CENTCOM says AP’s "Iraqi police source" isn’t Iraqi police -- Part 13 -- Continued from this post.

Just the Facts, Ma'am
Confederate Yankee

Kathleen Carroll, the Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of the Associated Press, just can't seem to do the required legwork necessary to resolve the questions surrounding six immolations and four mosque burnings alleged in news reports by anonymous reporters working for her organization. She does, however, try her best to deflect criticism in her latest response to the emerging scandal this afternoon.

She begins:

In recent days, a handful of people have stridently criticized The Associated Press' coverage of a terrible attack on Iraqi citizens last month in Baghdad. Some of those critics question whether the incident happened at all and declare that they don't believe our reporting.

Indeed, a small number of them have whipped themselves into an indignant lather over the AP's reporting.

What concerns Carroll is that her "handful" includes Jules Crittenden of the Boston Herald, Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner, Tom Zeller of the New York Times, and Robert Batemen in the New York Post, and this handful is steadily getting larger by the day thanks to a diligent army of citizen-journalists.

Their assertions that the AP has been duped or worse are unfounded and just plain wrong.

No organization has done more to try to shed light on what happened Nov. 24 in the Hurriyah neighborhood of Baghdad than The Associated Press.

Well, thanks for clearing that up. I can sleep comfortably now that you've confirmed what is in your self-interest to reinforce. ...

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Response and responsibility: AP's editor speaks
James Robison

Kathleen Carroll, executive editor and senior vice president of The Associated Press has addressed the rising cacophony of bloggers and pundits insisting that the AP substantiate its recent reporting of six Sunnis being burned alive in Baghdad. They AP editor states:

Indeed, a small number of them have whipped themselves into an indignant lather over the AP's reporting.

Well, I am not sure how the AP defines "a small number" (a surprisingly vague term for a statement expounding upon the accuracy of the AP), but let's quantify this in a familiar term, the Google search. As of this writing, when I type in "who is Jamil Hussein", a very specific search term in quotations that will only bring that exact question in the results I find 11,700 returns. A search for "Jamil Hussein" as of now will provide you with 162,000 returns. Sounds like quite a few more people than a "small number" are concerned about the AP's reporting.

But for those looking for an answer to the questions about Jamil Hussein, don't bother with the AP's response. The AP only reiterates the same points it made days ago. In fact, the entire editorial provides little new information germane to the story. Here are the key points of the AP rebuttal:

It's awfully easy to take pot shots from the safety of a computer keyboard thousands of miles from the chaos of Baghdad.

In other words, you who question us are safely behind your keyboards at home. Apparently the AP editor forgets that in her own piece she acknowledged that it was the U.S. military that called the reporting and source, Jamil Hussein, into question:

We have not ignored the questions about our work raised by the U.S. military and later, by the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

How can it be that those pursuing this matter are thousands of miles from Baghdad when chief among them is the US military? Apparently the AP has not so much ignored the US military's questions as it has sneered at them. Why not provide evidentiary substantiation to the report in question instead of insulting those who ask for validation?

Perhaps that statement was meant for just us blogger types. Let's give the AP a little break from specificity and just look at the bloggers. So what would us little old pajama wearing bloggers know about danger? Well the blogger who started this all with questions to the Public Affairs Office in Iraq is Curt at Flopping Aces, a former marine. Seeing as the AP visited my blog several times, maybe they meant me, a Gulf War/Kosovo vet and former army officer. Nice research AP. ...

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AP Admits to Using Unauthorized Sources
Posted by Robin Boyd

Despite all the claims of standing by their stories, the AP now admits to the use of unauthorized sources.  The infamous Qais al-Bashir posted another sectarian violence story via AP this morning. Al-Bashir offered up the typical Sunni-Shiite blood-letting but this time he was honest about his sources:

On Sunday morning, clashes erupted between Sunni and Shiite militants in Baghdad's mixed western Amil district, a policeman said. One Shiite militiaman was killed and six people — five Sunnis and one Shiite — were wounded, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

Al-Bashir could not resist throwing in some of the media's patented techniques of anonymous sources afraid for their safety:

The policemen spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for their own safety ...

... The use of "anonymous" sources is nothing more than a journalistic ploy to prevent others from verifying the information presented. While the "not authorized to talk to the media" phrase is a step in the right direction, the AP has yet to offer up proof of their best source, Jamil Hussein.

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Jamilgate: Has Capt. Hussein gone anonymous?
Allahpundit

We’ve got an AP article about an attack in Baghdad written by Qais al-Bashir quoting a police source. The stage is set for a cameo from our favorite Iraqi police officer.

But what’s this?

On Sunday morning, clashes erupted between Sunni and Shiite militants in Baghdad’s mixed western Amil district, a policeman said. One Shiite militiaman was killed and six people five Sunnis and one Shiite were wounded, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

Could the mystery source be the one and only Capt. Jamil? ...

... So we’ve probably seen the last of Jamil Hussein. Alas, Captain, we hardly knew ye. And by “we,” I mean “the entire planet except Qais al-Bashir.”

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Part 13 of a series. Part 14