Posted on 01/10/2005 11:43:26 AM PST by Mike Fieschko
Bloggers are taking note that the Thornburgh/Boccardi report on CBS does not seem to take a position on the authenticity of the Killian documents. On p. 14 on the report, the authors note:
The Panel has not been able to conclude with absolute certainty whether the Killian documents are authentic or forgeries.
This shouldn't be interpreted as a cop-out, I think. Barring an admission from the forger, it's difficult to prove document forgery with "absolute" certainty. But Appendix 4--which is not included on CBS's website, but on Dick Thornburgh's law firm website--seems to speak loud and clear on this. Here's the intro:
***
The following is a summary of the information provided to the Panel by Peter Tytell relating to the typestyle of the four documents aired on the September 8 Segment (the "Killian documents") and the typestyle of the previously released Texas Air National Guard ("TexANG") document containing a superscript "th" that was featured on the September 10 CBS Evening News (the "Superscript Exemplar") .'
Tytell concluded, for the reasons described below, that (i) the relevant portion of the Superscript Exemplar was produced on an Olympia manual typewriter, (ii) the Killian documents were not produced on an Olympia manual typewriter, and (iii) the Killian documents were produced on a computer in Times New Roman typestyle . Tytell acknowledged that deterioration in the Killian documents from the copying and downloading process made the comparison of typestyles "to some extent a subjective call." However, he believed the differences were sufficiently significant to conclude that the Killian documents were not produced on a typewriter in the early 1970s and therefore were not authentic...
The Killian Documents Were Likely Produced On A Computer
Tytell concluded that the Killian documents were produced in a typestyle that closely resembles Times New Roman, a typestyle that he explained was not available on standard typewriters in the early 1970s.6 Tytell explained to the Panel that although the typestyle of the Killian documents has certain similarities with the "Press Roman" typestyle on the IBM Selectric Composer typewriter that was available in the early 1970s, there are enough significant differences in his opinion to conclude that the Killian documents were not produced by an IBM Selectric Composer. The basis for his conclusion is summarized below.
According to Tytell, the Killian documents are proportionally spaced and therefore could not have been produced by monospaced typewriters, which constituted a substantial majority of the typewriters available in the early 1970s.
In addition, Tytell explained that the Killian documents are produced in serif typestyle (i.e., "with feet"). This is visible, for example, on the capital "M" from the May 4, 1972 Killian document. Therefore, he was able to eliminate all "sans-serif" proportional typestyles . Tytell also reviewed the June 2004 version ofthe Haas Atlas, which he described as a compendium of available typewriter typestyles that he considers a key resource in examining typography issues. Tytell told the Panel that he reviewed the proportionally spaced, serif typestyles in the Haas Atlas and did not find a single match with the Killian documents...'
***
For most bloggers, Tytell's analysis is old hat, deja vu all over again. But the appendix is worth reading all the way through. This should put to rest any last desperate straw-grasping from some fringe quarters that the documents were authentic.
But it won't.
Something went backwards. CBS had a responsibility to prove that the documents were authentic. Failing the ability to prove that the documents are authentic, the assumption should be that they were false.
LOL. The tounge twisting going on at CBS is hilarious. They cannot prove they are not authentic! Sure they can. They've been conclusively proven to be fakes. They also couldn't determine that there was any political motivation.
You got it wrong - at least in the democrat/leftist mind.
Remember that the position... "we must investigate President Reagan over Iran-contra because the allegations are so serious"! There was no evidence - just allegations.
So it is entirely in keeping with Demo/Left phylosophy that documents, because they exist, must be assumed to be authentic! Particularly since they were found(read created) by them.
The title search only works on four letters or more for a word or phrase.
Thanks. Is that a new limitation? I don't remember seeing the three character limit before.
The title search only works on four letters or more for a word or phrase.
Which is really annoying when you come across a headline with no words longer than three letters.
That's really rich.
How the HECK can anyone authenticate COPIES?
Dan Rather didn't care if they were authentic or not, they hurt Bush, that was enough. Liberal blind bias!
Headlines like The Big Dig Fib are lost forever.
Does it address the question: where are the originals?
Just one original impact-printed memo page would decisively terminate the forgery accusation. Funny, after how many months of investigation, four firings, and endless "but they're real!" claims, nobody claims to have seen the originals...
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