update on Telegraph story on Atta in Baghdad

[lord of the mark]

a couple of weeks ago the Daily Telegraph published a story claiming to have recieved a memo written by Iraqs previous Intelligence chief discussing a visit by 9/11 hijacker mohammed atta to Baghdad to receive training from abu nidal. The memo was date july 1, 2001.

Michael Issikoff of Newsweek reports that FBI info indicates that Atta's location was accounted for in the month preceding July 1 2001 and so he could not have been in Baghdad.

Telegraph admits it could have been a forgery, but continues to insist that it received the doc from a member of the IGC. In the article itself they said that Allawi, head of the Iraqi National Accord, had vouched for the document.

In an interesting side note, Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, generally seen as an ally of the Pentagon, dismissed the article as "nonsense"

The Isikoff article does not give any reaction from Alawi, who is not mentioned at all.

[Q Classic]

[RGBVideo]

*bump*

We don't want to miss this, do we?
/me adds Daily Telegraph to the "BS web sources" -list *

[Q Classic]

at least lotm is honest. weren't you the the one who posted the original story in the first place?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
at least lotm is honest. weren't you the the one who posted the original story in the first place?

no, but i defended some aspects of it, and defended the DT.

I DID point out that if it was a forgery we'd soon find out (which some disputed) - that has (apparently) proven correct

I also pointed out that DT sourced the doc to Allawi - as far as I can tell DT stands by that sourcing, and Allawi has not responded.

Some claimed this was so obscure it would never come to Allawis attention - while i still see no Allawi response, it certainly did not stay obscure, and Chalabi did respond

I also said that even if the doc proved a forgery, this was newsworthy, as it was a sign of political maneuvering involving the IGC and factions in Washington. The fact that Chalabi of all people called the original report "nonsense" is at least one sign of such maneuvering.

[lord of the mark]

Someone with a truely conspiratorial mind might even read something into the fact that Issikoffs info came from the FBI, that Allawi is an ally of the CIA, and might reflect on reports of disputes between FBI and CIA about responsibility for pre 9/11 intell failure.

[Spiffor]

Thanks for the update.
I'm glad to see I was wrong thinking the denial of this forgery wouldn't be newsworthy

I guess it shows what the Telegraph really is. I just read in the MSNBC article Rev linked to that the exclusive document was announced with a big title on the Telegraph's cover...

For some reason, I don't expect them to publicize so much on the forgery...

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Thanks for the update.
I'm glad to see I was wrong thinking the denial of this forgery wouldn't be newsworthy

I guess it shows what the Telegraph really is. I just read in the MSNBC article Rev linked to that the exclusive document was announced with a big title on the Telegraph's cover...

For some reason, I don't expect them to publicize so much on the forgery...

Er, no afaik no outside the IGC and the Telegraph has actually looked at the document. Isikoff drew his conclusions based on FBI info that wasnt publicly available. Again, Id like to see what Allawi has to say before jumping all over the Telegram. Sure they published something based on a questionable source - but thats fleet street Standard operating procedure across the political spectrum, as far as I can tell.

[Spiffor]

Originally from the MSNBC article

The new document, supposedly written by the chief of the Iraqi intelligence service, was trumpeted by the Sunday Telegraph of London earlier this week in a front-page story that broke hours before the dramatic capture of Saddam Hussein. TERRORIST BEHIND SEPTEMBER 11 STRIKE WAS TRAINED BY SADDAM, ran the headline on the story written by Con Coughlin, a Telegraph correspondent and the author of the book "Saddam: The Secret Life."

This kind of things do sell, and I think that's why the Telegraph was so eager to use it without any political caution.

However, I agree that Allawi's silence is noteworthy, now that the affair has taken a new turn, with denials from several directions including Chalabi.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
but thats fleet street Standard operating procedure across the political spectrum, as far as I can tell.

A professional journalist always double checks information, especially sensitive info. When Faux News trumpeted the discovery of WMD caches during the war, it was highly unprofessional as well. And the whole Jessica Lynch coverage sucked from both sides of the spectrum. However, I don't think these cases deserve any leniency.

[GePap]

Come on, the fact that the same magic memo vindicated the whole Niger uranium story should have been a dead giveaway..too good (well, for some parties) to be good.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap
Come on, the fact that the same magic memo vindicated the whole Niger uranium story should have been a dead giveaway..too good (well, for some parties) to be good.

"I agree that the inclusion of Niger seems fishy"

LOTM, Dec. 15.

[GePap]

At least you document yourself better than this reporter..and yes, I remember yout thought that fishy.

[JCG]

Nice to see straws being broken...