Suggested DU Project: DEMAND THE RESIGNATION OF BRIAN ROSS...

[Leopolds Ghost]

Rossgate: (Brian Ross of Nightline, not Ross the Intern!)

'Feb. 15, 2006 — ABC news has obtained 12 hours of tape recordings of Saddam Hussein meeting with top aides during the 1990's, apparently recorded in the Baghdad version of the Oval Office.

The tapes were provided to ABC News by Bill Tierney, a former member of an UN inspection team who was translating them for the FBI. He says the U.S. Government is wrong to keep these tapes and others secret from the public. "Because of my experience being in the inspections and being in the military, I know the significance of these tapes when I heard them" said Tierney. U.S. officials confirm the tapes are authentic and are among hundreds of hours of tapes Saddam recorded in his palace office."

Watch "World News Tonight" for more on the secret tapes, and watch ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross' full report on "Nightline" tonight.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=431508&mesg_id=431508

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Newsweek: Saddam Tapes: What They Don't Prove

'The tapes were taken without permission from an FBI-run translation center, officials say, and are years old. Two government officials, requesting anonymity because of the sensitive subject, say the tapes in no way prove that WMD stockpiles or programs existed at the time of the U.S. invasion or were moved to another country before U.S. troops arrived.'

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11299205/site/newsweek

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YET BRIAN ROSS CLAIMS:

'One of the most dramatic moments on the 12 hours of tape comes when Saddam predicts — during a meeting in the mid 1990s — a terrorist attack on the United States. "Terrorism is coming. I told the Americans a long time before August 2nd and told the British as well & that in the future there will be terrorism with weapons of mass destruction." Saddam goes on to say such attacks would be difficult to stop. "In the future, what would prevent a booby trapped car causing a nuclear explosion in Washington or a germ or a chemical one?" But he adds that Iraq would never do such a thing. "This is coming, this story is coming but not from Iraq."'

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Investigation/story?id=1616996

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'Tierney's methods of ascertaining this location were rather unconventional. "I would ask God and just get a sense if something was valid or not, and then know if I needed to pursue it," he said. His assessments through prayer were then confirmed to him by a friend's clairvoyant dream, where he was able to find the location on a map. "Everything she said lined up. This place meets the criteria,"Tierney said of a power generator plant near the Tigris River that he believes is actually a cover for a secret uranium facility.'

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2003/02/14.html

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Bill Tierney ... had just returned from eight months working as an interrogator for US forces in Baghdad, and had come to talk, on the record, about torture.

"The Brits came up with an expression – wog," Tierney said. "That stands for Wily Oriental Gentleman. There's a lot of wiliness in that part of the world."...

After explaining his various psychological tactics to the audience, interrogator Bill Tierney (a private contractor working with the Army) said, "I tried to be nuanced and culturally aware. But the suspects didn't break."

Suddenly Tierney's temper rose. "They did not break!" he shouted. "I'm here to win. I'm here so our civilization beats theirs! Now what are you willing to do to win?" he asked, pointing to a woman in the front row. "You are the interrogators, you are the ones who have to get the information from the Iraqis. What do you do? That word 'torture'. You immediately think, 'That's not me.' But are we litigating this war or fighting it?" ...

Asked about Abu Ghraib, Tierney said that for an interrogator, "sadism is always right over the hill. You have to admit it. Don't fool yourself – there is a part of you that will say, 'This is fun.'"

Boston Globe
Spy world
February 13, 2005

http://billmon.org/archives/001784.html

Thanks to: centristo, LynnTheDem, sasha031 for compiling this info.

[Sammy Pepys]

1. What for?...n/t

...

[myrna minx]

2. Why would ABC news take the evidence and the word of a highly

suspect man? Brian Ross should know better you'd think.

[Leopolds Ghost]

8. And who in the govt confirmed that his translation was accurate?

Remember when Bush "refused to deny" that the "Rathergate memos" were accurate?

[Leopolds Ghost]

4. Um, read the above excerpts. Compare to Dan Rather.

This is TONIGHT'S MAJOR MEDIA MALFUNCTION. Geez guys, wake up.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. Nah, Not In The Mood To Act Like A Freeper Today. n/t

[Leopolds Ghost]

5. First rule of politics: What Goes Around Comes Around.

When will moderate Dem's learn to understand the principle of "I would not normally take such a step UNLESS MY OPPONENTS DID SO FIRST?"

Learn to distinguish between hardball and unethical behavior. This is hardball. I noticed none of the moderate Dems (and few Dems in general) protesting how Dan Rather was treated. Nor did Ted Koppel, Howard Kurtz or Brian Ross have a problem with it.

In other words, Brian Ross should be considered FAIR GAME from a
journalist's perspective. For publishing compromised information
provided by an ax-grinding nutcase, JUST LIKE RATHER DID.

In this case the information was stolen, leaked, and re-interpreted by a nutcase anti-Islamic defense "analyst", not forged.

Just as unethical and against journalistic principles.

If it were Plame, she'd be tar and feathered already! If it were Rather... nuff said! Come on folks, stand up to them!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. First Rule Of Integrity: Don't Compromise Your Values For Sake Of Victory

Do what you want.

But as I stated, no thanks for me. I don't feel like acting like a Freeper today...

[Leopolds Ghost]

7. The Time to Define Values in Journalism is when both sides decide "Enough

is Enough".

And by "sides" I don't mean right wing vs. left wing.

Right now, one side (state-influenced corporate media) is completely crushing all dissent (traditional & independent media) using abject double standards to fire major news anchors (behavior TOLERATED AND ENCOURAGED BY ALL THE PROFESSIONAL OMBUDSMEN who commented on it) while encouraging other anchors to commit the exact same journalistic sins in service to the state.

Journalistic sins are defined by JOURNALISM, not you and me.

It is not against our "VALUES" to demand that Brian Ross be held to the same high standards of conduct that Dan Rather and his producer were!

We can talk about CHANGING what is considered acceptable in the Journalism proffession once Journalists themselves realize they can't get away with selectively enforcing their own standards, which include firing folks like Dan Rather -- that is IN KEEPING WITH CURRENT JOURNALISTIC VALUES.

Brian Ross must be held to the same standard that every major media ombudsman held Mr. Rather to.

Perhaps you feel it would also be "against mainstream Democratic values" to take any offensive action that might afflict someone, though...

[kevinmc]

9. Bill Tierney will be holding a...........

Séance at Midnight on the next Full Moon...... disclosure of the WMD location is guaranteed.



Bill Tierney: MoonBat Certified