthorized IP spokesperson will get fired for talking to the media. While I understand the importance of a news agency to use anonymous and unauthorized sources, it is still incumbent upon them to make sure their facts are straight. Was this information verified by anyone else? If the source providing the information is lying about his name, then he ought not to be represented as an official IP spokesperson and should be listed as an anonymous source.
Unless you have a credible source to corroborate the story of the people being burned alive, we respectfully request that AP issue a retraction, or a correction at a minimum, acknowledging that the source named in the story is not who he claimed he was. MNC-I and MNF-I are always available and willing to verify events and provide as much information as possible when asked.
Very respectfully,
LT XXXXXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
MNC-I Joint Operations Center
Public Affairs Officer
BIG UPDATE
..Centcom has confirmed this Capt. Jamil Hussein is NOT a Police Officer nor is he employed by the Ministry of Interior:
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Associated Press:
On Nov. 24, 2006, your organization published an article by Qais Al-Bashir about six Sunnis being burned alive in the presence of Iraqi Police officers. This news item, which is below, received an enormous amount of coverage internationally.
We at Multi-National Corps - Iraq made it known through MNC-I Press Release Number 20061125-09 and our conversations with your reporters that neither we nor Baghdad Police had any reports of such an incident after investigating it and could find no one to corroborate the story. A couple of hours ago, we learned something else very important. We can tell you definitively that the primary source of this story, police Capt. Jamil Hussein, is not a Baghdad police officer or an MOI employee. We verified this fact with the MOI through the Coalition Police Assistance Training Team.
Also, we definitely know, as we told you several weeks ago through the MNC-I Media Relations cell, that another AP-popular IP spokesman, Lt. Maithem Abdul Razzaq, supposedly of the citys Yarmouk police station, does not work at that police station and is also not authorized to speak on behalf of the IP. The MOI has supposedly issued a warrant for his questioning.
I know we have informed you that there exists an MOI edict that no one below the level of chief is authorized to be an Iraqi Police spokesperson. An unauthorized IP spokesperson will get fired for talking to the media. While I understand the importance of a news agency to use anonymous and unauthorized sources, it is still incumbent upon them to make sure their facts are straight. Was this information verified by anyone else? If the source providing the information is lying about his name, then he ought not to be represented as an official IP spokesperson and should be listed as an anonymous source.
Unless you have a credible source to corroborate the story of the people being burned alive, we respectfully request that AP issue a retraction, or a correction at a minimum, acknowledging that the source named in the story is not who he claimed he was. MNC-I and MNF-I are always available and willing to verify events and provide as much information as possible when asked.
Very respectfully,
LT Dean
Michael B. Dean
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
MNC-I Joint Operations Center
Public Affairs Officer
We all await you apology.
You got a good blog there.
Don't know if you saw this or not.
Consider yourself pinged
thanks for the pings, d!
Well, bless your little heart.
That sounds like propaganda..
Thanks Valin..
Hat tip to Starman417 of Flopping Aces
"All names have been put back into my posts after ensuring I could from Centcom"
Waaaah. I am hurt and offended. Whatever shall I do? Perhaps I should hit the abuse button and go crying to the mods. Or better yet, I shall IM and FRmail the minions that I hold under my spell. You have noticed that certain people follow me around without a public ping, right? Wrong. I am avoided as a pariah, unlike some. This is the result of a conscious decision on my part. For you see, the mental masturbation by those that choose to deride and denigrate any opinions or conclusions that are contradictory to the groupthink became tiresome.
Please ping your minions with a little bit of disappointing news. I will not apologize for YOUR failure to properly name and link a source. Just like I will not apologize for any other outfit to properly name a source. I am disappointed that the Sidebar Moderator let someone quote a Lt. XXXXXX as a source. I contend that the title and link must be corrected.
Whatever shall I do? Perhaps I should hit the abuse button and go crying to the mods.
You might try not doing an impersonation of a moron. Just a thought.
Ooooooh!
Me like...BIG time!
Well done!
ROTFLOL!
He's gonna put an eye out with that thang. ;o)
Thank you ever so much! I was so afraid that somebody might accuse me of not supporting our mission in Iraq. Totally disregarding my brother, Clark Harold's death as a United States Marine in 1988 fighting the War on Drugs. Because they have or know somebody in theater in Iraq. That would be so wrong for me to bring up. Especially since the cheerleaders call for us to deal directly with Iranian Hezbullah, 'cause the Hezzies are against AQ. Happy now?
The names you mentioned, certainy two of them are more likely Shia than Sunni so an immediate reporting discrepancy. Also Ali Shamkhani, one of the stated names, is a very senior government official who would not travel to Iraq. He apparently already has some 800 of his fighters/Rev Guards troops there and has no need to be present. Could just be someone with the same name but different position. The senior one, I am told, is alive and well inside Iran.
The story is too flawed at this point to have credibility but I will update you if I hear something one way or the other.
Could possibly be MEG33. But I think that there is some speckles of truth in it. Many similarities to other actions on that day in that area.
You answered in the negative. I didn't remember, and I believe you.
Why the super defensive mode? There are enough legitimate discussions around here without creating them out of wholecloth.
I know you like to pick fights with me for some odd reason, but I've told you before that I'm not interested.
You don't focus long enough to sustain an argument. Perhaps some Ritalin would help.
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