Former CNN Exec: Saddam Used Network

www.newsmax.com ^ | Wednesday, April 16, 2003 | Ted Kavanau

[paltz]

Ted Kavanau is a veteran television news executive. He was one of the founders of CNN and created CNN's Headline News and has served in news managerial capacities at TV stations in New York, Oakland, Calif., and San Diego.

It came as no surprise to me that, for more than a decade, CNN was not telling the truth it knew about the Saddam Hussein regime.

There have been letters to Shoptalk and newspaper commentaries, (e.g., "Craven News Network" (NY Post), "CNN"s Access of Evil" (Wall St. Journal), condemning CNN news chief Eason Jordan for his admissions in a New York Times op-ed piece that CNN had learned some "awful things" ('torture, murder, assassination plots')that could not be reported, Jordan claimed, because doing so would jeopardize the lives of Iraqis, particularly those on his Baghdad staff.

In spite of that, Jordan says he made 13 trips to Baghdad to, "lobby to keep the CNN Baghdad bureau open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders."

I was surprised by Jordan's public admissions but, not by much else.

Until 1987 I had been a high level news executive for CNN and I knew most of the top people running the organization. On January 19, 1991, following the US attack on Baghdad that began the Gulf War, I sent a four page, single-spaced fax to each of three then current top CNN news executives, warning them of how they were going to be used by Saddam and even cited one of their own journalists admitting in 1991 that they were not reporting the whole truth about the regime.

Here are just a few quotes from that four page 1991 fax:

".... I am writing this letter out of deep concern as an American and as one of the founders of the network, whose facilities I think are being grossly misused."

....."I was fascinated when Bernard Shaw, whose personal courage and journalistic ability I highly respect, said upon his return from Baghdad that he would not report certain things because it might (paraphrasing here)antagonize the Iraqis if their security was endangered and thus create a risk to CNN staff still in Baghdad. I would like to know how you square your journalistic responsibilities with that."

..... "Why do you think Saddam Hussein allows CNN and other reporters into Baghdad unless he thought it was useful to him."

...... "Are you bending over backward to be 'balanced' so that you will be a trustworthy and equitable world network, welcome in the offices of democrats and dictators all over the globe?"

Indeed, as one critic in the newspapers pointed out, Jordan does not "deserve applause" for his admissions. CNN, he writes, still works under "media guidelines" in dictatorships like Cuba, Burma and Syria.

When will CNN ever learn?

[mewzilla]

CNN mottos: Will bend over and grab our ankles for access.

Dictators Rule.

It's about ratings, stupid.

[n1f2ns]

CNN on Saddam's side and against America... can't say im shocked at that. However i am shocked that the guy actually came out and admitted it, that probably took a great deal of courage to do; he probably realized, especially now, that America needed to be warned that CNN's coverage wasn't striaght news. He should have spoken out sooner but better late then never.

[GailA]

CENSORED NEWS NETWORK is a good rename for them.

[Diogenesis]

Can any rational human believe Turner OR CNN? Absolutely NOT.
They are compelled to destroy justice, liberty, and the American way.

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NEW CNN TELEVISION SERIES

The New Destruction of Western Civilization by, and on, CNN

==========================

Monday:

A program on 'Our Planned Future Complete Destruction of all Traces of Israel'
narrated by Sheila MacVicar, Andrea Koppel and Terrorist Arafat.

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Tuesday:

How the USA lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Wednesday:

Ms. Fonda Turner returns for 'Our Past and Future Treason against America'

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THURSDAY:
Ted Turner will tell of his being "a student at Brown University
...kicked out for painting swastikas on the doors of Jewish student's rooms."
Turner will give an intro into turning Hate Crime,
like his, into paying off with billions and billions of $$$$$$$$.

Ted Turner, June 18, 2002: "So who are the terrorists?
I would make a case that both sides are involved in terrorism."

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FRIDAY:
Ted Turner lists the 50 compelling reasons that
CNN sponsors, highlights, and supports Palestinian murderers.
CNN will continue to focus on the murderers calling the despicable terrorists "suicide bombers".

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CNN argues that all murder and terrorism against Americans and Jews
is not really terrorism but is just a "CNN-reasonable alternative".

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SATURDAY:
Ted Turner lists how he and his lawyers scr$#ed
"the descendants of 47 black residents who pooled their money in 1920 to
purchase a 328-acre plantation"
CNN harbors terrorists. It always has been, and apparently always will be.

[Dick Bachert]

LOOKING FOR SADDAM?

MEANWHILE, AT THE CNN HOME OFFICE IN BAGHDAD...

[kidd]

NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS

[Aquinasfan]

When will CNN ever learn?

Maybe when they go belly up.

[Aquinasfan]

that probably took a great deal of courage to do

Or he may have feared being "outed" and decided to be the first to reveal the story. It's a Clinton-style tactic. The timing is certainly suspicious, coming on the fall of the regime.

[rightazrain]

I have a different theory why Jordan admitted it -- he was afraid it would come out anyway. That's not courage, it's CYA.

Backfired Big Time!

[Savage Beast]

Thank God that President Bush had the courage, honor, integrity, and intelligence to lead, despite the disinformation--whether by omission or comission--of Americas newsmedia that dangerously misled the American people.

Thank God that President Bush had enough courage, honor, integrity, and intelligence to compensate for the lack of these qualities in those responsible for informing the public.

[syriacus]

Every day we're seeing more cracks appear in CNN's facade.

[backhoe]

Cross-link:

-The Access of Evil-- CNN's Duplicity --

[lowbridge]

Former CNN Exec: Saddam Used Network

Duh!

[syriacus]

I have a different theory why Jordan admitted it -- he was afraid it would come out anyway. That's not courage, it's CYA. Backfired Big Time!

Bernard Shaw left CNN to write his autobiography. I wonder when it is going to be published.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Excellent! Hi, there, by the way. Nice to see you here.

[uncbob]

CNN's coverage of Iraq is just the tip of the iceberg of their slanted news coverage

[RJayneJ]

You might consider that CNN came forward because they knew it was going to come out and they decided to out themselves so they could put their own spin on it, take the hit, and ride out the storm.

They had an obligation to come forward while the debate was going on with congress, the administration and the UN. When the administration was being accused of lying.

[gcruse]

More evidence of CNN corruption. What's going on here? Does this story have enough legs to do real damage to CNN?