Those “in the know” are stressing the importance of an item buried in the second portion of a news conference from the Iraq Interior ;
Rusty Shackleford;
This is the sniper known as Juba, who is a real hero to the jihadis around the world. He has real superhero status and there are plenty of popular myths surrounding him. He’s not what you’d call a ‘Big Fish’ in the organizational sense, but as a moral victory his capture is ENORMOUS.
The main thrust of the news conference centered on the continuing pattern of MSM reporting of unsubstantiated rumour as fact. Michelle Malkin has a lengthy, link rich post, from which I’m sharing a few exerpts.
The first involves the Associated Press named source for the of “6 Sunnis burned alive” story that swept the international news cycle last week;
BG Abdul-Kareem, the Ministry of Interior Spokesman, went on the record today stating that Capt. Jamil Hussein is not a police officer. He explained the coordinations among MOI, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense in attempting to track down these bodies and their joint conclusion was that this was unsubstantiated rumor.
He went on to name several other false sources that have been used recently and appealed to the media to document their news before reporting. He went into some detail about the impact of the press carrying propaganda for the enemies of Iraq and thanked “the friends” who have brought this to their attention.
A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes on this story among bloggers, despite the protests of Associated Press. But it’s not the only instance causing concern for the Iraqi government.
The ministry received in a week more than 12 cases of claims, one stating 50 killed were there, 200 kidnapped here, 30 corpses found there etc. And when we dispatched our forces and investigators to the locations, we found nothing.
Finally, an officer in the US Army Reserves currently serving in Iraq writes in The American Thinker;
Sunni “eyewitnesses” confidently denounced the Shiite-dominated government for their inaction. There were bold claims that the Iraqi Army stood by and did nothing as this horrifying crime happened. People around the world braced themselves for the spectacular reprisals that would surely come from the Sunni. The press practically salivated at the bloodshed (and glorious headlines) that would be forthcoming.
A winning situation all around.
Except, well, except for the tiny little detail that the incident most likely never happened. A week has gone by and no charred bodies were produced. No dramatic funeral parades, with all the attendant wailing and gnashing of teeth, occurred. Not one photo. No grand reprisals. Not even any speeches (and it is hard to imagine Iraqi religious leaders miss an opportunity to make speeches). Just a few remarks from the Iraqi government, largely ignored by the U.S. press, that all reports showed that that particular district had been quiet, and pleading the Iraqi people for calm.
No one thought to question this unusual divergence from normal protocol.
And don’t forget the blogger who started it all – a sure bet for the latest developments – Flopping Aces.
The excuses given – that it’s hard for reporters to move freely in Iraq, that the circumstances demand they rely on Iraqi stringers just doesn’t cut it. If they can’t confirm, then they shouldn’t report. If the account is disputed by official sources, they need to place that disclaimer front and center.
Perhaps Capt Hussein exists. Perhaps his employment records are stuck in a drawer or spelled incorrectly in the database. But at this point, the only people who are steadfastly defending his credentials are those with most to lose – Associated Press. Whatever the facts turn out to be in this case, there is no doubt that the media we rely on has allowed themselves to become deeply compromised. Until they’ve addressed the issue of relying on stringers and rumour reportage, it is probably wisest to approach any and all reporting coming out of Iraq with the “suspension of belief”.
Update: This story has gone mainstream, prompted by the almost palpable anger generated in the media by an announcement that the Iraqis are setting up a media monitoring unit that will demand accuracy in reporting.
For an example of “gratuitous slam reporting” – in the last paragraph of this response from the Associated Press we are reminded of media oppression under Saddam Hussein.
It’s why they’ve been leading the charge to have him return, I guess.
The idea of a media monitoring unit is not an ideal solution by any stretch of the imagination – but hey – from the Jenin massacre to green helmet man to the unluckiest homeowner in Lebanon to the unburned mosques and mysterious Capt Hussein – they’ve made their bed.
Dec. 4 updates – it’s revealed that NYT Baghdad correspondent Ed Wong questioned the legitimacy of the AP report when it originally broke.
