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Friday, March 17, 2006

New Standards at ABC

ABC News, looking at the newly-released Hussein Files, observes with displeasure that the former dictator had both connections to Osama bin Laden and weapons of mass destruction. Suddenly, though, “informants” are not enough, as evidenced by this very-amusing new boilerplate:

(Editor’s Note: The controversial claim that Osama bin Laden was cooperating with Saddam Hussein is an ongoing matter of intense debate. While the assertions contained in this document clearly support the claim, the sourcing is questionable — i.e. an unnamed Afghan “informant” reporting on a conversation with another Afghan “consul.” The date of the document — four days after 9/11 — is worth noting but without further corroboration, this document is of limited evidentiary value.)

Needless to say, front-page and prime-time reports print and air every single day with citations of mere “informants”. Fortunately, the Hussein Files are numerous and seem likely, once declassified and translated, to comprise a rather convincing preponderance.

Posted on March 17, 2006 11:07 AM. Permalink