It looks like the topic I threw up a quick post about yesterday is hitting the fan all over the place. Here’s a roundup:
Captain Ed weighs in here, and had more info yesterday.
If Jordan has evidence of this military practice, why hasn’t CNN reported it? And if he has no evidence, why would the chief of a worldwide news agency spread unsubstantiated rumors? What else has CNN reported that is similarly sourced, and what else has CNN suppressed with solid sourcing?
Ace of Spades rants about Eason Jordan and Ward Churchill together:
You don’t like this country? Then be a man, grow a pair, and get […] out.
I’m not suggesting we prosecute you. I’m not saying we should lock you up.
I’m suggesting you have the courage of your lack of convictions and just […] go already.
Voluntarily. Leave. Get […] out. Go somewhere where it won’t be treasonous to defend the mass-murder of 2800 Americans.
This brings back memories of Hugh Hewitt’s column in the Weekly Standard in 2003:
Last Friday, CNN’s Eason Jordan published an op-ed in the New York Times that contained some admissions that cannot be considered as anything other than astonishing. CNN’s “chief news executive” confessed that, among other things, Saddam’s crazy son Uday had told Eason in 1995 that he, Uday, intended to assassinate two of his brothers-in-law. The two men were not warned by CNN and were eventually lured back into Iraq where they were murdered.
Jordan said in his Times essay that he felt awful having these stories “bottled up inside me.” Not as bad as the brothers-in-law felt, of course, but pretty bad. Jordan went on to confess that during his watch CNN also failed to report other tales of the Hussein regime’s towering brutality.
Some observers exploded in outrage at CNN’s complicity in the crimes of Saddam Inc. Still others asked why Jordan chose to make his confession now. In fact, there are a series of questions that need answering in short order.
Right Wing America calls for Eason Jordan to resign.
Hugh Hewitt’s roundup.
Rony Abovitz from Forumblog.
Eason seemed to backpedal quickly, but his initial statements were backed by other members of the audience (one in particular who represented a worldwide journalist group). The ensuing debate was (for lack of better words) a real “sh–storm”. What intensified the problem was the fact that the session was a public forum being taped on camera, in front of an international crowd. The other looming shadow on what was going on was the presence of a U.S. Congressman and a U.S. Senator in the middle of some very serious accusations about the U.S. military.
To be fair (and balanced), Eason did backpedal and make a number of statements claiming that he really did not know if what he said was true, and that he did not himself believe it. But when pressed by others, he seemed to waver back and forth between what might have been his beliefs and the realization that he had created a kind of public mess. His statements, his reaction, and the reaction of all in attendance left me perplexed and confused. Many in the crowd, especially those from Arab nations, applauded what he said and called him a “very brave man” for speaking up against the U.S. in a public way amongst a crowd ready to hear anti-US sentiments. I am quite sure that somewhere in the Middle East, right now, his remarks are being printed up in Arab language newspapers as proof that the U.S. is an evil and corrupt nation.
Little Green Footballs is asking for resignation or proof.
I think Mr. Jordan ought to be asked to produce proof of such an outrageous accusation—and if he cannot produce that proof, he should be asked to publicly apologize and resign. The clumsy backtracking is unimpressive.
UPDATE: Wizbang’s gettin’ in on the act:
I might have to re-evaluate my opinion of Frank. It’s a pity I can’t say the same about CNN.
UPDATE 2: More from Peter Cook via Captain’s Quarters , about Eason Jordan accusing the Israelis of the same thing.
In fact, Captain Ed is going to town on this Eason Jordan thing here and here and here.
UPDATE 3: Prestopundit asks “Where is the MSM?” and does a Google news search for Eason Jordan to prove the point. And LaShawn Barber mentions “some guy who works for CNN.”
UPDATE 4: LaShawn Barber has added a “Eason Jordan Burial Vault” [chronicling the burial of his carreer, not the man himself], and Resonant Information does his homework with a look at the journalists killed so far to see if any could fit Eason Jordan’s comments. Check it out to find out his not-so-surprising conclusion. And Captain Ed offers a nice rebuttal to Eason Jordan’s response.
UPDATE 5: Some more interesting additions from Powerline today:
Abovitz has weighed in with a rather weird post which seems to take seriously the idea that Jordan’s charge is true, even as Jordan disavows it.
The most interesting point in Abovitz’s post is his statement that a video of the conference session at issue exists. That being the case, it should not be difficult to find out what Jordan actually said.
UPDATE 6: Carol Platt Liebau says she has a response from Eason Jordan (via LGF). And some more from “Strange Women Lying in Ponds” (um, say what?).
UPDATE 7: (Noon, Saturday, 2/5/2004) LaShawn has quite an update. It’s the weekend, so I’ll leave it to her. Looks like the video has surfaced, and the story may have gone “mainstream.”
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