DOES CNSNEWS.COM HAVE THE STORY OF THE YEAR?

National review ^ | October 4, 2004 | Jim Geraghty

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

CNS News is a nice little right-of-center web-based wire service operating in Alexandria, Virginia. They seem like pretty solid reporters, and not likely to bite on, say, memos that are supposed to be from an Air National Guard office from 1972 that were created on Microsoft Word.

So it's kind of surprising to see this report:

Iraqi intelligence documents, confiscated by U.S. forces and obtained by CNSNews.com, show numerous efforts by Saddam Hussein's regime to work with some of the world's most notorious terror organizations, including al Qaeda, to target Americans. They demonstrate that Saddam's government possessed mustard gas and anthrax, both considered weapons of mass destruction, in the summer of 2000, during the period in which United Nations weapons inspectors were not present in Iraq. And the papers show that Iraq trained dozens of terrorists inside its borders. One of the Iraqi memos contains an order from Saddam for his intelligence service to support terrorist attacks against Americans in Somalia. The memo was written nine months before U.S. Army Rangers were ambushed in Mogadishu by forces loyal to a warlord with alleged ties to al Qaeda.

[Izzy Dunne]

What's the font face?

I wouldn't discount this as McAwful's revenge...

[Novel]

First: I just got back from CT. I thought the only conservative there was my mother-in-law. She'll be glad to know she's not alone.

Second: I think we need to be cautiously optimistic on this report. The MSM is likely to ignore it, or worse, suppress it. Much like they did with the Swift boat Vets. They're going to do everything in their power to discredit the story, particularly because it comes from an unnamed source. In fact, they are likely to use the Dan Rather fiasco to give themselves cover. "In the interest of solid journalism, we are not about to use an unnamed source on such a major source that could impact the presidential election." It's up to the Internet and talk radio to push this story into the public eye.

[truthandlife]

Excellent point. I do believe Rove and company know that the internet has been very friendly to Bush and has helped him fight a lot of his battles. CNS News is a very conservative but reputable internet news site and remember CNS News is displayed on Free Republic sometimes in the upper right corner over "BROWSE BY FORUM."

I think Bush wants this one to come from the internet first and then MSM will have to report it and be second to the story again. They will also have to report it correctly or there will be a another "RATHERGATE."

[null and void]

popcorn...no doze...pj's: check.

check.

[King Prout]

I'll cheerfully say "smoking gun" when the round gets fired and the target (Kerry and the LSM) drops.

oh... you mean the Saddam smoking gun?
oh. ok. yeah. it'll do.

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

let 'er rip to them ..if u can. Im unable right now

[oolatec]

CNS needs to show these documents...

[MamaLucci]

They seem like pretty solid reporters, and not likely to bite on, say, memos that are supposed to be from an Air National Guard office from 1972 that were created on Microsoft Word.

Love the gratuitous swipe at See,BS. Geraghty rocks!

[PigRigger]

Don't get your hopes up. Even if there is a shred of evidence supporting this report; the MSM will line up to discredit or ignore it.

They are in full Bush Bashing, Kerry supporting, mode; they will not let facts get in the way this late in the game.

Hope I'm wrong, but I won't hold my breath. IMHO

[newgeezer]

Ping.

Now, if these documents were produced with a typewriter instead of MS Word, they're probably fakes.

[EdReform]

Ping

[ampat]

See the intelligence everyone was getting was right, in this respect. And that's what they acted on. They did it right. The right war, at the right time, in the right place.

[RedWing9]

First: I just got back from CT. I thought the only conservative there was my mother-in-law. She'll be glad to know she's not alone.

Nope, the poster is your M-I-L... LOL

[tort_feasor]

From the CNS article:

The government official also explained that the motivation for leaking the documents, "is strictly national security and helping with the war on terrorism by focusing this country's attention on facts and away from political posturing.

"This is too important to let it get caught up in the political process," the source told CNSNews.com.

[outlawcam]

I hope this is what Karl Rove was talking about "a few suprises".

I hope the Bush campaign is NOT abusing the office of the president to increase Bush's chances for reelection. IOW, I hope Karl Rove has nothing at all to do with this.

I don't think he did.

OTOH, this information must be thoroughly validated. CNS got burned some time ago for reporting forgeries as authentic (sound familiar?). Whatever the documents eventually show, it does not change the fact that Saddam supported terrorists and that he could not account for his WMDs. Jumping on the bandwagon of false claims (if it turns out to be false) only harms our credibility.

We ought to treat the matter delicately until the documents have undergone rigorous scrutiny.

[dasboot]

end of the orig art (posted 3X today) says the docs will be produced on the website in entire asap....ducks in rows, here.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

You wrote:

WE all know there is NO WMD anywhere in the world but America, and those poor terrorists are just defending themselves from us EVIL Bush supporters!

sarcasm/off

The E-Ville little shrub warmonger, tax cutter for the weathiest Americans at it again. OBL will come out during early voting!! Just you see!!! John F'n Kerry has a plan for Amerika!!Yeah, right! My buddy went out to Crawford a couple of weeks back for lunch. Asked the very young waitress if GWB had ever been in. Girl never said a word. Just pointed to the photo on the wall of GW with his arm around her and smiled.:-) Rural Texas culture, and the president of these United States is a vital part of it. Divider, my a$$!!!

[Freepdonia]

I hope this is one of a few October Surprises for Kerry. :-)

[shield]

This has got to be WHAT!!!??? The O/S that's incoming. Me think that this news organization has an in with certain Republicans in the know. ;o)

[thackney]

"Iraq" ping