Add Keith Olbermann to the list of congressmen, intelligence officials and others to manifest an embarrassing unfamiliarity with the players in the civil strife in Iraq. On tonight's Countdown, Olbermann was trying to make the case that "recent claims from the president that Iran is providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq . . . is proving . . . suspect . . . The Bush administration is providing scant evidence to support the claims."View video here.
And what evidence did Olbermann provide to support his claim? "The Los Angeles Times [is] reporting that journalists traveling with US troops in Iraq have failed to see these extensive signs of Iranian involvement. A recent sweep through a stronghold of Sunni insurgents uncovering only a single Iranian weapon among dozens of arms caches." [Emphasis added].
Uh, well, wouldn't you expect that, Keith? Or weren't you aware that the Shia government of Iran is supporting the Shia militias, such as that of Moktada al-Sadr, in their fight against the Sunnis? Would you be similarly shocked to learn that during the heyday of the troubles in Northern Ireland, not too much support from IRA backers in the US turned up in the hands of the Unionists? Would you be be stunned to be told that not much weaponry from Hamas supporters turns up in the hands of the Israelis?Now it's true that the Los Angeles Times article Olbermann cited did speak of Sunnis. But either the Sunni reference was a typo or the LA Times is equally as uninformed as the MNSBC host. How could such a supposedly sophisticated observer as Olbermann have blithely parroted the LA Times' line?
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Hey, give KO a break....it
January 23, 2007 - 22:35 ET by motherbeltHey, give KO a break....it was probably just a "botched joke."
KO is a "botched joke.
January 23, 2007 - 22:38 ET by mlongKO is a "botched joke."
Dude, you made my mornin
January 24, 2007 - 08:23 ET by blackrain4xmasThanks! That was great :-D
Yay, Mark ...
January 23, 2007 - 23:00 ET by Dave PierreThank you, thank you, thank you, Mark! (That's three 'thank you's:) 1. My first 'thank you' is for writing on this. It needed to be reported. 2. My second 'thank you' is that you saved me a ton of time writing on this myself. I worked all day, but I, too, saw this in the Times this morning. I said the same thing to myself: "Of course an Iranian weapon would not be found among Sunnis!" ... Now all I need to do is write a letter to the editor. 3. My third 'thank you' is, well ... just 'Thanks!'
By the way, I'd say that was NOT a typo by the Times. They are flat-out misinformed. (Though I'm willing to bet if the Times ever addresses this mistake, they will dismiss it as some sort of 'editorial error.')
Frankenlies.com: The truth about the lies of Al Franken; Al debunked ...
I'm truly shocked. When I
January 23, 2007 - 23:06 ET by Mark FinkelsteinI'm truly shocked. When I heard Olbermann say "Sunni" I figured he had merely misquoted the LA Times article. But when I found the article I was even more shocked - first by the Times' error/ignorance, second by the fact that Olbermann would mindlessly repeat it without being struck by the glaring mistake!
That's the plan my friend
January 24, 2007 - 01:48 ET by SportPoliticsThat's the plan my friend. Count on viewer ignorance, and say it anyway, as long as it discredits Bush, it's good to go. It will likely remain the argument point of ten million raving lunatic liberals for years to come, and they'ell get miles and miles out of " Bush is lying about Iranian involvement, there are no Iranian weapons found in the arms catches confiscated. Bush is lying us into war again, and the CIA is being manipulated by tricky Cheney."
On and on in a thousand metamorphed variations. All they need is a good intitial rumor with some sick gaffing twist, and it's off to the races, forever. Did they plan it that way, or are they ignorant ? It really doesn't matter, it serves their purposes, and there is no chance they will base their statement on the facts or the truth anyway. We've both seen that for years now.
Luckily for him, when you're
January 23, 2007 - 23:19 ET by mikejLuckily for him, when you're on the left, facts don't matter.
Kids, if you dont study hard
January 23, 2007 - 23:29 ET by ChemicalOperatorKids, if you dont study hard and do well in school... well you get stuck on MSNBC.
This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
CO - very good.
January 24, 2007 - 00:20 ET by Chicago RepublicanCO - very good.
Can anyone imagine what would
January 24, 2007 - 00:19 ET by Chicago RepublicanCan anyone imagine what would happen if Bush made this gaffe rather than Olby? They'd interrupt the State of the Union address to break the news.
hey ...
January 24, 2007 - 00:54 ET by Dave PierreHere, Keith (and LA Times)!
Try this: "FAQ: The Shiites and the Sunnis"
Mark
January 24, 2007 - 00:56 ET by Noel SheppardMark,
Great catch. Frankly, as I mentioned to someone today in another thread concerning this windbag, the more we point out just how ignorant he is, the less likely we'll have to write about him in the future. Maybe we should all get extra credit for discrediting this pompous ass. ns
Keith Odormoronn: "The L
January 24, 2007 - 00:59 ET by TEKeith Odormoronn: "The Los Angeles Times [is] reporting that journalists traveling with U.S. troops in Iraq have failed to see these extensive signs of Iranian involvement."
Hahahahahaha. Odormoronn "thinks" that some dimwit at the Los Angeles Times is qualified to recognize the existence or absence of "extensive signs of Iranian involvement"?
Keith Olbermann. Proving o
January 24, 2007 - 01:18 ET by Tom1969caKeith Olbermann. Proving once again that he's full of shiite.
~~~
VOTE DEMOCRAT!
(It's easier than thinking)
How could Olbermann, "a
January 24, 2007 - 09:14 ET by Chris NormanHow could Olbermann, "a supposedly sophisticated journalist", blithely parrot the LA Times line? Apparently, "sophisticated journalists" have no need to get their own material - they just eagerly repeat stories they read in the LA Times that validate their warped views, without bothering to check for mistakes. Real sophisticated there, chief...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Odd Man Out Is Just Plain Stupid
January 24, 2007 - 11:56 ET by emjem24Like we didn't already know that this guy is the biggest moron on the planet! He can't tell the difference between the sunni or the shia. Well, then, most Americans and politicians can't either. Here's a thought, America and the MSM in particular, when you get a geo-political clue and you can actually figure out the difference between the sunni and the shia, give me a ring. However, knowing how lame and corrupt our public school system is, I'm not expecting miracles.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto
emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.
Re: Olbermann's Embarrassing Sunni-Shia Goof
January 27, 2007 - 07:08 ET by austinhookI'm not entirely convinced that the Sunni-Shia context was confused, at least in the original LA Times article, but by the time Olbermann is repeating it, things are going from a bit muddy to the usual over-digested and useless-without-full-context mindrot that pretends to serve us as news.
It is interesting to know if Iran is desperate enough to create conflict in Iraq so as to want to supply arms to both sectarian sides there. In which case the analysis of sources of arms found in a Sunni cache is a worthwhile subtopic, and such a subtopic would be better identified as such. That it gets mushed with the more understandable Iran-Shia connection can either be the usual journalistic sloppiness or deliberate slanting. I'd suspend judgment.
I'd worry more however about the statement that the US was providing less evidence to reporters when there is supposed to be an Iran connection, than it does when there is not. That's a rather damning claim -- and I dont see it supported, or elaborated sufficiently as merited by it's importance.
Finally, when is Olbermann going to learn the difference in pronunciation between "cache" (a, possibly hidden, stockpile, pronounced like it's homonym: cash) and "cachet" (a mark of approval, pronounced: cashay)
"recent claims from
January 27, 2007 - 07:18 ET by Jack Bauer"recent claims from the president that Iran is providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq . . . is proving . . . suspect . .
That's an absolute flat out lie. The guy is just a lying scumbag, no two ways about it.
There's isn't a serious intelligence expert, or counter-terrorism analyst who wouldn't confirm that Iran has been up to its neck in helping kill US and coalition forces in Iraq for at least the past three years.
And around the world for the past 20 years.
In fact, the question that needs to be answered is why this situation hasn't been terminated with extreme prejudice?
Okay, I know the answer. It's called the unelected cabal of arabists, liberals and career a-holes who run the State Department. (Administrations come and go, but State is forever.)
But you know what, constitutionally they still answer to the Secretary of State, who answers to the President, who decides policy.