Associated Press repeats bogus story about ‘planted question’ in Iraq

[Robbien]

http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=515

An article by the Associated Press’ Robert Burns repeats a bogus story about a reporter planting a question with U.S. forces in Iraq to ask Secretary Rumsfeld, RAW STORY has found, thanks to a reader.

At the very least, the AP story fails to note that the soldier who actually asked the question says he came up the question himself.

The AP article asserts that:

Two weeks ago at a forward base in Kuwait, a handful of soldiers openly challenged him about inadequate equipment and long deployments.

It was disclosed later that a question about inadequate armor on some vehicles was arranged in advance by a reporter.

Yet the soldier who received the ‘planted’ question, in fact, told Editor and Publisher otherwise:

In his first public account of last week’s controversy, Spc. Thomas Wilson says that he came up with the now famous armor question for Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld on his own, without the help of oft-criticized reporter Edward Lee Pitts. And he adds, “If this is my 15 minutes of fame, I hope it saves a life.”


You can contact AP and let them know of their error at mailto:[e-mail]

[Wilber_Stool]

1. From what I've read and heard in interviews

the reporter arranged for the soldier to be called on. That's all.

[robbedvoter]

2. The entire purpose of the stunt was to change the past. 1984

Rummy is good now so stop saying that.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I sent a letter to AP at the address you provided, escoriating them for

what appears to be their intentional misleading of the public, and I also made sure to let them know that I am not the only one who has noticed.
The original AP article can be found at

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=2&u=/ap/20041224/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rumsfeld_media

[Robbien]

4. Thanks, I believe we need to respond to them on their outright lies

Letting the lies pass by without comment encourages the next lie to be printed.

:thumbsup:

[ailsagirl]

5. Know why? It's the same old, tired diversionary tactic the repugs

use whenever they want to distract the public from an important issue. I think in this case it was to take attention away from the election fraud happenings in Ohio. Most people hadn't a CLUE what was going on there.