Investigate This, by Scott Ritter {Spot on Op-Ed}

[Echo In Light]

Investigate This
by Scott Ritter

"...This, of course, is journalism in its most puritanical form, the ideal that the reporter simply reports, and keeps his or her personal opinion segregated from the “facts” as they are being presented. While it would be a farcical stretch for David Gregory, or any other mainstream reporter or correspondent, to realistically claim ownership of such a noble mantle, it appears that is exactly what Gregory did when he set forth the parameters of what his “role” was, and is, in reporting on stories such as the issue of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the Bush administration’s case for war. For this to be valid, however, the issue of journalistic integrity would need to apply not only to the individual reporter or correspondent, but also to the entire system to which the given reporter or correspondent belonged. In the case of Gregory, therefore, we must not only bring into the mix his own individual performance, but also that of NBC News and its parent organization, General Electric.

As a weapons inspector, I was very much driven by what the facts said, not what the rhetoric implied. I maintain this standard to this day in assessing and evaluating American policy in the Middle East. It was the core approach which governed my own personal questioning of the Bush administration’s case for confronting Iraq in the lead-up to the war in 2002 and 2003. I am saddened at the vindication of my position in the aftermath of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, not because of what I did, but rather what the transcripts of every media interview I conducted at the time demonstrates: The media were not interested in reporting the facts, but rather furthering a fiction. Time after time, I backed my opposition to the Bush administration’s “case” for war on Iraq with hard facts, citing evidence that could be readily checked by these erstwhile journalists had they been so inclined. Instead, my integrity and character were impugned by these simple recorders of “fact”, further enabling the fiction pushed by the administration into the mainstream, unchallenged and unquestioned, to be digested by the American public as truth."

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/10/9537/

[Richard Steele]

1. K&R

[bbgrunt]

2. The biases of the corporate

media are so obvious these days to those of us here. Just in the past week we have the phase 2 report from the senate regarding the use of intelligence by this administration and the Kuchinich articles of impeachment. Neither got hardly a word of coverage.

I consider the corporate media a criminal conspiracy. Until something is done to break up ownership, we will never overcome the damage done by this admin. I also recall that Dean's demise in 2004 occurred right after he appeared with Tweety and pronounced that he would break up the media. I recall Tweety being amazed that any politician would be so suicidal.

[Echo In Light]

9. The M$M are the megaphone for the vested interests they represent

[malaise]

20. Bingo

Great read Scott Ritter

[lonestarnot]

3. K & R

[Phred42]

4. And AAR is hooked up with this now!?!

And NOW I have to Listen to PHUCKING David Gregory, every day on Air America Radio!

What the hell is happening to AAR? Going for Corporate Media-hood?

Rachel? What are you doing hooking up with this? The money THAT good? Did they promise you a seat on the Bus?

:mad:

:spank:

:banghead:

[LSK]

5. NovaM

www.novamradio.com

[Richbru]

6. Is this the same Scott Ritter

who was arrested in June 2001 for trying to meet what he thought was a 16-year-old girl at a Burger King restaurant? This man has absolutely on credibility.

[pacalo]

7. Wasn't this known as a set-up by those who were disturbed by his anti-war stance?

We'll never know, because the case was mysteriously closed & the records were sealed (to protect those who set him up?).

[Echo In Light]

8. Yes, it was a set up, and even though "sealed," {negative} word got out to smear him

[Phred42]

10. You understand that THAT was a Rovian smear campagin that has since failed - Right?

Or are you a Reich-wing Troll sent here to act stupid?

Just asking

:shrug:

[Echo In Light]

11. Exactly. Being a marine and UN weapons inspector, Ritter is an obvious target of Freepers

"Traitor," "turncoat," etc.

Mark Crispin Miller covered this ugly incident in his Cruel & Unusual book.

TARGET: SCOTT RITTER
The War Party gets ugly

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j012203.html

[Phred42]

18. More than that - Ritter was openly saying that there were no more WMD

Even before Blix was saying it.

THAT'S why they smeared him.

[Echo In Light]

21. Well of course. He is credible, so of course the War Pigs were gonna lynch him

[mdmc]

14. He was set up - for a fact

Also worthy of note -
No charges were filed and the judge sealed the court files.
The neo-cons illegally leaked them (no charges filed against the leakers).

It is not illegal to meet someone online and make plans to meet them in real life. It is illegal to meet an underage person online and meet them in real life with the intent on having sex with them.

[Phred42]

19. Exactly! It will be interesting to see if this pops up during the otther

Rovian investigations - like Siegleman for example

:popcorn:

[mdmc]

22. aren't you a freeper troll that can't handle the truth? j/k

peace bro...

ps-
actually, I can prove to you that Ritter, in real life law enforcement officer's own words what happened to Ritter.
Honest to God freepers, NYS Freepers that worked with NYSAG Vacco (pre-Spitzer - ha ha - bet ya that digged on that hubris!) know not only that Ritter was clean, they also know that his court documents were leaked illegally.

pm me for the details

[BeHereNow]

23. Welcome to DU and you might want to do a little more research OR...

People who know the facts will immediately assume
posting something like that about Scott Ritter means
you may very well be a troll or a plant for
the evil bastards who strive to discredit all
who speak truth to power.

The smear on Ritter was debunked LONG ago.
I met Ritter a few years ago, and trust me-
he is no pedophile.

BHN

[Ilsa]

12. K&R.

[Overseas]

13. K&R !! /nt

[crickets]

15. K&R

[Echo In Light]

16. Bump

[bleever]

17. K&R.

[ptvet]

24. Kick

:thumbsup: