Like A Repeat From The Twilight Zone
Dexter Filkins, noted journalist for the New York Times, wrote a nice little ditty today about tanker trucks and forged Iraqi ballots. (Ha-Tip: Captain's Quarters)
Less than two days before nationwide elections, the Iraqi border police seized a tanker on Tuesday that had just crossed from Iran filled with thousands of forged ballots, an official at the Interior Ministry said. ...
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the Iranian truck driver told the police under interrogation that at least three other trucks filled with ballots had crossed from Iran at different spots along the border.
The official, who did not attend the interrogation, said he did not know where the driver was headed, or what he intended to do with the ballots.
The seizure of the truck comes at a delicate time in Iran's relations with both Iraq and the United States. The American government has said Iranian agents are deeply involved in trying to influence events in Iraq, by funneling money to Shiite political parties and by arming and training many of the illegal militias that are bedeviling the country.
Were this a true story, it could be potentially devestating to the Iraqis. I say 'if' because Reuters blows it out of the water.
The head of Iraq's border guards denied police reports on Wednesday that a tanker truck stuffed with thousands of forged ballot papers had been seized crossing into Iraq from Iran before Thursday's elections.
"This is all a lie," said Lieutenant General Ahmed al-Khafaji, the chief of the U.S.-trained force which has responsibility for all Iraq's borders.
"I heard this yesterday and I checked all the border crossings right away. The borders are all closed anyway," he told Reuters. ... "I contacted all the border crossing points and there was no report of any such incident," Khafaji said. ...
Iraq's frontiers are closed for the period of the election.
Whoops. I guess the editors missed that little tidbit. As I am winging my way to Arizona, and then onto LA, I'll have to tae a look at their morning papers to see if any idiotic editor decided to pick this story up by Filkins, and run with it. Had the editors checked out his story, i.e., done their job, then they would have known that this was a phony story. Just because it was reported widely this time, US and coalition forces shut downt he border, just as they have everytime there is an election. Why would this one be any fifferent.
And didn't Thomas do a piece on this last night, calling into question the sense and sensibility--nay, the very mindset--of journalists? I'm pretty sure he did. Something about "friends and allies of Rome?" This goes directly to that. This is a constant problem with the media. Fact-checking is something that every good editor should know how to do. The same goes for the journalist doing the piece. That's two times where the facts can be checked. When both people drop the ball, there's a problem.
Well, for the New York Times, I suppose that's an understatement.
Mistress Pundit
Dexter Filkins, noted journalist for the New York Times, wrote a nice little ditty today about tanker trucks and forged Iraqi ballots. (Ha-Tip: Captain's Quarters)
Less than two days before nationwide elections, the Iraqi border police seized a tanker on Tuesday that had just crossed from Iran filled with thousands of forged ballots, an official at the Interior Ministry said. ...
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the Iranian truck driver told the police under interrogation that at least three other trucks filled with ballots had crossed from Iran at different spots along the border.
The official, who did not attend the interrogation, said he did not know where the driver was headed, or what he intended to do with the ballots.
The seizure of the truck comes at a delicate time in Iran's relations with both Iraq and the United States. The American government has said Iranian agents are deeply involved in trying to influence events in Iraq, by funneling money to Shiite political parties and by arming and training many of the illegal militias that are bedeviling the country.
Were this a true story, it could be potentially devestating to the Iraqis. I say 'if' because Reuters blows it out of the water.
The head of Iraq's border guards denied police reports on Wednesday that a tanker truck stuffed with thousands of forged ballot papers had been seized crossing into Iraq from Iran before Thursday's elections.
"This is all a lie," said Lieutenant General Ahmed al-Khafaji, the chief of the U.S.-trained force which has responsibility for all Iraq's borders.
"I heard this yesterday and I checked all the border crossings right away. The borders are all closed anyway," he told Reuters. ... "I contacted all the border crossing points and there was no report of any such incident," Khafaji said. ...
Iraq's frontiers are closed for the period of the election.
Whoops. I guess the editors missed that little tidbit. As I am winging my way to Arizona, and then onto LA, I'll have to tae a look at their morning papers to see if any idiotic editor decided to pick this story up by Filkins, and run with it. Had the editors checked out his story, i.e., done their job, then they would have known that this was a phony story. Just because it was reported widely this time, US and coalition forces shut downt he border, just as they have everytime there is an election. Why would this one be any fifferent.
And didn't Thomas do a piece on this last night, calling into question the sense and sensibility--nay, the very mindset--of journalists? I'm pretty sure he did. Something about "friends and allies of Rome?" This goes directly to that. This is a constant problem with the media. Fact-checking is something that every good editor should know how to do. The same goes for the journalist doing the piece. That's two times where the facts can be checked. When both people drop the ball, there's a problem.
Well, for the New York Times, I suppose that's an understatement.
Mistress Pundit
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 9:22 AM
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