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FURY OVER CNN BIG'S COVER-UP
New York Post ^ | 4/12/03 | MICHAEL STARR and DEBORAH ORIN

Posted on 04/12/2003 3:59:15 AM PDT by kattracks

Edited on 05/26/2004 5:13:17 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

April 12, 2003 -- CNN exec Eason Jordan's stunning admission that he withheld information about Saddam Hussein's atrocities drew a scathing response yesterday from media watchdogs and Iraqi opposition groups.

Jordan, CNN's news chief, wrote an op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times about horrors he learned of - but didn't report - when he visited Baghdad "to lobby the government to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders."


(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cnn; coverup; easonjordan
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To: Howlin
Actually, I thought the whole article might have been written because CNN is afraid that now that Hussein is gone, "something" might turn up -- in writing -- that proves how complicit they were/are.

Howlin, we're probably both right. I forgot about "The Bill Clinton/Lanny Davis Technique"...report something bad with your spin on a Friday so you can claim it's old news when the real facts come out.

Thanks for reminding me...

81 posted on 04/12/2003 10:00:09 AM PDT by blake6900
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To: Howlin
The article left me with many questions. What went on behind the scenes at CNN in making the decisions to not only stay, but to slant their reporting as if they had no knowledge of the atrocities? How much of their information from Baghdad went to their on air personalities, did Aaron Brown know, did Larry King know, did Wolf Blitzer know? Were they part of the editorial decision to protect their Baghdad presence, instructed to present Saddam as objectively as possible?

82 posted on 04/12/2003 10:09:15 AM PDT by Dolphy
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To: kattracks
I can't really decide what I think of CNN's actions here. I don't think anybody claimed Saddam wasn't a brutal thug, CNN didn't have to risk lives to bring us specific examples.

But then again they could have left Iraq on the grounds that they are unable to accurately report from there. I guess it depends on the quality of the information their correspondents offered.
83 posted on 04/12/2003 10:12:01 AM PDT by MattAMiller (Iraq was liberated in my name, how about yours?)
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To: razorbak
Yes, we can.

And we can add to that the facts that our troops have found many, many warehouses FILLED with food -- yes, baby food -- that they withheld on purpose.

So much for the United States starving the children of Iraq.

It was the news media, covering for Iraq, and the Red Crescent and the UN, who are equally complicit for allowing that food that THEY sent to be withheld.
84 posted on 04/12/2003 10:15:44 AM PDT by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- or an Iraqi!)
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To: TechJunkYard
Call what is wrong, wrong. And call what is right, right.

You are wrong.

fwiw

85 posted on 04/12/2003 10:35:23 AM PDT by Osage Orange (The Clinton's hearts are darker than a well in hell.)
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To: Hildy
We have seen the enemy...and it's sitting in the middle of every living room in America.

...and unfortunately, in just about every airport in America.

86 posted on 04/12/2003 10:52:07 AM PDT by nutmeg (Liberate Iraq - Support Our Troops!)
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To: firebrand; StarFan; Dutchy; stanz; RaceBannon; Cacique; Clemenza; rmlew; NYC GOP Chick; ...
ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ping list.

87 posted on 04/12/2003 10:53:59 AM PDT by nutmeg (Liberate Iraq - Support Our Troops!)
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To: kattracks
> BLUB, BLUB..BURP..BLUB, BLUB, BLUB...JANE WHO?
88 posted on 04/12/2003 11:03:35 AM PDT by jetson
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To: kattracks
Jordan, CNN's news chief, wrote an op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times about horrors he learned of - but didn't report - when he visited Baghdad "to lobby the government to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders."

Besides it wasn't HIP to protest atrocities during the Clinton administration. </sarcasm>

89 posted on 04/12/2003 11:24:32 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1
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To: TechJunkYard
Frequently, and for long stretches over the last 12 years, CNN was the only American media in Iraq. Oh, occasionally, even CNN would get thrown out, but only CNN was willing to do whatever necessary, to get back in the good graces of Saddam's regime.

CNN sold it's journalistic soul for the privilege of serving as part of Saddam's propaganda machine. You can give kudos to Eason Jordan for coming clean if you want to. Not me. He did it on a Friday when the news will die on the vine. He did it in a letter to the NYT, not on television, and without having to be questioned. He makes an mid morning puffball appearance on CNN, and instead of the same "soul cleansing" tone in the NYT letter, he makes himself almost heroic, for caring so deeply about the safety of CNN employees.

Granted, other news organizations might have had to play footsie with Saddam over the years, but none of the others I know of, were willing to then present the anti-war point of view, the bash Bush position with such impact. This Mr. Jordan, and CNN could have easily found ways to present the truth of the Saddam regime through surrogates, if they had chosen to do so.

The fact that CNN honchos all through the 90s, were big time FOBs, and the fact that CNN was concealing the brutal truth of Saddam's regime which allowed Clinton to escape having to deal with it militarily, shouldn't escape us. No doubt, Bill Clinton knew all about CNN in Baghdad.

And I think it's totally illogical to presume that CNN reporters didn't know what was going on. Peter Arnett, Christianne Amanpour, and the lesser known reporters and CNN staffers in Iraq most certainly were in on the fix. From CNN corporate headquarters, they had to have been told what to report and what not to report. No one ever quit in protest, did they? If there had ever been any doubt about Arnett and Amanpour's political leanings, we know now. They probably didn't raise an eyebrow when told not to report atrocities..hellsbells, they probably agreed with the policy for their own political reasons!!

Why did Eason Jordan come forward now? He had to, and he's doing it to protect CNN as well as himself. Now that other news organizations are incountry, CNN's part in the Iraq story was bound to come out sooner or later. They don't know yet whether Baghdad Bob will be caught and who knows what he might confess, or what he might say about his close friends at CNN.

90 posted on 04/12/2003 11:34:54 AM PDT by YaYa123
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To: Bisesi
See here.

Your projectionism won't work. Nice try though.

91 posted on 04/12/2003 11:50:41 AM PDT by TechJunkYard (via Nancy)
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To: YaYa123
Why did Eason Jordan come forward now? He had to...

No he didn't. He could have kept quiet about it, and so would all of the others... CBS, ABC and all of the rest bowed down before Saddam to get their reporters visas, because the news business is so competitive.

You think CBS didn't have to kiss up BIG TIME to get that interview with Dan Rather? They all did it. CNN was merely the first to 'fess up about it.

92 posted on 04/12/2003 12:01:27 PM PDT by TechJunkYard (via Nancy)
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To: Howlin
C'mon now -- I know you're smarter than this.

Do you really believe the US government didn't know all about this, that they had to be told by CNN?

Have you ever seen The Godfather? Ask yourself if you were a reporter interviewing a mob guy whether you'd report on stuff you were expressly told not to mention, knowing full well that these guys know your name, and where you work, and where you live, and the names and ages of your kids, and who all of your friends are...

When your own personal safety might be at stake, you might tend to make some irrational decisions.

93 posted on 04/12/2003 12:15:21 PM PDT by TechJunkYard (via Nancy)
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To: TechJunkYard
You are absolutely right about CBS! I forgot that Dan Rather-Saddam Hussein interview. Whole lottabuttkissing going on for that "scoop". But Tech, it was a one time shot, late in the game, and ended up making a fool out of Rather. I'm not sure 12 years of kissing up compares.
94 posted on 04/12/2003 2:05:18 PM PDT by YaYa123
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To: Liberty
Did everyone see the Iraqi Ambassador to the U.N. kiss the male CNN reporter goodbye as he left for the airport? Figures.

Most networks aren't showing this part but at the begining of Combover's "I heart New York" goodbye speech in front of the Iraqi UN Mission, he thanked CNN. Fox news said they're glad he didn't thank the FNC. They said it's like a badge of honor.

95 posted on 04/12/2003 2:21:29 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult ("Read Hillary's hips. I never had sex with that woman.")
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To: YaYa123
.. it was a one time shot, late in the game, and ended up making a fool out of Rather. I'm not sure 12 years of kissing up compares.
About six floors above Arraf's set, not far from her office, sits the ministry's monitoring section, where rows of apparatchiks in headphones listen to recordings of Western broadcasts from Iraq. One TV reporter who glimpsed the operation four years ago describes the listeners transcribing the tapes by hand, with passages critical of the regime written in red. The ministry stores the transcripts in files, which are pulled out and analyzed when journalists apply for visas.

Look, I understand that some people the need to bash CNN, above all others. I really do. But, since the (dis)Information Ministry was keeping a history on everybody over there, everybody was kissing up. For years. It was not unique to CNN, their Baghdad Bureau notwithstanding.

Now that the regime is over with, CNN is first out of the gate to admit it. Personally, I think it took a certain amount of humility and guts to do that. They could have pressed on with the cover-up.

96 posted on 04/12/2003 3:36:29 PM PDT by TechJunkYard (via Nancy)
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To: TechJunkYard
Civilized debate.....with no kissing up.....great fun! thanks TJY.
97 posted on 04/12/2003 3:50:30 PM PDT by YaYa123
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To: kattracks
Jordan says he told King Hussein about the threat, which the king shrugged off as a "madman's rant."
The brothers-in-law were executed after being lured back to Iraq.

Did Eason Jordan try to tell the sons-in-law?

98 posted on 04/12/2003 3:54:47 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Howlin
Since you were in the business, you might be interested i this post...

I was. Good catch!

99 posted on 04/12/2003 4:43:19 PM PDT by The Other Harry
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