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So much for that. Now, on to whether Chuck DeVore’s account of the fire
incident in Lebanon was accurate. Zelnick said it wasn’t. But have a listen
to that audio I sent you above. Here’s a transcript:

[-BEGIN TRANSCRIPT-]

BACKGROUND NOISE: Syrian gunfire in multiple bursts, getting louder as
it gets closer to the IDF observation post. The Syrian positions were 180
meters away, according to the Israel Defense Force officers.

IDF OFFICER: “Ahmed.”

IDF SOLDIER, YELLING: “Ahmed!”

UNKNOWN: “Pass the field glasses.”

DEVORE: “Ahmed.”

IDF SOLDIER: “Kifhaallak!” (Gunfire.)

BACKGROUND NOISE: Responses heard from the Israelis who ducked, as did
DeVore.

BACKGROUND NOISE: More gunfire.

DEVORE, LAUGHING: “We had a little bit of fire in here after the guy yelled,
‘Ahmed.’ ... I guess it’s just on the back of the mountain... They got
down. [Referring to the IDF personnel.] After the firing, many of the
Israeli soldiers instinctively ducked, and I with them.”

BACKGROUND NOISE: IDF soldiers speaking. More gunfire.

DEVORE: “It’s all being recorded... At 180 meters, we’re easy targets. If
they wanted to pick off our heads it’d be no problem. These [flak vests]
won’t do much good.”

UNKNOWN: “Right.”

DEVORE: “At this range.”

IDF SOLDIER: “Ahmed.”

DEVIORE: “The time is now 1159 hours. I think that the Syrians must
think it amusing to fire in our general vicinity and watch us all duck like
rabbits.”

BACKGROUND NOISE: More gunfire, a longer burst.

IDF SOLDIER: “OK.”

DEVORE: “I guess their commander doesn’t want to speak to us today.”

BACKGROUND NOISE: Finally, after a sustained burst of gunfire,
everyone, soldiers and journalists alike, get very quiet.

IDF OFFICER-IN-CHARGE: “OK, we are through.”

BACKGROUND NOISE: The party starts to leave the hill. (DeVore recalls
that Zelnick chose to stay behind, much to his cameraman’s dismay.)

DEVORE: “Did you ask him, do they usually test fire their weapons like that
every day? It’s just...”

IDF OFFICER: “They’re not too happy about being photographed.”

DEVORE: “...it’s just their way of displaying their displeasure with us?”

IDF OFFICER: “I mean they don’t see you... don’t take it personally, OK?”

DEVORE: “Yeah, I know.”

IDF OFFICER: (Laughs)

DEVORE: “Because I noticed it happened after the guy yelled ‘Hey Ahmed!’”

[-END TRANSCRIPT-]

Let’s compare this audio to what Chuck DeVore explicitly claimed, shall we?

1) Is this being “shot at in Lebanon”? Yes.
2) Did the the Syrians “kind of [drive] us off the hill”? Yes:
the IDF officer-in-charge made the call that the situation was sufficiently
worrisome to merit getting the group off the hill.
3) Did the Syrians do it “because they didn’t want press over
there”? Yes: the IDF officer explicitly said, “They’re not too happy about
being photographed.”
4) Was it “like warning shots”? Yes: DeVore noted that, “[a]t
180 meters, we’re easy targets.”

The documentary evidence is clear: every single one of Chuck DeVore’s claims
is substantiated. (And Zelnick, incidentally, is contradicted: he told the
LAT’s Willon that “they were out of range,” but it turns out they were a
mere 180 meters from the source of the Syrian fire!)

The bottom line? Chuck DeVore didn’t embellish or inflate a thing. He didn’t
mislead. He didn’t imply a single falsehood. His story was accurate, and the
evidence bears him out.