I did not say Cheney killed Benazir: Hersh

[RufusTFirefly]

Source: Daily Times (Pakistan)

I did not say Cheney killed Benazir: Hersh

LAHORE: US journalist Seymour Hersh on Monday contradicted news reports being published in South Asia that quote him as saying a “special death squad” made by former US vice president Dick Cheney had killed Benazir Bhutto. The award-winning journalist described as “complete madness” the reports that the squad headed by General Stanley McChrystal – the new commander of US army in Afghanistan – had also killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafique Al Hariri and a Lebanese army chief. “Vice president Cheney does not have a death squad. I have no idea who killed Mr Hariri or Mrs Bhutto,” Hersh said. “I have never said that I did have such information. I most certainly did not say anything remotely to that effect during an interview with an Arab media outlet.” He said Gen McChrystal had run a special forces unit that engaged in “high value target activity”, but “while I have been critical of some of that unit’s activities in the pages of the New Yorker and in interviews, I have never suggested that he was involved in political assassinations or death squads on behalf of Mr Cheney, as the published stories state.” He regretted that none of the publications had contacted him before carrying the report. “This is another example of blogs going bonkers with misleading and fabricated stories and professional journalists repeating such rumours without doing their job – and that is to verify such rumours.” staff report

No link yet.

---

Daily Times (Pakistan)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

1. The death squad that doesn't exist had a nice chat with him.

SOMEONE put the fear of Cheney into him.... :shrug:

[RufusTFirefly]

3. Quite the opposite, I expect

Hersh may be ready to break another legitimate and damning story and Cheney and Co. may be trying to discredit him before he does.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Hammer hits the nail.

Cheney isn't a very good poker player. He projects his hand way too easily.

[AndyTiedye]

17. Cheney Doesn't Play Poker. More Like Russian Roulette Except He Points the Gun At You

[No Elephants]

19. And there's a bullet in every chamber.

[bdamomma]

28. yes, discrediting Hersh and labeling a good journalist as a liar.

hmm...maybe it is true, we are talking about Cheney here.

[cali]

18. bullshit. pure and unadulterated.

there is zero evidence that Sy is intimidated by threats. none whatsoever. p

[msongs]

2. all in all though a great way to get these ideas out to the media - denial and all that nt

[Crabby Appleton]

5. "blogs going bonkers with misleading and fabricated stories "

no!

[gratuitous]

26. "Professional journalists repeating those stories"

Double no!

[CoffeeCat]

6. I think Hersh is being set up...

I think someone intentionally misquoted him--per the orders of the neocons.

This is an effort to make Hersh look discombobulated and like a complete nut.

Now watch...one by one, they'll come out of the woodwork--suggesting that Seymour Hersh is irresponsible,
reckless and that he constantly throws out baseless, outrageous accusations when he has no proof. Fox
News will lead the charge. The talk-radio nutjobs will try to malign Hersh with this.

Someone will try to paint his entire life and his work with this one situation.

Can't you hear the criminals with their soundbytes, "This isn't the first time that Mr. Hersh has made
completely bizarre statement that have no basis in fact. Mr. Hersh is a conspiracy theorist who has
it in for the Bush Administration. He's very partisan, but this time he's stepped over the line. Mr.
Hersh is making very irresponsible accusations that are damaging this country and destroying our ability
to fight the terrorists."

Watch. It'll happen. If it hasn't all ready.

[aquart]

9. "Per the orders of the neocons"

Yes, because only the white men in suits can make anything happen in the world. You don't even get how purely racist that statement is. Guess what? Brown people are capable of thought and planning, scheming and agendas. Brown people can even push a rumor to the max because it suits the political agenda in a place full of BROWN people.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[No Elephants]

21. There was no core. Suspecting Cheney and his cohorts of planting a fake story about CHENEY

and attributing that fake story to an AMERICAN journalist does not make anyone a racist, ffs. It's the single most obvious conclusion to which to leap, no matter what your views on race or other nations may or may not be.

If the poster had accused someone of missing more subtle possibilities, that may have been valid. The accusation of racism, however, under these circumstances alone, was unfounded.

If a poster had leapt to the conclusion that "brown" people concocted a big lie about an American journalist and Cheney, THAT might be called racist, too.

[choie]

33. Cheney et al know that Hersh saw those disgusting photos

of sodomy and other abuse and are trying to ruin his reputation, making it seem that his accusations are wild and that he is a liar. Bastards.

[No Elephants]

20. +1

[Iowa]

14. Yeah, what NM Independent said...

The malicious intent you assigned to that post doesn't seem to be there.

[bdamomma]

29. you are definitely on to something with your post.

most definitely discrediting Hersh just like how they are discrediting Pelosi, it only takes one situation and the right wing manipulates everthing.

[Turborama]

7. Here's the link

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\05\19\story_19-5-2009_pg7_4">I did not say Cheney killed Benazir: Hersh

I Found the http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/12-cheney-ordered-assassination-of-benazir-bhutto--bi-01">"story" on Dawn earlier and they mention that he said it during an interview with Gulf News. I went to the Gulf News site to look for the interview and, in the portion of the interview they have online, he said nothing of the sort.

Video of the interview: http://www.gulfnews.com/gntv/videos/10313072.html

Transcript: http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10313137.html

Dawn and the others are now off my list of sources.

[burning rain]

8. Benazir Bhutto blamed Musharaff in advance if she were to be assassinated.

And it does seem credible to me, that at the very least he intentionally denied her adequate security and encouraged hostility to her in the security services. After all, she was his most credible democratic opposition. On the other hand, the Bush - Cheney administration relentlessly propped up Musharaff with only the sorriest lip service paid to democracy (e.g. Bush's memorably asking Musharaff to "take off his uniform" -- OK to be a dictator, though).

[Wednesdays]

11. Attempt to disparage Hersh, perhaps?

:shrug:

After all, he does have the goods on Cheney in other ways. And of course Cheney knows it.

[ThisThreadIsSatire]

12. Maybe it was...

her husband, who himself rose to power in spite of the fact that he somehow 'greatly enriched' himself while she was in power... (to the tune of $ billions -- and coincidentally settled related civil suits prior to running for office)

go figure...

[Garbo 2004]

13. Wayne Madsen was alleging the Lebanese officials angle. Madsen piggybackied on Hersh's

comments at a public forum where Hersh mentioned assasination squads but provided no specifics.

Now in fairness, Madsen in the articles I saw didn't claim Hersh said that Cheney had the Lebanese officials assasinated, but the way Hersh's comments were cited as a basis for Madsen's "reporting" it might be easy for some to not distinguish what Madsen said vs what Hersh actually said. Apparently Madsen's claims have been getting some play in Lebanese and Arab media. Madsen's dragging in Hersh's name to legitimize his "reporting" is likely what Hersh is responding to by including Hariri and the other Lebanese official in his statement.

[elleng]

15. Appeared at DU Sunday,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3881869

[No Elephants]

22. Sadly, blogs going bonkers, right wing (or, worse, right leaning) media and right leaning "news"

services (cough, AP, cough) seem destined to be our ONLY sources in the not too distant future.

Where have you gone, journalism pro?
Our planet turns its long eyes to you.
Boo hoo hoo.

[Optical.Catalyst]

23. So now everyone is focused on what Seymour Hersh said (or didn't say) about Cheney

While this distraction is holding the attention of curious minds, the question arises:

What events that we should be paying attention to are being overshadowed by an unprovable Dick Cheney death squad story?

[rawstory]

24. LINK -- (We contacted Hersh)

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05/18/hersh-did-not-say-cheney-ordered-bhutto-assassination/

[No Elephants]

25. Have you ever asked him if he has any proof of the death squads that he DID mention on

Gulf News and the University of Minnesota?

[RufusTFirefly]

32. And, once again, Kucinich is out in front calling for hearings

That guy is a hero.

[bdamomma]

27. could be the beginning of smearing Seymour Hersh.

not to believe what he says, trying to discredit a journalist? just like how they are discrediting Pelosi.

[ima_sinnic]

30. the same thing they did to Dan Rather (nt)

[bdamomma]

31. of course anyone who gets too close to the truth they are a target.

[ohio2007]

34. ..."reports being published in South Asia "..... well. there ya go. When was he in south Asia to be

making such a quote ?

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\05\19\story_19-5-2009_pg7_4

Maybe the ISI is setting him ......
nAHHH