Posted on 06/19/2004 2:03:04 PM PDT by genefromjersey
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 (sigh of relief)he did not say Iraq had actually carried any of these plans out.He also said (Thank Heavens !) 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.(But I digress.)
The tone of the Times article was suitably "sniffy".It suggested rather strongly Putin had been referring to the period immediately preceeding the cruel,ill-considered Iraqi invasion: pointing out the USA had asked neighbors of Iraq to keep their eyes open,and thuggish,jack-booted FBI agents had swarmed all over,seeking a large number of missing Iraqis.
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 !
Nothing to see here ! Move along !
Not to be outdone, The Washington Post ran a sensational story (on Page A-11)that looked as if it might have been cribbed (well,just a BIT )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-(not that there's anything WRONG with that,you understand !)
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 !
Well done...
It's amazing how many stories "get killed." I found this story on Drudge the other day.
Another important story that hasn't received enough coverage is the bipartisan commission that recently studied the U.S.-China relationship. They had many findings that had to do with trade, Taiwan and defense. Their findings have many implications.
Lou Dobbs covered it on CNN and I found one article about it. That's it.
You have a knack for satire -- I love it!
What was even funnier was the report which said that the President was so grateful for the information that HE PERSONALLY CALLED PUTIN TO THANK HIM.
But .. I'm sure that must have been just a figment of the President's imagination.
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