Glenn Greenwald: The significance of McClatchy's act of journalism

[laststeamtrain]

Glenn Greenwald
Thursday July 9, 2009 09:10 EDT
The significance of McClatchy's act of journalism

McClatchy's Nancy Youssef has an article today that is a consummate example of excellent journalism. I don't want to excerpt any of it or even summarize what it reports because I really want to encourage everyone to click the link and read it in its entirety (it's not very long: roughly 1,300 words). Please read Youssef's article before reading the following points I think are worth making about it: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/washington/story/71434.html

(1) Note that Wakil was detained at Guantanamo for six years -- until April, 2008. That entire time, and especially into 2007 and 2008, government officials were assuring the public that all remaining Guantanamo prisoners were "the worst of the worst." That claim continues to be made. No matter how many times the statements of government officials are proven false, the assumption remains that the pronouncements from high government officials are true.

(2) Even now, defenders of Obama's preventive detention policy (i.e., indefinitely imprisoning people with no charges) insist that this is necessary because those in Guantanamo are "too dangerous to release" and we cannot convict them in a real court. What's their basis for believing that people who have been convicted of absolutely nothing are nonetheless "too dangerous to release"? The Government -- our trusted leaders -- claim it's true, so it must be. No matter how many stories there are like the one today from McClatchy's -- where emphatic accusations about a detainee turn out to be totally false -- the willingness to believe unproven assertions from government officials about Muslims detainees is never-ending.

(3) The central assumption in our discussions of Guantanamo and detention policy generally has been, and continues to be, that those in Guantanamo are, by definition, Terrorists. No matter how many times that is proven to be false, the assumption endures.

(4) Note the central role The New York Times played -- yet again -- in spreading and given credence to pure government propaganda. And the method used to accomplish that is exactly what led them to help disseminate lies about the "Iraq threat" in the run-up to the war: anonymous government sources leak something, they mindlessly print it without identifying who gave it to them, Dick Cheney cites the NYT article to bolster the lie, and then -- even once the NYT is forced to admit they were used -- they not only protect the identity of the anonymous sources who manipulated them, but they'll use the same exact method tomorrow -- and the day after and the day after that -- to report the "news."

<snip>

(5) It cannot be overstated how flimsy is the basis for so many accusations of "enemy combatant" status from the U.S. Government. Wakil is someone who -- as the Bush administration knew and admitted since as early as 2004 when it conducted a status review hearing -- actively opposed the Taliban and al Qaeda:

<more>

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/09/guantanamo/index.html

[Warpy]

1. McClatchy has done some good stuff lately

especially on Iran and the background of the unrest there. They seem to be dusting off some real journalism, something that is refreshing in this age of blow dried and well manicured people sitting at desks and waiting for press releases to drop into their laps.

BTW, something is going on over there today, lots of reports coming out of multiple cities, an urgent call for doctors.

[blm]

12. They ended up with KnightRidder's DC Bureau - the only investigative reporters challenging Bush WH

on Iraq.

They were subsequently kicked off press plane by Cheney.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. I really like Glen Greenwald

He keeps me sane sometimes since he hasn't caved into the whole "it's ok when we do it" moral elasticity of some Democrats.

McClatchy is making a name for themselves as being some of the last real journalists out there. Watch for Rupert Murdoch to make them an "offer they can't refuse".

[pleah]

3. I wish they would do something about the assholes that run the local paper.

K*R

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. Greenwald's point about the NYT is key!

The NYT continues to reveal itself as a central, indispensible cog in the Neocon propaganda network. These reports in the NYT are not mistakes or sloppy journalism - they are pure, unadulterated bits of propaganda.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[Z_I_Peevey]

6. another kick

[laststeamtrain]

7. It's fascinating. Who are the 'unrecommends'? A whole new level of DU weirdness. n/t.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. It is, isn't it?

I think Glen embarrasses the people I cited in my response #2 who possess a moral elasticity that he does not.

[chill_wind]

11. I wonder as well. n/t

[blm]

13. yes.....but, I'd say disgusting....

.

[chill_wind]

9. K&R.

[SpiralHawk]

10. The k and the r

Thanks McClatchy for honest journalism. A service to America.

[troubledamerican]

14. McClatchy was the only traditional journalist bureau at all 2000-2004

Not even Olbermann was around in those dark days. Even The Nation was sucking cock.

[Swede]

15. K&R