Sunday, June 20, 2004
How to Kill an Inconvenient Putin Story
Vanity: Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made what CNN called a "bombshell" statement that "Russian Intelligence services had warned the US Government several times between 9/11/2001 and the beginning of the Iraqi invasion of Iraqi plans to mount terrorist operations on the USA and on American interests overseas."
Putin said, in effect, Iraq was planning terror strikes; but he did not say Iraq had actually carried any of these plans out. He also said he had been opposed to the Iraqi invasion, because it did not meet international norms.
Putin's announcement caused no end of consternation in the world media, and a check of Google showed some 600 newspapers had printed something about the story.
The prestigious New York Times led off with a story on its International Page, which I believe, is about where the comics would be in a well ordered newspaper.
The tone of the Times article was suitably "sniffy".
The Times said it had consulted its sources (3 aging "queens" and a young crossdresser)in the State Department, who knew nothing about Putin having forwarded intelligence, and were "scratching their heads" over the matter...so there!
Not to be outdone, The Washington Post ran a sensational story (on Page A-11) that looked as if it might have been cribbed from The New York Times, complete with head scratching, and suggestions Putin really didn't mean it.
The Post did add one small detail: that Putin told a British documentary crew in 2001 he had passed a warning to President Bush about a possible terrorist attack, not long before 9/11.
Putin apparently told the crew the data he had was too vague to be of use.
The Post hinted, with elephantine delicacy, Putin may have made yesterday's disclosure out of friendship with Bush.
The Gannett paper in my area usually puts stories it is uncomfortable with in the "filler" section. The editor decided to follow his heart and skip it altogether.
The editor was in good company: NBC, ABC and CBS ignored the story too, and Fox relegated it to "the crawler" at the bottom of the screen.
Well, I guess you couldn't blame those folks: There wasn't a single Abu Ghraib photo to go with the story, a single way for Hillary Clinton, Al Schumer, Ted Kennedy or Rev. Al Sharpton to go before the cameras.
There was just some foolish, no-longer-Communist Russian shooting his mouth off.
Read more on this subject in Related Hot Topics:
Putin Helps Bush On Iraq-Qaeda Link, Attacks Media
Putin's relationship with Bush is warm by the accounts of both leaders, and last week he said he has no patience for those who criticize Bush on Iraq.
Rush: Let 'em come out and say Putin is lying. I mean, everybody's gotta lie.
Vanity: Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made what CNN called a "bombshell" statement that "Russian Intelligence services had warned the US Government several times between 9/11/2001 and the beginning of the Iraqi invasion of Iraqi plans to mount terrorist operations on the USA and on American interests overseas."
Putin said, in effect, Iraq was planning terror strikes; but he did not say Iraq had actually carried any of these plans out. He also said he had been opposed to the Iraqi invasion, because it did not meet international norms.
Putin's announcement caused no end of consternation in the world media, and a check of Google showed some 600 newspapers had printed something about the story.
The prestigious New York Times led off with a story on its International Page, which I believe, is about where the comics would be in a well ordered newspaper.
The tone of the Times article was suitably "sniffy".
The Times said it had consulted its sources (3 aging "queens" and a young crossdresser)in the State Department, who knew nothing about Putin having forwarded intelligence, and were "scratching their heads" over the matter...so there!
Not to be outdone, The Washington Post ran a sensational story (on Page A-11) that looked as if it might have been cribbed from The New York Times, complete with head scratching, and suggestions Putin really didn't mean it.
The Post did add one small detail: that Putin told a British documentary crew in 2001 he had passed a warning to President Bush about a possible terrorist attack, not long before 9/11.
Putin apparently told the crew the data he had was too vague to be of use.
The Post hinted, with elephantine delicacy, Putin may have made yesterday's disclosure out of friendship with Bush.
The Gannett paper in my area usually puts stories it is uncomfortable with in the "filler" section. The editor decided to follow his heart and skip it altogether.
The editor was in good company: NBC, ABC and CBS ignored the story too, and Fox relegated it to "the crawler" at the bottom of the screen.
Well, I guess you couldn't blame those folks: There wasn't a single Abu Ghraib photo to go with the story, a single way for Hillary Clinton, Al Schumer, Ted Kennedy or Rev. Al Sharpton to go before the cameras.
There was just some foolish, no-longer-Communist Russian shooting his mouth off.
Read more on this subject in Related Hot Topics:
Putin Helps Bush On Iraq-Qaeda Link, Attacks Media
Putin's relationship with Bush is warm by the accounts of both leaders, and last week he said he has no patience for those who criticize Bush on Iraq.
Rush: Let 'em come out and say Putin is lying. I mean, everybody's gotta lie.
