October 28, 2004

ABC Holds Off Airing Purported Terror Tape

The CIA still cannot authenticate a videotape purporting to show someone making a terror threat against the United States, and ABC News has decided not to air it.

The tape was handed to the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency by ABC News
[Isn't this the tail wagging the dog?
Shouldn't the CIA and NSA be releasing a tape like this to ABC because they got it first?
I guess it's usually Al-Jazeera that gets these tapes...wonder why AQ didn't use them this time.
All in all, the "chain of evidence" is disturbing and rather bass-askwards.--Jen]
three days ago, multiple government sources told FOX News. ABC is said to have received the tape last weekend from a terrorist source in Waziristan, a region in Pakistan near the Afghan border where the Taliban and Al Qaeda
are believed to be holed up.
[...]
ABC News has held off on airing the tape until it is deemed authentic.

"We're not quite there to broadcast something that would be quite frightening," investigative reporter Brian Ross told the Washington Post on Wednesday. "I'd love to have the exclusive, but first we'd like to get it right."

So, that's the official story: ABC wants to make sure the tape's "authentic" and that they "get it right," huh?
Sounds like they're worried more about the Pajamahadeen than the Mujahadeen, doesn't it?
Of course, dear Drudge has come up with the real story behind the story:
CIA, FBI AUTHENTICATE NEW QAEDA TERROR TAPE; ABCNEWS EXECUTIVES CONSIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AIRING

The CIA and FBI late Wednesday authenticated a disturbing new al Qaeda videotape which warns the next terror attack will dwarf 9/11.

"The streets will run with blood," and "America will mourn in silence" because they will be unable to count the number of the dead, a man claims on the video.

Further claims on the video: America has brought this on itself for electing George Bush who has made war on Islam by destroying the Taliban and making war on Al Qaeda.
[Yet Kerry and the Dems keep repeating that Iraq shouldn't have been part of the WOT and that there are no links whatsoever between Iraq, AQ and OBL.
Now we have one of AQ lieutenants affirming that the Kerry's Dems are wrong!--J.T.]

ABCNEWS obtained the tape from a source in Waziristan, Pakistan over the weekend. The network has withheld airing it, initially citing concerns over its authenticity.

One senior federal official alleged ABCNEWS is now holding back from broadcasting any portion of the video out of fear it will be seen as a political move by the network during election week.
[IOW, the MSM is afraid it will show all too clearly that PRESIDENT BUSH WAS RIGHT and that this tape will be one more instance proving same and then...Oh, no! The American people will re-elect him!
And the Media can't help with that.
So they keep us from being informed, even if it means not alerting the public---whom they and our TV airwaves profess to serve--about a potential massive attack that might take many American lives.
Disgustingly self-serving!--Jen]

One ABC source, who demanded anonymity, said Thursday morning, the network was struggling to find a correct journalistic "balance."
[This is so pathetic, it's almost funny!
As if we can't see their bias and ABC were pretending be to "fair and balanced" Fox News!]

"This is not something you just throw out there while people are voting," the ABC source explained.

A second ABC source told DRUDGE Thursday morning: "ABCNEWS has shared this tape with both the CIA and the FBI as part of our reporting process.
[Note they don't say that they "shared" the tape as part of their duty as loyal and dedicated Americans who are trying to help their country and its citizens in wartime defend against the enemy, but as part of the clinical "reporting process."]
ABC News is committed to accurate, credible and complete journalism and is applying the same scrutiny to this tape that we apply to all raw information. ABCNEWS continues to report this story aggressively."

The terrorist's face is concealed by a headdress, and he speaks in an American accent, making it difficult to identify the individual.

The tape appears to be from al-Qaeda's media liaison organization. It has a banner crediting the Sahab Production Committee. The speaker refers to Bin Ladin and Zawahiri as "our leaders" and praises the 11 September attacks.

Intelligence officials believe:

Videotape message likely produced in late summer '04 due to references to current events such as the 9/11 Commission.

Individual is college educated, either American born or raised in the U.S.

The U.S. is actively seeking to identify the individual.  Adam Gadhan - aka Adam Pearlman of Southern California - remains the chief candidate but another still unknown individual may be possible.

Pearlman was highlighted by the FBI in May as an individual most likely to be involved in or have knowledge of the next al Qaeda attacks.
[9/11 Commission and the rest of America, take note: our intell agencies like the FBI have been all over these bad guys like Adam!--Jen]

US intelligence officials say the danger is that if this individual is an American citizen, he will be immersed in the culture and customs and have the ability to travel in America freely and unnoticed.

GULP.
"...have the ability to travel in America freely and unnoticed..."--I guess I don't have to draw out the implications of that for us all.
And yet ABC still doesn't see fit to notify the public about this very real threat, in the event that AQ does decide to try and hit us here at home to influence the election, as they did with the Spanish in March.
Let the record show that if there is another huge attack (God forbid!), ABC and the rest of the MSM will be the first to blame Bush (for not preventing it) and not the terrorists for doing it in the first place and certainly not themselves, who may be in the position to save lives with a timely notice and who can certainly help our first responders catch these killers before they strike by running the tape with Adam's face 24/7.
No, ABC is too wrapped up in their "credibility" gap (translation: They're on a mission to elect Kerry and to defeat President Bush and this tape only proves again that the Election is all about 9/11 and whether President Bush was right to prosecute the War on Terror the way he did or worse, if he was even right to declare it as a war at all.)
To the Leftist, partisan Democrat media, an ideological conglomerate which includes not only ABC and CBS, but CNN, NPR, NBC and the BBC, too, the realpolitik needs of Socialist Liberalism trumps the truth, American lives and the viability of the democratic republic that is America itself.
They've made their choice and now, I hope you make yours, as I plan to, with a vote for President Bush's reelection on Nov. 2.
We out here in the American citizenry will deal with the Media after the election.
Leftist Media delenda est!