Posted on 11/01/2005 5:28:56 PM PST by kellynla
Turn on the TV at any given moment, and you're likely to see some earnest media "expert" telling you confidently that America faces a serious threat from suitcase nukes, that Al-Qaeda terrorists are streaming across the Mexican border, that there was no link between Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, and that Iraq is another Vietnam. There's just one problem with all this: none of it is true. Richard Miniter explains why these and other popular media factoids and urban legends are not only wrong, but severely damaging to our war effort, in Disinformation: The 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War on Terror.
There are a lot of War on Terror myths masquerading as fact in respected newspapers, on the airwaves, and on the web. Some are cunningly disguised; others are as crude and silly as the ideas that a small band of neocons have made a puppet of the president, and that the collapse of the Twin Towers was an inside job. Many of these myths will surprise you. Miniter, the indefatigable investigative reporter and terrorism expert who has penned two New York Times bestsellers (Losing bin Laden and Shadow War), smashes these myths as he draws on seldom-seen documents, contacts with countless high-level sources, and unique information he has gathered in his travels from Sudan to the Philippines, from Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong, and from Washington to Brussels. He shows not only why you should not believe these myths, but how they play into the hands of the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 - and divert valuable personnel and resources to chasing cold tips down blind alleys.
(Excerpt) Read more at 216.7.14.139 ...
It confuses me to the point of disillusion.
Idiots always ignore the proof they are idiots.
To listen to the Dems, especially those on the Intelligence Committee (oxymoron for them), they only voted for the "war" on Iraq (actually, just a continuation of the 1991 war since Iraq was in constant violation of the cease-fire agreement) because of what "Bush said".
To make this statement as they have done proves they are either gullible or really, really stupid. Oh wait, they are both along with being cowardly liars.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Someone clipped a quote about Abu Nidal.
Completely not true.
This was the Ollie North Myth and his rebuttal about Osama bin Laden:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know, it's funny! I remember very vividly the Oliver
North hearings, but did not recall the name of Osama bin
Laden as the terrorist that North was threatened by. Has
this slime ball been around that long? It's pretty evident,
in hindsight that we should have listened to Ollie!
I was at the UNC lecture the other day where they played a
video of Oliver North during the Iran-Contra deals during
the Reagan administration. I was surprised by this
particular clip.
There was Ollie in front of God and Country getting the
third degree. But what he said stunned me. He was being
drilled by some senator who asked him;
"Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home
security system?"
Oliver replied, "Yes I did sir."
The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the
audience, "Isn't this just a little excessive?"
"No sir," continued Oliver.
"No. And why not?"
"Because the life of my family and I were threatened."
"Threatened? By who?"
"By a terrorist, sir."
"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that
much?"
"His name is Osama bin Laden."
At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but
couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably
couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then
the senator continued. "Why are you so afraid of this man?"
"Because sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know
of."
"And what do you recommend we do about him?"
"If it were me I would recommend an assassin team be formed
to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The senator disagreed with this approach and that was all
they showed of the clip.
It's scary when you think 15 years ago the government was
aware of Osama bin Laden and his potential threat to the
security of the world. I guess like all great tyrants
they start small but if left unattended spread like the
virus they truly are.
____________________
Comments: Sorry, wrong terrorist. When Colonel Oliver North defended his government-purchased home security system before a Congressional committee in 1987, he cited threats on his life from the infamous Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal, not Osama bin Laden. The latter was busy fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan at the time. Bin Laden's fervent hatred of the U.S. is said by most sources to date from 1990, when American troops were stationed in his home country of Saudi Arabia in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
Update:
Oliver North's Response to the Email Rumor
"As you will note, the originator attributes to me certain statements regarding Usama bin Laden and other matters that are simply inaccurate. Though I would like to claim the gift of prophesy, I don't have it."
If you are going to stir the pot, at least name names!
Are any of these people or groups still here? What arguments did they make?
How did the hijackers take control of 4 jetliners?
I'm putting this book on my wish list & requesting it through our library on-line system. The more requests they get, the more likely they are to buy it.
I wanted to do that with a "Newsmax" subscription and a copy of the DVD "Fahrenhype911" but they said no. Not until I have this one person approve it who is never there.
"Newsmax " gives a cheaper price to libraries. They said they had a bunch of libraries reject the gift. So, I want preapproval. That's why I go to the customer request part of our county library system. Maybe other Freepers can do the same. Let them know what we want.
Nope. He was talking about Abu Nidal...
thanks for the heads up.
I heard the tail end of the interview on the john gambling show the other day. see how all these urban legends start...some people and the press will believe, repeat and write anything.
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