Media still trying to figure out if Osama tape is old or not
posted at 12:45 pm on July 16, 2007 by Allahpundit
Sad. I e-mailed Fox using their tips interface on Saturday afternoon after Jim Hoft and I figured it out, but between the spam and the nutroots death threats I guess they don’t check their inbox much anymore. They had on a former FBI counterintel bigwig about 15 minutes ago who declared that it “probably” is an old tape. Whew! Just further proof of what I’ve been saying about how little influence blogs have.
This turned up on the Fox News website this morning. I’m pretty sure it was written Saturday but it’s dated today, so no excuses:
Though U.S. sources tell FOX News there has never been a fake tape from Bin Laden in the past, they contend that the analysis is not complete and there does not appear to be any time specific references so there is no way to know when the tape was made.
FOX News Baghdad reports that the clip may be from a previous unseen portion of a video released five or six years ago.
Evidently Newsbusters has better “U.S. sources” than the media because not only did they get someone to pin down a date for them yesterday morning, they broke the news that the actual clip itself has aired before. Ali Eteraz has the first interesting read on the tape that I’ve seen too, suggesting that it may be AQ’s way of laying the groundwork for an announcement that Bin Laden’s dead. The clip, which has to do with martyrdom, would make him look prophetic — but if that’s the plan, why use footage which they know can be dated to 2002 and puts the lie to the “prophesy”?
Exit question: Will MM get to do a little crowing about this tonight on O’R or will she be too busy tearing Geraldo a new one?
Blowback
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Allahpundit
Me thinks she will manage to do both…
doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 12:54 PM
I scooped Eteraz on this “setting the groundwork to annouce OBL’s demise by re-releasing this tape” on these very pages already, back in the Bin Laden tape release comments.
I assume, then, that Ali reads this blog.
He could’ve given me a little credit.
Or sent a bottle of Dom Perignon.
I want something pricey to pop when the news that OBL has been popped is finally acknowledged by Zawahiri.
profitsbeard on July 16, 2007 at 12:54 PM
It seems to me that this is pretty fair evidence that old Sammy is pushing up some daises. If they want to roll him out, and they have to do it with a six year old tape, it stands to reason that he’s currently unavailable for comment. I wonder when we’ll hear that entirely reasonable speculation from the MSM.
As for the exit question, is that matchup on tonight, or is it just Michelle? I haven’t been so excited since the runup to the Tyson-Spinks fight.
Pablo on July 16, 2007 at 1:02 PM
Most ‘news gathering’ consists of monitoring the AP wires and stealing from the competition, especially different media…radio/tv loves to steal from print, for example. And you get ‘press releases’ from organizations all the time. Lazy guys in the news department will just shuffle these in almost unread with the rest of their stack before they get ready to go live.
The MSM is more concerned with packaging and production values, generally speaking, than facts. Get the scoop, make it look good and get the ratings. Everything else is secondary.
Asher on July 16, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Hot Air is my first source for news and especially since the addition of links to other breaking news.
What’s taking the news so long to figure that out?
RushBaby on July 16, 2007 at 1:12 PM
I think the “U.S. sources” are more concerned with the significance of the tape being released at all. I mean, really, are these sources rapt when one of these things come out so that they can figure out how to shape the debate to convince OBL and his organization that they’re completely wrong about the US? Pinning down a date is nice for intel purposes but pinning OBL to a wall would be much better (if the man isn’t already room temp). The real question here should be is if this is the start of some new campaign.
One of the reasons I think the Democrat Party is wrong about the GWOT is because these tapes rarely talk specifics that would indicate they are truly new. If OBL and Al Qaeda are so powerful, why is it that they only release grainy chopped up video and audio tapes that make vague threats and ambiguous claims? Where’s the OBL that was out there naming names about specific events just hours after they happened?
highhopes on July 16, 2007 at 1:12 PM
I’m more concerned about the age of the salami.
Blake on July 16, 2007 at 1:18 PM
Thanks for covering this Allah… WTF is wrong with Fox? I watched them ask the question all morning on Fox & Friends “Is it a new tape, or part of an old tape?”, but generally referring to it as the “new” tape other times… I was half asleep but I was saying to myself, “Didn’t I just read about this a few days ago on HotAir, and we already know it’s from an old tape?”
If anyone at Fox is reading this, that was pathetic. Did you have Geraldo doing the research for this story or something? If so, tell him that I think wanusmaximus at Facebook will be releasing a tape this week as well.
I was thinking that this morning as well… but I’ve kind of always thought we was dead… at least for a couple years.
I hope (though doubt) she’ll have the full time needed to handle Geraldo and this. At least she really took him to task in that post.
RightWinged on July 16, 2007 at 1:23 PM
LOL, I wondered while looking at the Google news report grouping on this story Sunday if this should be the mark of the truth making it around the world before nuance could get its pants on. If they are still noodling things that basic on Monday and readily available to them this is in for an even higher award.
AP, next time you should try sending it as a press release! That’s what Associated Press says they sit around waiting for.
Anyway, let the MSM have their fun so we can watch the comedy show. It’s better than killing a week long news story and their having to fill the gap by reporting on celebrities.
Dusty on July 16, 2007 at 1:23 PM
Dusty on July 16, 2007 at 1:23 PM
Sure would be funny if the new news story were that all the media had the tape and had to have the blog’s point out to them that it was old news.
doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 1:27 PM
It’s an hour-long show…plenty of time for both I hope!
PS: I’d love to print up some posters of these screencaps…frame ‘em and hang ‘em in my den. Classic Geraldo grin!
JetBoy on July 16, 2007 at 1:27 PM
JetBoy on July 16, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Hey – I’ll pitch in half for the printing costs, then split the posters with you! Classic Geraldo posters in your den, Gorgeous Michelle screencaps in my den.
RushBaby on July 16, 2007 at 1:33 PM
RushBaby on July 16, 2007 at 1:33 PM
*Cough I have a cafepress account where if you have uncopyrighted material it can be made into posters and such Cough*
doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 1:37 PM
doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Sorry, I didn’t quite *cough catch that cough*
RushBaby on July 16, 2007 at 1:38 PM
I watched Fox News and Friends this morning run this story. My only thought is why in tarnation do they not get their news from HA? GEEEZZZZ!
On-my-soap-box on July 16, 2007 at 1:42 PM
P.S. Like Gerald-ino needs MM for a new arse!
On-my-soap-box on July 16, 2007 at 1:43 PM
RushBaby on July 16, 2007 at 1:38 PM
Well you know I wouldnt want to step on any toes or anything (HA MM) but if say you had the graphics I know where you could get your hands on oh say a “Allahpundit for President” Tee-shirt… :0
doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 1:43 PM
Allah that is too funny.
Let’s hope the FBI and CIA don’t discover google or we will be put out of business!
gatewaypundit on July 16, 2007 at 1:48 PM
[doriangrey on July 16, 2007 at 1:27 PM]
I’m sure it would be embarassing. That will hardly happen though and they won’t show their embarassment. Once one outfit realizes it’s all over the blogs and day old news, they’ll quickly seque through it in manner indicating they found it out themselves through their own hard work. Watch for the rush to use “Exclusive” and “Breaking”.
And I don’t doubt one bit they’ll wait for some talkinghead on contract to pick up on Ali’s thoughts or comes to their own version of it before broadcasting it. To parapharse my wife, they are nothing if not the best business people.
Dusty on July 16, 2007 at 1:50 PM
I’m still quite skeptical regarding OBL’s death. Until Ayman tells us or we see a body I’ll assume he is alive.
I’m keeping the champaign in the fridge.
Thomas the Wraith on July 16, 2007 at 1:57 PM
Was Geraldo supposed to counter-balance (fair and balanced) something on Fox? Like intelligent, factual reporting?
Greta is tough enough to bear, but he adds a slippery persona that would be better served on MSNBC, or Democracy Now.
Hening on July 16, 2007 at 1:59 PM
AP, they are NEVER going to verbally give you credit for influencing them!!
You can forget recognition in the traditional sense!!
But you can write blogs ribbing the MSM for getting their original thought from you, whenever it even slightly appears that way.
Your confirmation that you are an influence will come later in your blogging career, when their are MSM defectors casually soliciting for a HA job interview.
((((( I know.. I know.. nobody LOOVES you.))))))))
Mcguyver on July 16, 2007 at 2:31 PM
Hey I want a Michelle poster too…Of course we’ll have to cut AP in for, what, 10% if we sell ‘em…
*cough* thanks! I know I saw a site too that you can enlarge a picture to some huge size, and this free program online (somewhere…I forget what it is tho) that will print it on your printer in a mosaic…and you just put the pieces together on a wall.
JetBoy on July 16, 2007 at 2:32 PM
How hard is to visually compare the two leaves in the upper right hand corner in the clips and understand beyond any shadow of a doubt that the clips are not only from the same old tape, but parts of the exact same shot?
It’s things like this that remind me students tend to pick “journalism” as a major because they can’t cut it under the real curriculums…
Blacklake on July 16, 2007 at 2:57 PM
OBL’s death won’t bode well for the Dems and their MSM spokespeople. If OBL died a “martyr’s death” it can be said Bush got him, which the Dems won’t like one bit. AQ can only spin it as a martyr’s death, while our MSM might try an angle that bin Laden died from whatever ailment he has/had that requires dialysis. If so, the white House can debunk the martyr’s death claims and discredit AQ.
I’m sitting here smiling to think of the possibilities of another no-lose situation for Bush if he plays any death announcement of OBL the right way.
I also think MM can crow about the tape and rip Geraldo at the same time. He’s no contest for her anyway.
Liam on July 16, 2007 at 3:06 PM
Of course leaves always grow exactly the same way on the exactly same twigs from year to year. Doesn’t everyone know this?
CrazyFool on July 16, 2007 at 3:14 PM
I rely greatly on AllahPundit and Mark Steyn for their skill in filtering the news. Thus, the only reason I know about the saturating coverage of Paris Hilton is that they mentioned it, inter alia. In news of science and technology, I rely on ScienceDaily.com as an aggregator. For everything else, there’s Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Nietzsche, the American Founders, the Straussian school, Google, Amazon, Flickr, and Craigslist.
Kralizec on July 16, 2007 at 4:23 PM
Yeah, alot of our MSM TV news have been reporting it as a “new” tape too. I’m not holding my breath waiting for the (on-air) retractions. And I, too, haven’t bothered wasting my time telling them it’s footage from an old, old tape.
andycanuck on July 16, 2007 at 4:37 PM
It’s hard to choose between the pleasure of quietly enjoying their ignorance and the pleasure of insulting them for it.
Kralizec on July 16, 2007 at 4:51 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Geraldo is reporting that this isn’t even really UBL. It is in fact Facebook user Wanusmaximus, the man blogs figured out wasn’t Cho Seung-Hui days before the MSM would drop the stupid theory!
RightWinged on July 16, 2007 at 7:49 PM