Free Republic CBS Forgery Project Report w Recommendations for Desired CBS Actions

FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION IN THIS PROJECT, WE REFER TO THE CBS DOCUMENTS PURPORTEDLY WRITTEN BY KILLIAN IN THE 60 MINUTES BROADCAST OF SEPTEMBER 8 AS THE CBS MEMOS.

Characteristics of the CBS Memos establish that they could not have been written in the decade of the 1970s. To understand the conclusion that these documents are forgeries, it is important to understand some fundamental typography features that represent the CBS Memos "fingerprints":

Ordinary typewriters give a fixed space to each letter. Thus, a group of ten characters like "iiiiiiiiii" versus "WWWWWWWWWW" both take up the same width on a typewritten page. This made for unattractive text lines but had a great advantage for typewriters. Each letter was always in the same place so that corrections could be made with whiteout and typed over. As those of us who produced documents in the 70's vividly remember, typewriters have no delete or insert key and fixing a typo was a big aggravation! However, typewriter text was not very attractive, particularly for document use.

As you can see from this paragraph, the spacing between letters here is different. It has a type of spacing known as proportional. Typewriters used by everyone in the 1970s, particularly the military, had an easily recognizable fixed uniform spacing. While there was an IBM Executive typewriter that had a kind of limited proportional spacing where letters were sorted into four widths, they were expensively uncommon and their text does not match the CBS Memos anyway. With the advent of computer TrueType for Microsoft Word in 1992, documents could finally produce attractive text lines for monitor display and for desktop laser printing. TrueType actually uses a lookup table to find the previous letter and to set the point where the next letter begins. For example, with "TRTRTRTR" versus "fifififi". This gives a computer produced document a distinct spacing "fingerprint" that is as distinctive as a signature. All of the CBS Memos have the "fingerprint" of computer generation.

But the analogy does not stop with the letter spacing. The second "fingerprint" fact is that computer word processors have the capability to produce true superscripts like the "th" in the line of the CBS Memo 04 May that reads "2. Report to the 111th F.I.S. administrative officer…". Note how the "th" extends above the top of the 111 on that line. The width of the "th" superscript and how high it extends above the "111" in the CBS Memo 04 May is the "fingerprint" of a computer word processor and modern desktop printer. The only other typewriter device that even comes close to this is a Selectric Composer that cost more than a car in 1972. The TANG (Texas Air National Guard) did not have such a device. Even if they had one, Lt Col Killian--who barely knew how to type--would never have been able to operate it. This is further discussed in the bullets below.

The third fact that you need to know about in order to deal with a document's "fingerprint" is something called a type face. There are some 4,000 different fonts. A type face is a coordinated design for each element of a set of type, for example "A….Za....z1234567890-=*/…". A type design has to do with the looks of the font such as thickness, roundness, feet if any, style, etc. For example, each type font is distinctive in many ways like whether or not the top of a "4" is closed. A type font has a distinctive signature and even Times New Roman has characters that look different from Times Roman. This is the third aspect of a document's "signature".

The fourth fact of a document's "fingerprint" is unique. Unlike your fingerprint, a document's "fingerprint" can be reproduced. If you reprint a letter, it is identical with the old document. For Microsoft Word, typing and printing a document at its default settings, for all intent and purposes always produces an identical document. If you print a document twice, overlay the copies, and hold them up to the window, the two copies will be exactly identical.

Having said all this and if you don't want to read more technology, the only thing you need to know is: ………….
BASED ON THESE "FINGERPRINTS", IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CBS DOCUMENTS ARE FORGERIES. USING ALL THE ABOVE "FINGERPRINTS" THE CBS MEMOS WERE GENERATED ON A COMPUTER PROCESSOR! Obviously, there were no computer word processors and laser printers around in 1972 and 1973 when Lt Col Killian supposedly wrote the CBS Memos.

As you can appreciate, there are experts in Microsoft Word computer printing technology, just like everything else:
Dr Joseph Newcomer, who virtually invented most of this computer type and printing, has examined the CBS Memos and says the following:
"There has been a lot of activity on the Internet recently concerning the forged CBS documents. I do not even dignify this statement with the traditional weasel-word 'alleged', because it takes approximately 30 seconds for anyone who is knowledgeable in the history of electronic document production to recognize this whole collection is certainly a forgery, and approximately five minutes to prove to anyone technically competent that the documents are a forgery. I was able to replicate two of the documents within a few minutes. At the time I am writing this, CBS is stonewalling. They were hoaxed, pure and simple."
"I am not sure what sort of 'expert' they called in to authenticate the document, but anything I say about his qualifications to judge digital typography is likely to be considered libelous. CBS failed to exercise anything even approximately like due diligence. I am not sure what sort of 'expert' they called in to authenticate the document, but anything I say about his qualifications to judge digital typography is likely to be considered libelous (no matter how true they are) and I would not say them in print in a public forum."
"The probability that any technology in existence in 1972 would be capable of producing a document that is nearly pixel-compatible with Microsoft's Times New Roman font and the formatting of Microsoft Word, and that such technology was in casual use at the Texas Air National Guard, is so vanishingly small as to be indistinguishable from zero."

By the way, if you are looking at the CBS Memos on a 17-inch computer monitor, you are seeing some 750,000 pixels. That's a lot of comparison points and why a comparison using Microsoft Word reproduction of the CBS Memos is so telling. For more information on this analysis go to Dr Newcomer's analysis and comparison at http://www.flounder.com/bush2.htm Further sources are detailed below if you want even more information.

To replicate the CBS Memos, simply retype a them in Microsoft Word using its default Times New Roman font and margins, print out the result, overlay the CBS Memo, and hold it them up to a window. An example of the forgery confirmation is shown below for the CBS Memo of 04 May 1972. The CBS Memo is shown in black. The overlay in red, which matches exactly, is by Microsoft Word97 from a computer and desktop printer.

More details of the CBS Memos' forgery "fingerprints" are shown in the bullets below:

1. Typewriter proportional spacing was not available in 1972 with the Times Roman font, the timeframe and font style of the CBS Memos. The IBM Executive had a pseudo proportional spacing but not the typeface used in the CBS Memos. There is no confirmation that even this expensive typewriter was available at TANG, see below for a discussion of the Selectric Composer which was an extremely expensive and very complex printing shop device that couldn't produce the CBS Memos at the font detail level.

2. The true superscripts in the forged CBS Memos were not available in 1972-3 except in specialized printing shops. True superscripts like the "th" in the forged CBS Memos are individual characters in smaller case that extend well above the printed line. (The underlined "th" cited by CBS in it's defense in the TANG Chronological Listing of Service document, does NOT extend above the characters. It is technically a single key element known as a monospaced ligature. It is observedly not a true superscript like in the CBS Memos.) Moreover, the true superscript "th" in the CBS Memos versus the single key element ligature even further indicates that the CBS Memos are a forgery. See http://www.flounder.com/bush2.htm and many other web references.

3. Apostrophes in the CBS Memos are curved. Typewriters used straight hash marks for both quotation marks and apostrophes.

4. The number "4" produced by typewriters in the genuine TANG documents are open at the top. Moreover, all of the letters are uniformly spaced. The 4's in the CBS Memos have a closed top and all of the letters in the CBS Memos are proportionally spaced. D. Bouffard, a forensic document examiner who has analyzed typewritten samples for 30 years, collects and maintains a computerized database of typewriter fonts. He ran the CBS Memos' number and text shapes through his entire database of over 4,000 typewriter fonts and could not find any match. However, the font in the CBS Memos is indicative of Times New Roman, a font that is only available to document writers using computer word processing programs. For further information see http://www.indcjournal.com/

5. The vertical spacing between typed lines in the memos, measured at 13 points, was not available in typewriters, and only became possible with the advent of computer driven word processors and printers.

6. The words stop on each line in the CBS Memos in a way identical with the default settings for Microsoft Word and there are no hyphenated words. This is exactly the way Microsoft Word ends lines unless the user intervenes. This is not the way a person using a typewriter would have done it. Typewriters had fixed margins that "rang" and froze the carriage. At that point the typist would hit MarRel to keep going, often to a hyphenated word, and then manually returned the carriage. Numerous examples of typewritten hyphenation appear in the real TANG memos done on typewriters but not in the CBS Memos.

7. While CBS says Times Roman has been available since 1931, that statement is disingenuous and reveals no understanding of type faces and their history. Times Roman was only available in printing shops. The Selectric typewriters did not have a Times Roman type face and did not do proportional spacing. It was not until 1991 that Apple developed the TrueType font, known as Times New Roman, which is used in the CBS Memos. The actual application of Microsoft TrueType Times New Roman for Windows occurred in 1992. The overlay of the CBS Memos is an EXACT match for Microsoft Word Processor printed text at the "fingerprint" level and confirms the 60Minutes CBS Memos are forgeries. See http://www.flounder.com/bush2.htm for further information.

8. In the CBS Memos it would have been nearly impossible to center a proportionately typed letterhead with proportional spacing without a computer (not impossible, but for Killian, who did not type, highly improbable). Further, doing such centering identically in memos two months apart, CBS May 04 and CBS August 01, absent a word processor is extremely unlikely.

9. The only device that could have come close to producing superscripted "th" in the CBS Memo timeline and with proportional type would have been a Selectric Composer. This is not an ordinary typewriter; rather it was used for special publication composing. It cost some $4,000 then ($23,000 today) and was incredibly difficult to operate. The machine basically consisted of an IBM Selectric typewriter along with a 3-1/2 ft. high upright case containing a magnetic tape reader with spools of long magnetic tape cartridges. It also needed a special IBM service person and contract above and beyond repairing typewriters. The operating manual is here at http://www.ibmcomposer.org/docs.htm.
Moreover, D. Bouffard, the forensic document examiner described above, says: : "...the more information we get and the more my colleagues look at this, we're more convinced that there are significant differences between the type of the Selectric Composer that was available and the questionable document.... ... there are so many things that are not right: 'crossings,' 'downstrokes'..." For further information see http://www.indcjournal.com/ for the font discussion and http://www.flounder.com/bush2.htm and many other web references.
The Selectric Composer, even if it had the right font- ?which it does not? could never have been operated by Lt Col Killian. Http://shapeofdays.typepad.com/the_shape_of_days/2004/09/the_ibm_selectr.html discusses the tortuous operation of the Selectric Composer. It is not clear that the Air Force even had these machines at that time and the TANG clearly did not. To suggest that Col Killian, who could barely type, would have been able to operate one of these complex printing shop machines is not credible.

10. The CBS Memo fonts and spacing don't match the genuine TANG Lt Bush official evaluation that was signed 26 May 1972.

11. Looking at all of the number groups in the CBS Memos reveals two with miniature "th" superscripts. Four have spaces between the numbers and suffix, and five without a space, all of which include a digit of 1 (probably a lower case L in the cases of "lst"). Putting spaces between the numerals and the suffix is NOT how typists were or are trained. The only reason for spaces generally occurring after numbers in the CBS Memos is to suppress MS Word's auto-superscript function when the Spacebar or Enter key is pressed. The most straightforward explanation for the typing shown in the CBS Memos is that the preparer intended to suppress the auto-superscript function by using lower case L's in imitation of old typists or by inserting spaces after normally superscripted numbers. The forger simply missed two instances and MS Word automatically turned the "th" into superscripts. That being the case: why are there two instances of non-subscripted numbers "111th" in the headings? Probably, the forger simply made another mistake which would have occurred because of an idiosyncrasy of MS Word. It will only superscript something like 111th if you immediately hit the Spacebar or Enter key after having typed the "h". In this case the forger probably an error and typed "111 Fighter" and then realized that the "th" was missing. The forger went back and typed the "th" and then clicked on the end "r" in Fighter. In that case MS Word did not detect a Spacebar or Enter press at the "111th" and did not, therefore, superscript the added "th". The forger suppressed certain of the superscripting by using a lower case L in "lst" or a space as in "147 th". Also, to preserve the heading "111st" style, the forger may have simply copied and pasted between CBS Memos 04 May and 01 August since both typed headings are identical and perfectly centered.

12. Certain of the CBS Memo signatures look faked even to the untrained observer such as the abrupt cut at the very end of the last letter rather than a fade when the signing pressure would have been released. Other document examiners not affiliated with CBS are increasingly concurring that the CBS Memo signatures do not match known specimens of Lt Col Killian's signature as outlined in the Experts section.

13. Potential paper size issue since the Air Force and Guard did not use 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper until the 1980s.

14. How far are the CBS Memos away from an original copy? The CBS Memos have significant background noise such as black marks and a series of repeated dots as if run through a copier for many cycles. Since the redacted black address in CBS Memo 04 May is actually readable in the pdf, this suggests that most of the generations of copies were done elsewhere.

To outsiders differences of how an officer wrote his name and rank or referred to his military unit may seem arcane and unimportant. However, within the military such details are highly regulated by rules and tradition as is the format of memos and orders. Thus, these kinds of typing details are of great significance in assessing the veracity of documents. The CBS Memos contain a number of key stylistic examples that significantly depart from the normal procedures in the Texas ANG.

15. USAF letterhead has been required since 1948. Instead the CBS Memos used a typed letterhead. In general, typed letterhead is restricted to computer-generated orders such as those printed by teletype, chain printer or daisy-wheel printer, the latter looking like a typed letter. Manually typed correspondence is supposed to use official USAF letterhead. Even special orders, which might have used a typed letterhead were required to use ALL CAPS in the letterhead.

16. CBS Memo letterheads give the address as "Houston, Texas". The standard formulation for addresses at USAF installations required the address to read "ELLINGTON AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS" in all caps. Also, the Air Force did not typically use office street addresses on letterheads. Moreover, the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron was renamed "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Training)" abbreviated 111th FIS(T), prior to 1 May 1972. This re-designation of 111th FIS to 111th FIS(T) is confirmed in every validated record covering the period from 1 May 1971 through 1 May 1973. Letterhead of any kind dated after 1 May 1972 would have been required to use the NEW 111th FIS(T) designation. All of the purported CBS Memos have Lt Col Killian using the wrong designation for his own group.

17. According to Lt Col Campelli (USAF ret), the CBS Memos 4 May and 1 August both have used letterhead for the wrong organization. Correspondence and orders in those days would have been issued in the name of the parent organization -- the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group -- rather than by the squadron. Moreover, the letterhead in the CBS Memos is typed whereas the unit used PRINTED TANG letterhead. Even more critically, Campelli states that when written orders were issued, they were on standard USAF orders forms. They were NOT in the format of the CBS Memos. For further information see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1212092/posts

18. The CBS Memos use periods in the unit name abbreviations. This is incorrect since USAF unit abbreviations use only capital letters with no periods. For example, 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron would be abbreviated as 111th FIS, not as the 111th F.I.S. used in CBS Memo 04 May. Moreover, in the CBS Memo 18 August uses "Grp" rather than the proper "Gp".

19. There is a significant error on the CBS Memo forger's part that would be immediately recognized by any military person. The day of the month in the CBS Memo 04 May date should be "4" and NOT "04"; in the CBS Memo 1 August, it should have been "1" and NOT "01". This is a telltale artifact of a word processor setting that had not been changed.

20. The CBS Memos are not in any format that a military person would use, e.g. orders are not given via a memo. Also, the CBS Memos contain language not generally used by military personnel and are not signed or initialed by an author, typist, or clerk.

21. CBS Memos on 04 May and 01 August have no distribution list that is universally needed for orders and also have no receipt confirmation box or signature.

22. CBS Memo 04 May and 01 August used incorrect terminology in stating "physical examination" instead of "medical". Furthermore, a medical is due the last day of the Birth Month which would be July 31 for Lt Bush; not the May 14th date ordered in the CBS Memo 04 May. Moreover the May 14 date is a Sunday.

23. An order from a superior, directing a junior to perform a specific task would not be in the memorandum format used in CBS Memos. Instead, it would use the USAF standard internal memo format with left hand justification as follows: FROM: Lt Col Killian, Jerry B. (line) SUBJECT [or SUB]: ANNUAL MEDICAL (FLIGHT) (line) TO: 1Lt Bush, George W. Documents titled as MEMORANDUM are used only for file purposes, and not for communications.

24. Subject line in memos was usually, but not always, CAPITALIZED in the military.

25. CBS Memos have an incorrect signature block. Killian's signature block should read: JERRY B. KILLIAN, Lt Col, TexANG Commander. This is the required USAF formulation for a signature block. Also in the CBS Memos, Lt Col Killian's signature should have been aligned to the left side of the page. Indented signature blocks are not a USAF standard. The CBS Memos just have rank beneath a name on the right hand side.

26. Rank abbreviations in the CBS Memos are applied inconsistently and incorrectly. For example, the use of periods in USAF rank abbreviations is incorrect. The modern formulation for rank abbreviations for the lieutenant grades in the USAF is 2LT and 1LT. In any event, they would not have included periods. Lt Col Killian's abbreviations are pretty much universally incorrect in the CBS Memos.

27. The superscript "th" in the forged documents was raised half-way above the typed line (consistent with MS Word, but inconsistent with military typewriters which kept everything in-line to avoid writing outside the pre-printed boxes of standard forms).

28. The formulation used in the memos, i.e., "MEMORANDUM FOR 1st Lt. Bush..." is incorrect. A memo would be written on plain (non-letterhead) paper, with the top line reading "MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD". However, Lt Col Killian is known to have relied on hand written notes on scraps of paper and not typewritten memos to files.

29. The CBS Memos use the phrase "...in accordance with (IAW)..." The abbreviation IAW is a universal abbreviation in the USAF, and would not also have been spelled out. IAW is used for no other reason than to eliminate the words "in accordance with" from official communications. There are several such universal abbreviations, such as NLT for "no later than".

30. The CBS Memos, all of which have proportional type spacing, do not match the typeface and letter spacing of the official evaluation of Lt Bush signed 26 May 1972. Furthermore, the easy to recognize CBS Memos' proportionally spaced typing does not match any of the some hundred other pdf's of Lt Bush records that are available on the internet, none of which have proportional spaced type.

31. CBS Memos do not, but should have had, two hole punches evident at the top of the page. …or even three or five on the side of the page.

D. ERRORS IN THE CBS MEMOS RELATING TO CONTEXT (PEOPLE RETIRED, DAY OF WEEK, ANG POLICY, ETC.)

32. The address listed in CBS Memo 04 May for Lt Bush is wrong. The address the CBS Memo uses is 5000 Longmont #8 in Houston Tx. However, Lt Bush had already moved TWICE from this address at the time the CBS Memo was written. The correct address that the CBS Memo 04 May should have used is: 2910 Westheimer Rd. Apt 4. Lt Col Killian certainly would have known and used the correct address in the purported memo.

33. CBS 04 May Memo: Lt Bush would have had automatic physical scheduled for his Birth Month which was July! He would have received a routine letter notifying him of the pending requirement, month or date by which the flight medical exam was to be completed, and advising him to call the flight surgeon's office to schedule the appointment. There would not have been an 'order' issued and certainly not by May 14th in advance of July, his Birth Month. Moreover, if any orders ever are issued in writing, they are NOT issued via a Memorandum.

34. The CBS Memo 19 May to the file that is supposedly written by Harris or Killian states: "Says he wants to transfer to Alabama to any unit he can get in to. Says he is working on another campaign for his dad". The CBS Memo is pejoratively inconsistent with the Lt Bush 26 May 1972 Performance Appraisal which states under OTHER COMMENTS: "Lt Bush is very active in civic affairs in the community and manifests a deep interest in the operation of our government. He has recently accepted a position as a campaign manager for a candidate for United States Senate. He is a good representative of the military and the Air National Guard in the business world. His abilities and anticipated future assignments make him a valuable asset. He is a member of the National Guard Association of the United States and Texas."

35. CBS Memo 1 August 1972 says "I recommended transfer of this officer to the 9921 st Air Reserve Squadron in May and forwarded his AF Form 1288 to 147 th Ftr Intcp Gp headquarters. The transfer was not allowed." However, the 147th Ftr Gp (Tng) actually endorsed Lt Bush's AF Form 1288 application for reserve assignment on 24 May 1972 with "Recommend approval. Request this organization be notified on date of appointment." Texas ANG headquarters approved the endorsement on 5 June 1972, and AF Form 1288 was returned to the 147th Ftr Gp and filed in June 1972.

Lt Col Killian would NOT have written as is contained in CBS Memo 04 Aug 1972 that "The transfer was not allowed" since by 1 August if the Texas ANG headquarters already approved it. Sometime later in August, 1972 (the date stamp on the rejection letter cannot be determined.), the Headquarters of AF Personal refused this transfer on procedural grounds pointing out that Lt Bush needed to transfer to a National Guard Air Force Reserve Sqd, not an Air Reserve Sqd. In September, 1972, Lt Bush reapplied for transfer through Lt Col Killian and successfully transferred to the 187th AL Sqd, where he worked in the classified material office away from the flight line in September, October, and November. On August 1, the date of the CBS Memo, there is no indication that Lt Col Killian had received this (future) rejection letter.

36. According to the CBS Memo 1 August Killian purportedly writes: "I recommended transfer of this officer…Officer has made no attempt to meet…or flight physical." This is inconsistent with the Lt Bush official performance evaluation dated 26 May 1972 in which Major Harris writes: "Lt Bush should be retained in his present assignment. He has gained valuable experience in the operations area and would be a welcome addition to any fighter squadron." Lt Col Killian signed off this evaluation on the same day.

37. In the CBS Memo 18 August Jerry Killian purportedly writes: "Staudt has obviously pressured Hodges more about Bush. I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job." but General Staudt, who thought very highly of Lt Bush, retired on March 1, 1972. General Staudt was no longer in the TANG military chain of command.

38. CBS Memo18 August is titled CYA, a popular euphemism for covering one's posterior. No military officer in his right mind would use "CYA" to communicate in a memo that might come under scrutiny, even in a Memo to the File.

39. CBS Memo dated 18 August in 1973 specifically claims that Col Staudt was trying to influence Killian to sugarcoat Lt Bush's 72-73 Officer Effectiveness Report (OER). For one thing, Col Staudt had been retired over a year by then. Moreover, the facts in actual records do not support such a statement because there would be no reason for such pressure even if Col Staudt were still around. This is because Lt Bush's OER for the entire period from May 1972-May 1973 was signed as is TANG custom by Major Martin as "Not Observed" since Lt Bush was in Alabama serving with the 187th during part of this time. A "Not Observed" OER is routinely used for long periods of detached duty like this. All of Lt Bush's service time is correctly accounted for by these OER's. No discipline or missing drill times are noted, as would have been required had there been any discipline problems. Lt Bush's two-sentence May 1973 OER was simply a normal administrative accounting of time served. It was ABSOLUTELY NOT sugarcoated. Neither Lt Col Killian nor Col Hodges signed, endorsed, or reviewed the May 1973 OER. Lt Bush's May 1973 OER was NOT backdated or altered. It was properly signed, dated, stamped and is correctly filed with Lt Bush's records in November 1973.

40. CBS Memo 18 August uses the term OETR whereas the proper term would be OER. 41. According to Lt Col Campelli: "Jerry Killian never went near a typewriter. In the Air Force, in those days, notes ?if anyone kept them at all? were handwritten." All the CBS Memos supposedly prepared by Lt Col Killian are typed. For further information see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1212092/posts

42. Both Lt Col Killian's wife and son relate that Killian wasn't a typist. If he needed notes, he would write them down longhand, but in general, he wasn't paper-oriented, and certainly wasn't a typist.

E. CBS MEMO AUTHENTICATION ISSUES (VERACITY OF EXPERTS, ETC.)

43. The four CBS Memos have NO apparent errors or whiteouts or overtypes or corrections or misspellings or typographic changes visible in any of the documents. It stretches credulity to believe that Lt Col Killian, who did not type much, if at all, could use a manual typewriter to type all four of these relatively complex documents without making a single mistake.

44. CBS admits that it does *not* have the originals, but only original documents can be proven to be real; copies can *never* be authenticated positively. CBS never had the originals, so it is reasonable to conclude that CBS knew that it was publishing something that couldn't be authenticated. Moreover, CBS's own validator, Marcel Matley, wrote in the September, 2002 issue of the journal, The Practical Litigator: "In fact, modern copiers and computer printers are so good that they permit easy fabrication of quality forgeries. From a copy, the document examiner cannot authenticate the unseen original ..." See http://d2d.ali-aba.org/_files/thumbs/components/PLIT0209-MATLEY_thumb.pdf

45. CBS 60 Minutes says validator Matley vouched for all four CBS Memos. However, Matley says he vouched for only one.

46. CBS Memo validator Matley is only a signature expert, not a typographic expert. Also there now seem to be emerging issues on the signatures themselves. For signature authenticity doubts see http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040910-104821-5968r.htm and http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1213174/posts

47. Retired Maj. General Hodges, Killian's supervisor at the TANG, told ABC News that he feels CBS misled him about the documents they uncovered. According to Hodges, CBS told him the documents were "handwritten" and after CBS read him excerpts he said: "well IF he WROTE them that's what he felt." Hodges also said he did not see the documents in the 70's and he cannot authenticate the documents or the contents. His personal belief is that the documents have been "computer generated" and are a "fraud". See http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/NotedNow/Noted_Now.html

48. The CBS Memos purport to be from Lt Col Killian's "personal files". Yet they were not obtained from his family, but through some unknown 3rd party. It is an odd kind of "personal file" when the family of a deceased person is unaware of the file's existence and it is not in their possession. CBS 60 Minutes has not stated any provenance for the memos. This adds further questions to the authenticity of the CBS Memos.

49. Both Lt Col Killian's wife and son, as well as the EAFB personnel officer do not find the CBS Memos credible.

50. The CBS Memos are totally inconsistent with the highly positive performance reviews for Lt Bush by TANG.

51. The blurriness of the CBS Memos indicates they were recopied a number of times which is a common tactic of forgers. (copying of the CBS Memos was stated in the 60Minutes broadcast).

IT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROJECT THAT:
CBS DID NOT EXERCISE REASONABLE PRUDENCE IN PUBLICATION OF THE FORGED MEMOS ON 60MINUTES

In addition to the many items detailed in the Project Report, the following were immediate red flags:

1. The superscript "th" in the 04 May and in the 18 August Memos would have been a clear forgery indicator to anyone familiar with a manual typewriter, the only equipment available in 1972.

2. The layout of the documents including proportional spacing should have caused any staff member to try to replicate the memos in Microsoft Word default settings. A simple overlay held up to the window would have revealed the forgery.

3. The use of the "0" in the 04 May and in the 01 August Memo dates and the lack of a distribution list for the these purported orders would have led anyone with past military experience, even at the private level, to know that the documents were not valid.

4. The use of a validator with no admitted typographic expertise. Moreover, that validator was instructed to validate only one Memo signature from a photocopy, despite that validator's own previously published statements that a photocopy could not be used to determine signature veracity.

IT IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PROJECT THAT CBS AND 60MINUTES:

a. Issue a clear and unambiguous public apology to the American Public and to President Bush:
- on CBS News and on 60Minutes
- on the CBS web site

b. Terminate or accept the resignation(s) of those CBS person(s) asserting the authenticity of Documents on CBS News and on 60 Minutes.

c. Post on the CBS web site the source(s) of the forged memos and a chronology of the events relating to this matter specifically including contacts in electronic, telephonic, or written form with any 527, DNC, or Kerry Campaign employees, representatives, or agents. Also, immediately take steps to preserve all such notes and records.

d. Produce within 14 days a follow-up CBS 60Minutes presentation detailing the facts and circumstances relating to the acquisition and use on 60Minutes, CBS News, and the CBS web site of the forged documents.

e. As the forging and use of forged military documents, especially during a national election, is a serious and possibly criminal issue: formally notify the U.S. Justice Department, the Federal Election Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission of the details concerning the acquisition and use of the Documents and fully cooperate with any subsequent investigation(s) and, if appropriate, any prosecution(s).

Link References

CBS Memo 04 May: here.
CBS Memo 19 May: here.
CBS Memo 01 August: here.
CBS Memo 18 August: here.
CBS supposed find of a "th" in a TANG Document (It is single key ligature, NOT a superscript, and is not proportionally spaced): here. (See page 25 of 26)
The Buckhead Post on Free Republic that first unearthed the CBS 60 Minutes Forgery via the internet: here.

Download this as a 60Minutes Forgery Facts Microsoft Word Document.

Download this as a 60Minutes Forgery Facts PDF.

FreeRepublic.com, a member of the NEW Main Stream Media……………………………September 20, 2004 5 PM EDT

The above FR CBS Memo Forgery Project includes links to a detailed and, if we may say so, a highly attractive MSWord document and a pdf.

These are much more detailed and usable than the above html posting. They contain:

….extensive 10-page Project Report analysis as to why the CBS Memos are a forgery

….three page Summary for those folks who don't want to read all the analysis

…. Technical Appendix showing the 04 CBS Memo overlay with MSWord

…. Project Conclusion concerning CBS's "lack of reasonable prudence"

…. Project Recommendation as to what CBS needs to do now that they should likely be entering the "penalty and restitution" discussion phase…

While it might be argued that the need for the Project Report is now over, documentation of the obvious nature of the CBS Memo forgery may, and should, have a bearing on what CBS should be required to do regarding their discovery, validation, and broadcasting of the forged CBS Memos.

This next phase which might be termed CBS "discovery, restitution, and penalty" is also covered in the doc and pdf downloads under CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATIONS.

I would like to thank a number of Freepers for input, most importantly one who provided valuable editing input and wrote the Summary, and the site hoster for the doc and pdf's. Thanks also to the pdf converter.

A couple of comments and questions:

1. the Free Republic tag line is not on the Conclusion and Recommendations
document. Should it be?

2. if some one wants to host the html above, I will be happy to E-mail
the FR posting code as a MSWord document that can be simply pasted
into a WWW page, as well as the two graphics. Just Freepmail me
with your E-Mail address. No doubt, the html can be improved with
some indents, font changes, text colors, and the like.

3. if you do want to reproduce and host the above article, it is preferred
that you just link to the present host site for the doc and pdf downloads.
That way if there are any changes to the doc or pdf, they will automatically
be done.

In any event, thanks to all of you who provided input. It is pretty clear
that the MSM was using some of the threads for their ideas. If you would
like any changes to the document and pdf that you download, please
post the suggestions so that they can be reviewed by all.

Regards

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