Eason "Access over the Truth" Jordan, CNN News exec, apparently dropped one whopper of an allegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Now if Eason Jordan really does know something about US troops intentionally killing journalists in Iraq, he would have one helluva story on his hands. And given that Fox News Channel is beating the living daylights out of CNN, don't you think they'd already be running with this story like a marlin on a mackeral?
Presumably he doesn't really know anything. Abovitz describes Eason as backpedaling when pressed, but also wavering the other way when pressed by others. That doesn't sound like a man with the courage of his convictions to me.
However, two of his fellow panelists were Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Given the American Left's penchant for demanding investigation based on nothing so much as an allegation--"It is the seriousness of the charge, more than the nature of the evidence..."--it smells like Jordan is trolling for a Congressional investigation. And then CNN can run with the story of calls for investigation.
If this is just so-much-BS as I suspect, Jordan needs to come clean, and quickly. I don't know how much credibility CNN has after Jordan admitted to covering up the news CNN knew about in Iraq for 12 years. But to turn around and engage in blatant newsmongering at a Forum entitled "Can Democracy Survive the Media?" could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
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Edit:
Hat tip to Hugh for lighting off this blogstorm.
A gracious personal thanks for correcting the link. Something went ker-blooey when I last tried to edit this.
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Edit 2:
GayPatriotWest writes that Barney Frank also pressed Jordan for details, for which Jordan could provide none to bolster his claim of targeting journos. If a call for investigation were to come from Congressman Frank's office, I suspect Eason Jordan could be called up as a witness.
Kudos to the Congressman from Massachussets!
(Hat tip: New Sisyphus)
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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3 comments:
From CNN Public Information:
Many blogs have taken Mr. Jordan's remarks out of context. Eason Jordan does not believe the U.S. military is trying to kill journalists. Mr. Jordan simply pointed out the facts: While the majority of journalists killed in Iraq have been slain at the hands of insurgents, the Pentagon has also noted that the U.S. military on occasion has killed people who turned out to be journalists. The Pentagon has apologized for those actions.
Mr. Jordan was responding to an assertion by Cong. Frank that all 63 journalist victims had been the result of "collateral damage."
OK, Mr CNN Public Information Robot:
Show us the context. If Jordan was taken out of context, show us the transcript from Davos.
There is some hope that a transcript could be made available. I won't look to CNN for it, though.
Carol Platt Liebau's got a response from Eason over at her site. A former CNN staffer, Rebecca McKinnon is trying to get the transcript. She was in the room when the statement was made and has corroborated the words attributed to Jordan.
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