Comments on: AP: Iraqi government confirms that Jamil Hussein exists

By: Hot Air » Blog Archive » Attention, military readers: Is this story true or false?

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:46:16 +0000

[...] I’m skeptical, but I’ve been skeptical before and gotten burned. A friend of mine tells me he’s hearing from his military sources, though, that some of the minor details in the piece are questionable, which was how the Jesse Macbeth thing first started to unravel. And of course, the skepticism in that case was entirely justified. [...]

By: Hot Air » Blog Archive » Jamilgate: Eerie silence from Editor & Publisher about HA’s Hurriya mosques report

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:52:51 +0000

[...] Then, on January 4th, when the AP story confirming Hussein’s existence broke, E&P had it even before we did. Again, garnished with a quote from yours truly: Allahpundit, blogging at Hot Air, admitted, She and we were wrong about Jamil Hussein. Whether we’re wrong about the rest of it, too, we’ll see. Apologies, though, to the HA readers for having led you on a bit of a wild goose chase, however well founded and well intended our suspicions were.” [...]

By: On apologies | Cold Fury

On apologies | Cold Fury — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 16:05:20 +0000

[...] Allah explains (more here) why any apology to the Left — over Jamilgate specifically, which is still far from resolved, but you could apply it to plenty else — is futile, and worse than a waste of time: I explicitly acknowledged that we were wrong about Hussein and apologized to our readers for having led them on a not-so-wild wild-goose chase. Does Media Matters link to that post? Of course not, because that wouldn’t fit their narrative. Instead they link to a post of mine from December answering Eric Boehlert’s columns about Jamilgate. They’re hoping their readers won’t actually follow the links but will instead simply deduce from the headlines they’ve provided that we responded to the new revelation about Hussein by picking on Eric Boehlert to change the subject. It’s a naked lie. [...]

By: Hot Air » Blog Archive » Media Matters lies about HA’s response to Jamilgate

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:23:12 +0000

[...] Except I didn’t. Media Matters’s item about Hot Air links to a post I wrote in December answering Boehlert’s columns on Jamilgate. Why would MM mislead their readers by linking to an old piece that doesn’t address the most recent news instead of to a newer post that does? Because if you read that newer post, you’ll find this: She [i.e., Michelle] and we were wrong about Jamil Hussein. Whether we’re wrong about the rest of it, too, we’ll see. Apologies, though, to the HA readers for having led you on a bit of a wild goose chase, however well founded and well intended our suspicions were. [...]

By: Patterico’s Pontifications » Media Matters Distorts Something (Yawn)

Patterico’s Pontifications » Media Matters Distorts Something (Yawn) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 22:12:03 +0000

[...] Allah notes that Media Matters lied about him as well: They’re also lying when they list Hot Air as oneof the sites that refuses to admit its errors. I explicitly acknowledged that we were wrong about Hussein and apologized to our readers for having led them on a not-so-wild wild-goose chase. Does Media Matters link to that post? Of course not, because that wouldn’t fit their narrative. Instead they link to a post of mine from December answering Eric Boehlert’s columns about Jamilgate. They’re hoping their readers won’t actually follow the links but will instead simply deduce from the headlines they’ve provided that we responded to the new revelation about Hussein by picking on Eric Boehlert to change the subject. It’s a naked lie. [...]

By: THeDRiFTeR

THeDRiFTeR — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:12:38 +0000

Thanks for the apology Allahpundit. Integrity buys alot of credibility. I must confess though, I don’t particularly remember you pushing this so called jamilgate meme.

On the upside of this charade, some can take comfort that the flow of information from Iraq will probably be tighter, now that it’s being criminalized. Captain Hussein type loose canons will surely not be so prepared to speak to the “liberal msm” and we can be confident that the information that we do get, ie what our government tells us, will be truthful and complete. There are plenty of instances that illustrate their openness.

Who the hell needed the press anyhow.

By: right2bright

right2bright — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 20:48:48 +0000

JaHerer22 on January 5, 2007 at 2:18 PM

So you still believe the stories that AP wrote with Jamil’s help?

By: JackOfClubs

JackOfClubs — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:28:12 +0000

No apologies necessary. It isn’t a wild goose chase if you catch the goose. Granted, it was a different goose than we thought it would be, but that happens. You asked good questions and told the truth. That’s all I ask from any media source.

By: JaHerer22

JaHerer22 — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:18:26 +0000

I almost feel bad for you guys. You were so excited, so ready believe you were right, and then…well I won’t rub it in. Maybe next time.

By: docdave

docdave — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:52:54 +0000

You want to find Jamil Hussein? Okay, here he is in his very own blog

By: Radio Left

Radio Left — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:30:10 +0000

Wingnut Irony…

The Liberal Avenger

Hot Air – Blog Archive – AP: Iraqi government confirms that Jamil Hussein exists
An excerpt from Allahpundit’s reaction to the appearance of Jamail Hussein:
I speculated about a mix up due to the conventions of Arabic names …

By: William Amos

William Amos — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:54:05 +0000

Its now almost Friday night in Iraq. Where is Jamil Hussien ?

Is he under arrest ? Is he in Hiding ? does he even still exist again ?

By: Rathergate.com » Briefly about Jamil

Rathergate.com » Briefly about Jamil — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:41:02 +0000

[...] At Hot Air, Allah cries uncle: “She and we were wrong about Jamil Hussein. Whether we’re wrong about the rest of it, too, we’ll see. Apologies, though, to the HA readers for having led you on a bit of a wild goose chase, however well founded and well intended our suspicions were.” [...]

By: naliaka

naliaka — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:56:16 +0000

So Hussein has been arrested for talking to reporters. (He exists but you can’t talk to him.) RedWinged Blackbird on January 5, 2007 at 5:28 AM

Read it again. He was speaking hypothetically. If/then scenario. With the arrest, then this happens. Still waiting for the first part to occur, an arrest. Hehehe. Then whether AP can pick the subject in question out of a line-up. Interesting proposal, as other posters have pointed out. What if AP (as in AP staff) can't ID "their source" for 60 articles. Maybe he's a Peter Parker/SPiderman sort of guy.

By: Aitch

Aitch — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:52:50 +0000

There is no way Muqtada al-Sadr’s militia burned 6 Sunnis to death. This Jamil Hussein is a liar. Someone needs to expose this fraud and clear Muqtada al-Sadr.

But seriously, why anyone would want to provide cover for al-Sadr is beyond me. His militia is responsible for the deaths of U.S. Marines in Najaf in 2004. We let him go then he became a force in Iraq’s government. I’d give the AP a pass on this one and save my ire for al-Sadr.

By: commissar

commissar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:41:33 +0000

Zeyad has a good take on this.

BTW, there is an E&P story dated Nov. 29 which repeats, with three “unnamed” witnesses, the burning story.

With those two pieces, I think the central claim here “the AP just makes stuff up and is out to get us,” doesn’t fly. Per Zeyad, there may be inaccuracy and sourcing is difficult in Iraq today. But totality of it, not merely the now-confirmed existence of Jamil Hussein, suggests that the AP comes out ahead.

Don’t anyone here read Greenwald today, not unless you want to have a stroke.

By: Right Wing Nut House » TRIUMPH OF THE WILLFUL

Right Wing Nut House » TRIUMPH OF THE WILLFUL — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:09:27 +0000

[...] My two posts on the AP are here and here. I was wrong about Michelle Malkin debunking the possible problem with transliterating Arab names into English for as Allah posited at the time and points out here, that appears to have been the reason for the inability of the Iraqi Information Ministry and CENTCOM to track Hussein down. [...]

By: Sister Toldjah » Jamil Hussein found, faces possible ‘arrest’ for talking to the media

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:27:03 +0000

[...] rages on. Posted By: Sister Toldjah in: Media Watch, Iraq, Middle East | EMail This Post | Print This Post | Trackback URI for this post:http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2007/01/05/jamil-hussein-found-faces-possible-arrest-for-talking-to-the-media/trackback/ » [...]

By: JohnnyD

JohnnyD — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:46:10 +0000

I don’t see how producing “evidence“ of Jamil Hussein by AP eliminates the crux of this issue, namely that Hussein is the only source for over 60 stories that have not been corroborated by other sources. It brings into question (at least into my simple mind) everything AP reports on.
But having just one source seems to be AP’s modus operandi. Case in point, this story about Bill Cowher leaving the Steelers has just one source mentioned in the first paragraph.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers will begin a coaching search Friday to replace departing coach Bill Cowher, a person familiar with Cowher’s status told The Associated Press on Thursday night, speaking on condition of anonymity because the coach’s departure had not been officially announced.

Of course, information in the story is probably public knowledge, but the fact that the AP has just used one source, “…familiar with Cowher…speaking on condition of anonymity…”, makes we wonder about the ethics of AP’s journalists. How can anyone trust AP’s reporting, especially with stories from Iraq, when they don’t do the very basics? Or, maybe it’s just me.

Exit question for Allah: Was Capt. Jamil Hussein also the anonymous person familiar with Cowher’s status?

By: bj1126

bj1126 — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:29:19 +0000

As Michelle reported Armed Liberal found this guy back on the 17th of December. If I remember right he was in doubt as the source because he wasn’t a captain and his precinct was in Yarmouk which isn’t anywhere near the burning story or the destroyed mosque story.

By: Oh, You Mean That Jamil Hussein! at Conservative Times--Republican GOP news source.

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:41:12 +0000

[...] He’s got a roundup of the other blogospheric reactions. This is Curt’s story, so I won’t bother to add another roundup — just go to Curt’s and read the whole thing. (via Hot Air) [...]

By: RedWinged Blackbird

RedWinged Blackbird — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:28:37 +0000

So Hussein has been arrested for talking to reporters. (He exists but you can’t talk to him.) The AP will be asked to ID him, but they don’t have to if they don’t want to. (The AP is calling the shots here, so don’t bother coming to Iraq.) And charges will be dropped as soon as the AP declines to ID. (End of story.)

William Shakespeare couldn’t have written it any better.

By: Sarah D.

Sarah D. — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:23:21 +0000

The story was never about Jamil Hussein really, it was about the press releases, quoting him, by the AP. If the stories cannot be corroborated by any other source, then the AP has a problem IMHO and they need to get more sources.

By: Sarah D.

Sarah D. — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:19:58 +0000

Oh, NOW I see this thread!

By: Highrise

Highrise — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:32:46 +0000

why it had made no attempt in the past six weeks to correct the public record…

I believe it was the AP that should have known it’s sources and not anyone else’s. I mean, don’t they do their homework? Classic.

His phone was turned off Thursday and he could not be reached for further comment.

Of course, he’s probably being beaten till he admits to what they want him to. Of course it will be an interesting thing if the AP reporter can pick him out of a lineup. If the AP reporter doesn’t, I’m sure they’ll post how much ” they all looked alike” type thing.