Posted on 11/28/2006 2:03:57 AM PST by chessplayer
"The story was reported world-wide. The only official source for the account, however, was "Police Capt. Jammil Hussein." CENTCOM initially said that it had not been able to confirm the account of the burned-alive Sunnis. Upon further investigation, it appears that the incident probably never occurred at all. In addition, "Police Capt. Jamil Hussein" appears to be non-existent. Earlier this afternoon, CENTCOM put out the following press release (via Flopping Aces, who has done a tremendous job on this story, and NewsBusters):
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
I've been saying it all along...
I'll say it again....
THE MEDIA IS MAKING THINGS UP ABOUT IRAQ.
Similar to what happened recently when Israel and Hezbollah were going at it. All sorts of "horror stories" coming out of Lebanon.
and it really pzzes me off that Fox News Site is normally 80% AP news stories
So all those people who were alledgedly burned in the Mosque is a lie? How do these people who print this crap with absolutely no proof manage to sleep at night?
... complete with the AP slant buried into the selection not only of HOW they report but what they report and what they decide NOT to report.
Dear Sir:Of course, I have received neither reply nor acknowledgement. The very idea that the news ought to have a discernible relationship to the truth puts me beneath the class of people with whom newsies converse.This is not the kind of letter to the editor that is written with hopes of publication. It doesnt matter to me one way or the other if this is read by anyone outside the offices of The Daily Progress.
Above the fold in Saturdays (yesterdays) paper is the headline, Shiites Burn 6 Sunnis Alive.
However, if you go to
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7540&Itemid=21
you will read:The patrol was also unable to confirm media reports that six Sunni civilians were allegedly dragged out of Friday prayers and burned to death. Neither Baghdad police nor Coalition forces have reports of any such incident.The headline is not only inaccurate but gives aid and comfort to our enemies. Many of us who no longer rely on traditional media sources for the truth and who are only too aware of the unreliability of the AP and Reuters wonder how it is that soi-disant professionals are so easily led to publish the propaganda of those who hope for our defeat in the War on Terror.The only acceptable approach to mitigating your untruth in this instance is to print above the fold on the front page in letters equally large something like Story of Sunni Immolation is a LIE! and to explain clearly in the text that the AP was getting its news from the enemy, and the Progress fell for it.
A rededication of the editorial staff to publishing something within spitting distance of the truth would also be nice. You all do not seem to understand that you are rapidly becoming ludicrous. With Rathers rush to use fabrications as evidence, with the slap-in-the-face obviousness of the medias stringing out stories which make conservatives look bad and burying stories which accurately portray liberals, and now with the passing on of the lies of our enemies, the huffing and puffing of professionals when they are obliged to share an audience with amateurs like Matt Drudge is risible.
With respect, its not news if its not true. We buy the newspaper for the news. If we dont get the news, well stop buying the paper. Work it out.
Sincerely,
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