Bob Owens has learned that the Associated Press seems to have an interesting set of standards for what sort of stories coming out Iraq they’ll report.
The interesting thing about Owens’ revelation is that the AP has pretty much admitted it in a letter to him. Owens has been steadfastly questioning a recent report from the AP which cited two unnamed Iraqi police officers as sources in the story of twenty decapitated bodies found in Baghdad. the problem is, neither officer had seen the bodies themselves. Their supposed reports were simple “friend of a friend” rumor-passing.
On the other hand, the AP has been handed, free of charge, a full report of the recovery of around a dozen civilians slaughtered by al-Qaeda in Baqubah by Michael Yon. Yon, as you would know from other posts here, was there and extensively documented everything he saw and heard. The AP declined Yon’s offer because…well…here’s how Owens put it:
What an interesting double standard the Associated Press has incorporated.
You’ll run a false sectarian massacre based upon hearsay evidence from anonymous police officers that are violating their own orders, as absolute, unequivocal fact, without any official comment or support whatsoever,
-BUT-
When you are offered—free of charge—a story citing named U.S. and Iraq officers and named U.S. and Iraqi units, taking party in the discovery and recovery of bodies from an al Qaeda massacre by perhaps the most well-regarded and highly respected combat correspondent of the entire war, with copious photo evidence, you suddenly need an official military press release before even considering it?
They’re not even trying to hide that they’re on the Islamists’ side.
