Very interesting. Jamil Hussein is “found” and today Reuters still has no Baghdad Bodies report. However, I did find this report from McClatchy by a Mohammed al Awsy in Iraq:

– today 12 bodies were found in Baghdad: 2 sadr city, 2 dora, 2 amil, 2 jihad, 2 hurriyah, 1 kadhemiyah, 1 abu atsheer

But I note that the number of bodies in this report is completely believable in a city the size of Baghdad (probably less than the body count from Mexico City, for example) and I also note that the locations are mentioned by district. I find this report MUCH more believable than the daily 40-50 body report that Reuters has been publishing day in and day out for about the last 3 months. Other casualty reports in that article do, in fact, mention either named sources or title or office giving the information.

Reuters should take some lessons from McClatchy in how to produce casualty reports in Iraq.

LINK

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For one thing, it perpetuates a refusal to admit error, which prevents people from making better policy decisions.

Exactly, the AP has continued to refuse to admit they made a mistake, and continue to make mistakes, using Iraqi stringers to report stories that are false.

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Too bad that so few are willing to follow Austin Bay’s fine example.

http://austinbay.net/blog/index.php?p=1588

Also, I’m curious where this notion of “wrong about one thing = wrong about everything” comes from.

Why on earth would anyone embrace such a standard?

For one thing, it perpetuates a refusal to admit error, which prevents people from making better policy decisions.

But more importantly, everyone is going to be wrong about something at some time. Why would you put yourself in a position of having to either invalidate your own perspectives or else subscribe to a double standard?

Let’s raise the debate here, people.

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Curt, thanks for the update and further info on AP’s saga. I have linked your post along with your “traveling partner’s” at my site.

From RovinsWorld

So, to recap ——- A single source for more that 60 stories that have been released by AP to the worlds news agencies, has been located and is soon to be arrested for releasing “information” to the media that he was not authorized to do. And his phone has been turned off. Who turned his phone off? The ministry or Jamil himself? Did AP have his home phone? If not, why not? Certainly it would be convenient to have the home phone of a source that supplied AP with over sixty stories (dating back to last April) that displayed the carnage in and around Baghdad.

If AP wants to continue to play these games of —— “OK, we produced (found) Jamil, so everything we have written is totally factual” ——– I’m afraid this is not going to cut the mustard. Why has not one family member of one of the poor souls that were “burned alive” ever come forward to substantiate this “tragic event”? Where is one witness from the hospital or the morgue? Why did not any other news agency on the ground in Iraq report or follow up on what would have been a most tragic event? And, if six Sunnis were dragged out of “one of the burning mosque”, doused in kerosene, and set afire to be be BURNED ALIVE, where is one Sunni witness, and where was the certain retaliation to this tragedy? These question have yet to have been answered by Kathleen Carroll or the Associated Press with any validity.

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I have been scouring the web for one source, other than the AP, of the MOI statements and can’t find one. The AP story doesn’t even give direct quotes, was the “arrest warrent” an actual arrest warrent or a “warrent for questioning”, and do all they have is a name? What about the people that work at the police office, did they not recognize the name?

Also, when reading the first military account( http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7540&Itemid=21 ) the one mosque that was reported to be burned was burned at 3:50 pm so it could not have been associated with the any of the 4 in the original AP story, so in fact they found ZERO mosques that could have been the ones described in their story.

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From today’s news:

Ahmed Hadi Naji, 28, is the fourth AP staffer to die violently in the Iraq war and the second AP employee killed in less than a month. Good going Curt, with Jamil maybe you can bring the total up to 5!

Oh, but then you’re going to be replacing these AP sources on the ground aren’t you?

Don’t worry, just make sure you let all the factions know that you’re there for the truth.

That’s the ticket, yeah, the truth!

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I love the line that bloggers are “outing” Jamil Hussein and putting him in danger. Um, assuming the guy actually exists, the several dozen articles citing him as a NAMED source in a NAMED location, published in THOUSANDS of media outlets over the course of many months didn’t “out” him, but blogs did?

Is AP claiming that it’s downright insignificant in its impact as compared to blogs? No wonder MSM stocks are sinking!

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I know this will make me sounding like I’m a conspiracy nut but somebody has to say it.

I don’t believe the AP. I have trouble believing they’re being honest when they claim that Capt. Hussein is who they say he is. In fact, I don’t believe they will produce a Captain Jamil Hussein. I don’t believe the whole arrest warrant story. And here’s why.

Because of the great work done by this website and it’s many readers, we now know Capt. Jamil Hussein is a source used and quoted for some 60 reports written by the AP.

I’m just guessing that 60-plus articles written on a said subject like the happenings in the war in Iraq would span over many months. That is unless the subject is about Abu Grahib or Mark Foley or anything that may hurt the Bush administration. Then you’d get 60 stories in less than a week.

With that said, Just for the sake of this argument, lets just say the 60 plus stories, “Captain Hussein,” and the AP, all have a one year relationship. I know it was longer than that but here’s my point.

What is the most important thing to any news organization? Credibility.

If Captain Hussein turns out to be a fake one way or the other, the Associated Press’s credibility will be shot. Period.

There will be no explaining away 60 reports with a fictional source. Imagine one whole year of reports by any news organization turning out to be bogus. No excuse will suffice.

In other words, if this whole incident with Hussein doesn’t go the AP’s way and prove to be in the eye’s of the their defenders “just a right-wing witch hunt” against their nemesis, “the liberal media,” the AP will be reduced to tabloid status over night. No offense to the tabloids.

But how would anyone explain so many stories disseminated using a fictional source? The answer is, “They can’t.”

And in turn they will loose credibility, revenue, influence and most importantly the public trust. This subject could ruin the AP.

So this must go in favor of the AP no matter what has to be done. Their very existence depends on it.

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I think we’re doing a poor job when we pretend not to have accused AP of lying about Jamil Hussein. I think we owe them an apology.

Please show me how I am pretending that I didn’t accuse them of lying, I still accuse them of that. Jamil Hussein was one facet of this story, not the whole story. You lefties can’t wrap your head around that but that’s all right. Wouldn’t expect anything less of you.

In a country where there is no rule, and the Interior Minister is dominated by Shia who lie, AP did what media outlets are supposed to do: Interview witnesses.

Oh, I see, because its Iraq they should get no other independent verification but three unnamed witnesses. Nevermind those at the scene who said it never happened.

Classic!

Just wondering…have there been any other news sources besides AP that have reported on this MOI press conference?

Nope

2Hotel – Yeah, been smiling since yesterday while reading all the leftard jackassery. Always lifts my spirits.

Why are those six deaths so important to you? There have been hundreds more since then.

Because it shows a deeper problem we have with the media. Their reliance on Iraqi stringers who will give them blood and guts story that cannot be verified, then they go ahead and run the story anyway. Why? Because it fits with the narrative they are trying to tell, mainly that Iraq is a disaster and Bush was wrong. Nevermind that none of that is true.

Jamail Hussein existed yesterday, but he’s being arrested and may not exist much longer.

Oh boo hoo. A Iraqi stringer who made up stories to create more sectarian division is going to be arrested because he broke the law. You guys are a hoot!

The comment by Felch is a must read guys, written by a guy with 6th grade spelling skills and 6th grade intelligence also. I love when cop haters visit, makes me feel special.

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Hey, Floppy! I know you are too much of a coward to post any comments that run counter to your propaganda and apologies for the power elite that you have spent your lifetime being a hired goon for, but I just LOVED your assertions that we should NOT believe anything a single police offecer says. I never do. However, here in the USA, LOTS of folks get convicted, wrongly or rightly with ONLY the word of a single police officer. How refreshing to see you turn your coat on your fellow afficers with an assertion like that. It made me smile. For the record, I don’t think ANYBODY should believe ANYThing a police officer, especially one who is, oh I dunno, out for a promotion, tying to beef up his numbers, or trying to cover his ass for some inevitable wrongdoing, says. Hmm I guess, when you think about it, those conditions cover just about all officers, all the time. I’m so glad to see a former cop come clean about how dishonest and crooked most, if not all, police officers are. You have done a great service to the web, and to the national discourse.

BTW, it would be nice it you renounced the dozens of posts you wrote claining this guy did not exist, because you were so obviously wrong about it. Here’s hoping you go to iraq with your good freind, “Our Lady of the Concentration Camps” and that you both bravely go forth, out of the green zone, advertize your presence, and see plenty of daylight!!

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