[D-fendr]

Bellow is a section from a story from 9 this morning. Pretend you are a journalist trying to sex it up. And look for what are direct quotes and what are not, and what is a named source and what is not, and imagine you have a phone book, rolidex, and over an hour's worth of telephone interviews from which to pick what you want and write this story:

“more likely caused by an airplane than anything else,” a senior military official told Fox News Channel Tuesday, though another official said authorities continue to investigate to rule out a possible missile launch.

The contrail caught on video by a news helicopter “was more likely caused by an airplane than anything else, because the other possibilities of rockets or missile are turning up negative,” the senior military official said.

But a US Defense Department official told Fox News that a missile has not been ruled out, saying US Strategic Command (Stratcom) and US Northern Command (Northcom) have both been asked to “count noses,” or ensure all missiles are in their arsenals.

The official did not rule out the possibility that a missile could have been launched as part of a covert operation.

Earlier Tuesday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that the incident was not a threat to the US.

“NORAD and U.S. Northcom are aware of the unexplained contrail reported off the coast of southern California yesterday evening,” NORAD said in a statement, according to Fox News Channel. “At this time we are unable to provide specific details, but we are working to determine the exact nature of this event. We can confirm that there is no indication of any threat to our nation and we will provide more information as it becomes available." A spokesman for NORAD and Northcom also told Fox News the US was “confident this was not fired from foreign military.”

Meanwhile, the US Navy confirmed to Fox News Channel that the incident “was not associated with any Navy operation,” while a NASA spokesman said the apparent missile launch was not a satellite launch or a satellite re-entry. NASA also said it was investigating whether the incident was a meteorite but said that was unlikely.

Separately, a military official told Fox the US was getting close to determining the cause and would have an explanation for the bizarre incident soon.

The Pentagon had said the incident remained “unexplained” and that its mysterious origins meant that it was not possible to rule out any threat to the homeland, Fox News Channel reported.

Pentagon Spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said the incident did not appear to be a regularly scheduled test, since no warnings to mariners or airmen appeared to be issued ahead of its launch.

Could the storry have alternatively been: "Official government spokesmen say "no missile threat, no foreign missile launch" while other un-named yappers say 'they don't know some stuff."

Often the problem with press stories is folks talking to reporters who have no authorization or training to do so.

[Mouton]

Yeah, cannot be the navy, they are all off the coast of asia protecting the asshat.

Has the look of a missile, the gain in altitude at that angle rules out any commercial plane albeit it could be a military plane going vertical.

[Never on my watch]

Separately, a military official told Fox the US was getting close to determining the cause and would have an explanation for the bizarre incident soon.

They have their best propagandists working on it. All that is left to do is the grammar and spell check. Oh, and loading it into the teleprompter if the clandestine Muslim is going to comment.