JPZenger Wed Jul-13-05

The Mainstream Reporters Who Got the Iraq Story Correct in 2002

A couple days ago I heard an interview on NPR with an author of a book
about news coverage leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

He said that the only main stream media reporters who had the story
correct about WMDs, etc. were at the Washington Bureau of the
Knight-Ridder chain.

He said they provided accurate stories because they did NOT have
access to the top Bush Administration officials.

Instead, their reporters talked to the mid-level career government and
military officials who knew the truth.

Because Knight-Ridder officials did not have regular access to the top
guys, they also were not fearful that they would lose that access.

I remember reading each of their stories in 2002 and 2003 in
Knight-Ridder's Philadelphia Inquirer, and being amazed that I did not
read the same information in other sources.

They reported on how the State Department experts were being
completely shut out of the reconstruction planning.

They reported on the questionable WMD evidence, the questionable Iraqi
"defectors", the questionable character of some of the Iraqis that the
U.S. wanted to put into power, and the attempts to twist U.S.
intelligence to meet political goals.

Here are some links to some of their stories.

These stories have now been proven to be correct.

They deserve a belated Pulitzer.

February 2002: Bush Has Decided to Overthrow Hussein
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

February 2002: Chalabi Suspected of Misusing U.S. Funds
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

March 2002: Iran, Not Iraq, is Top Terrorism Sponsor
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

Sept. 2002: Lack of Evidence of Iraqi Weapons Worries Officials
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

Oct. 2002: Some in Administration Have Misgivings About Iraqi Policy
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

Oct. 2002: Analysts Split About Iraqi Nuclear Threat
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

Oct. 2002: Infighting Between Intelligence Agencies Fuels Iraq
Disputes
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

Sept. 2003: No Real Planning for Post-War Iraq.
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special...

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Special thanks to JPZenger in Democratic Underground for this valuable
piece.

Harry