AP stands by its story about anti-Bush SEAL (Freeper Travis McGee mentioned)

WorldNetDaily ^ | 9/13/04

[ambrose]

about anti-Bush SEAL

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40427

Monday, September 13, 2004

---

---

ELECTION 2004
AP stands by its story
about anti-Bush SEAL
Man with Muslim name doesn't come up on search of elite sailors

---

Posted: September 13, 2004
4:06 p.m. Eastern

By Ron Strom

---

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

An Associated Press reporter is standing by his story that describes an anti-Bush veteran as a former Navy SEAL in the face of questions about whether or not the man was in fact a member of the elite unit.

The reporter, Elliott Minor says the Albany, Ga., man, Ahmad Majied, doesn't show up on lists of former SEALs because he changed his name when he converted to Islam after leaving the Navy.

In a story reporting the reactions of U.S. military personnel and veterans to allegations that President Bush failed to perform to National Guard standards, Minor quotes several current and former military men. Here is an excerpt from the AP story:

Ahmad Majied of Albany says the latest allegations about Bush's military record are more troubling to him than allegations about service honors leveled at Democratic challenger Kerry.

Majied, a Democrat from Albany who served 30 years in the Navy, including five years as a SEAL in Vietnam, said the memos support his belief that Bush was a "playboy" during his service years.

"He had enough money to get what he wanted," Majied said. "I think his main concern was not to go to Southeast Asia. I bet he never dreamed it would come back to haunt him."

After reading the account, Travis McGee, a poster on FreeRepublic.com, contacted an organization called AuthentiSEAL, which researches claims by people posing as Navy SEALs, to see if Majied indeed had been a SEAL. According to his post, McGee received a response from Gregory Platt, an investigator with the group, saying the name Ahmad Majied does not come up on a search of former SEALs.

McGee says he became suspicious of the claim when he read that Majied had been in Vietnam for five years.

"When this fake SEAL's claim of spending five years in Vietnam was pointed out to me, I knew he couldn't be for real," he writes at Free Republic. "SEALs deployed to VN for six month tours, so 'five years in Vietnam' seemed highly improbable. I knew lots of multiple tour 'real deal Vietnam SEALs' during my peacetime duty in the teams in the 1980s, and I never heard of this guy.

"This only took a couple of minutes time for 'amateurs' on Free Republic to check out. The 'professional' journalists at the AP must have been to busy to do this basic checking."

In an interview with WorldNetDaily, however, Minor says he has no reason to disbelieve Majied's story.

"I really trust this guy," he said. "I believe he's a real straight shooter."

Minor says Majied didn't give him his previous name, "and I didn't press the matter."

The vet has received "nasty calls" since the issue has been publiclized, Minor says, adding, "This is a very peaceful guy. … There's a peace about his voice."

Minor says Majied homeschools his seven children. "These are really upstanding people," he told WND.

The AP reporter addressed McGee's criticism of spending five months in Vietnam, saying Majied told him he was based in the Philippines and would go to Vietnam for short stints and then return to the islands.

"Altogether it was probably five years [in Vietnam]," Minor said.

Minor spoke to Majied this afternoon to try to verify the issue, and he said the veteran has refused to speak to other media about the issue.

He said of the Majieds: "I've met them around town, and they're just nice people. … I just really think a lot of him."

Internet bloggers challenging the claims of mainstream media outlets has become more prevalent recently. It was on the Net where the first questions were raised about National Guard memos CBS News claims show that Bush's former commander, Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, was resisting pressure from his superior, Col. Walter B. "Buck" Staudt, to "sugarcoat" Bush's officer evaluation files.

Document experts and amateur sleuths began questioning the memos' authenticity within hours after they were published on the Internet, citing typographical and formatting issues that suggest they were created by a modern-day word processor rather than a Vietnam War-era typewriter.

Despite the irregularities of the memos and the fact that a source CBS used to prove its case is saying the documents are forgeries, network anchor Dan Rather stands by the story he presented on "60 Minutes II" last week.

Related stories:

Bush Guard papers forged, says source

Rather backs docs on Evening News

Ben Barnes' daughter: Father lied about Bush

CBS News denies Bush docs forged

---

Ron Strom is a news editor for WorldNetDaily.com.

[Kackikat]

Was that before or after Al invented the internet??

[an amused spectator]

He didn't make a claim. He offered an opinion.

He claimed he was a SEAL to the ignorant little AP "reporter".

Stop acting like a know-it-all newbie. I know you would have been offended when we were digging up M. Larry Lawrence, back in '97. Now that was a good time! :-)

I don't care if they like us - just that they fear us.

[TexasCowboy]

"One of the biggest honor that I can point to in my life."

And justly so, pard!

[Eaker]

"One of the biggest honor that I can point to in my life."

And justly so, pard!

TC,

I count those pinged as friends too. I know I have missed some, I hope I have missed more than I know.

It is nice to be home.

[patton]

Dang, everybody is gettin' famous around here.

I feel sorta left out. LOL.

[Squantos]

Stop it ....drop and give me 20 for gettin all emotional !........yer drinking that Vat69 crap again ain't ya ........:o)

Stay safe !

We have Nicaragua, soon we will have El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico. One day, tomorrow or five years or fifteen years from now, we're going to take 5 to 10 million Mexicans and they are going into Dallas, into El Paso, into Houston, into New Mexico, into San Diego, and each one will have embedded in his mind the idea of killing ten Americans."

--Thomas Borge, Nicaragua Interior Minister as quoted in the Washington Times, March 27, 1985

[Squantos]

Quit yer bitchin....yer pic is above mine on the post office wall ! Whaaa Whaaa Whaaaa !.........:o)...

Stay safe !

[wardaddy]

damn....I gotta keep up...lol

what the hell is Abdul's real name?....that shouldn't be too hard....he has given his real name and locale from now.

if he was the real deal, that would have been forthcoming.

[wardaddy]

he not only has a laid back voice

he has an earnest young sounding voice to me and it plays well on radio.

[edfrank_1998]

I found the name change record. Can someone who has been in contact with Authentiseal contact me with a private message?

Thanks.

[an amused spectator]

edfrank_1998: I found the name change record. Can someone who has been in contact with Authentiseal contact me [edfrank_1998] with a private message?

ping to you, Travis.

[nicmarlo]

very kewl, edfrank....hope you're on to something big!

[edfrank_1998]

I went ahead and filed a report with Authentiseal.com. I will, of course, keep you all informed of any results.

[nicmarlo]

He claimed he was a SEAL to the ignorant little AP reporter".

That was partly my point. The only reason this guy's "opinion" (albeit negative) was solicited was because he claims to have been a Navy Seal.....however, the AP did not follow what I would consider to be journalistic protocol.....I posted some info on another thread with a link to Jouralism.org and their stated principles, which I will repost, in part, on this thread. Obviously, as you well know, unbelieving scum, the bulk of my criticism was against the AP reporter and the AP for allowing its reporters to behave in the manner which it does....I believe it was the AP that, just last week, was caught in another lie, manufactured boos against Clinton when Bush announced Clinton's hospitalization.

From Journalism.org
http://www.journalism.org/resources/guidelines/principles/purpose.asp

The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.

1. Journalism's first obligation is to the truth

Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context. Journalism does not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but it can--and must--pursue it in a practical sense.....

2. Its first loyalty is to citizens.

3. Its essence is a discipline of verification.

Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying information. When the concept of objectivity originally evolved, it did not imply that journalists are free of bias. It called, rather, for a consistent method of testing information--a transparent approach to evidence--precisely so that personal and cultural biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work. The method is objective, not the journalist. Seeking out multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, or asking various sides for comment, all signal such standards. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment...........

[NewLand]

"...they're just nice people. … I just really think a lot of him."

Translation: he was the the first and only one to repeat back to me everything I told him to say.

The definition of MSM "journalism" is to find someone who parrots their personal agenda. That makes the "interviewee" an unquestionable expert in their mind.

Great work Travis! You smoked those guys...but good!

[Col Freeper]

Minor says Majied homeschools his seven children. "These are really upstanding people," he told WND.

Minor added "And those seven cute little outfits with the dynamite belts were really something to behold!" /sarcasm off

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I appreciate your emphasis on verification. But refering to a previous line:

Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context. Journalism does not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but it can--and must--pursue it in a practical sense.....

Is it practical to do a full background check on everyone who offers an opinion on their pick for president? As Rush says, you are the world's foremost expert on your own opinion. Whether he was a SEAL or not doesn't change that although it may give a boost to the value of this guy's opinion in some minds. The article didn't even mention that he had reached the highest enlisted rank in the service in the law enforcement specialty, according to the roster of a veterans' organization. That was turned up fairly early and I think entitles him to some deference and credibility.

My problem is dragging this guy's name through the mud through 800 posts in two threads BEFORE GETTING THE PROOF THAT HE LIED. Until then these threads are just so much libel.

If it turns out he was not a SEAL, that does not make me wrong, only careful. But if he was one, and it looks like we will know tomorrow, a lot of people have done a lot of damage and I doubt we will see apologies from most of them or from FR administration whom I asked to stop this witch hunt.

[nicmarlo]

Your post is, again, pointing to the issue. Had the reporter authenticated that the guy was a Navy Seal, then this would not be going into two threads. And if the sole reason why a reporter is printing the opinion of a NAVY SEAL is because he claims to be a Navy Seal, then authenticate that he, indeed, is/was a member of the Navy Seals. We don't need to have any other verifications on this guy but that CENTRAL ISSUE. Really, it's not that difficult....but, according to you, just because the reporter BELIEVES that the guy's a Navy Seal should satisfy, because, it's not "practical to do a full background check" on the person who makes this claim. That's absurd.

[cricket]

"Their arrogance will be the end of their power in the new information age. "

This is where the battle will be played out. . .is being played out; and hence the 'no holds barred' desperation measures this media is no longer even ashamed of and even tries to hide.

Their imagined moral and intellectual superiority they believe is sufficient to justify their violations of truth and integrity.

The Liberal media arrogance has always been their power; I hope and pray; it dooms them.

[Travis McGee]

This is a waste of time, I don't know why I'm bothering. But if a national new organization releases a "news story" to 100s of papers, who run it, that comes with some responsibilities. Such as verification of the man's alleged bona fides in a story where the man's alleged bona fides are the only reason to quote him. AP failed to do this originally, and again after prompting from WND. As far as the fake SEAL, he has now admitted to a freeper on the other thread that he was never a SEAL. So there. Now his "fallback lie" is that he "worked with SEALs." As what? Their cook? Driver? I'll bet he never put a foot in Viet Nam, just like Kerry's old Winter Soldiers partner Al Hubbard.