Intermarkets' Privacy Policy
Support


Donate to Ace of Spades HQ!


Contact
Ace:
aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck:
buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD:
cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix:
mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum:
petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton:
sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com


Recent Entries
Absent Friends
Jay Guevara 2025
Jim Sunk New Dawn 2025
Jewells45 2025
Bandersnatch 2024
GnuBreed 2024
Captain Hate 2023
moon_over_vermont 2023
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022
Dave In Texas 2022
Jesse in D.C. 2022
OregonMuse 2022
redc1c4 2021
Tami 2021

Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published. Contact OrangeEnt for info:
maildrop62 at proton dot me
Cutting The Cord And Email Security
Moron Meet-Ups





















« The Left Demands: More Fake Anti-Bush Stories! | Main | Ace's Dreadful Debate Drinking Game »
September 30, 2004

Earlier Report on Tip to Islamic "Charity"

Apparently this story's been around for a little while; it just never got a lot of play.

The Chicago Sun Times reported on September 12th:

WASHINGTON -- A federal prosecutor is investigating whether two reporters for the New York Times were leaked information about a terror financing investigation that may have tipped off the targets of the probe, one of which was Bridgeview-based Global Relief Foundation.

...

'Plan went awry'

Fitzgerald, who also is investigating the leak of a CIA undercover officer's name to the media, is attempting to determine if anyone in the government tipped off the Times reporters about a plan in December 2001 to seize the assets of the Global Relief Foundation on suspicion that it was financing terrorism. Existence of the probe was first reported Friday by the Washington Post.

So, it does seem the government's main interest is in finding who leaked to Shenon, rather than if Shenon leaked to GRF. I argued with a left-wing poster about this; I was wrong.

According to a staff report from the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI had intended to obtain secret surveillance warrants to monitor the reaction of the charity in the United States after its overseas offices and those of another Islamic charity, the Palos Hills-based Benevolence International Foundation, were searched Dec. 13, 2001.

''This plan went awry,'' the report said, after word about government action was leaked to Global Relief, apparently when a Times reporter called a charity spokesman to ask whether he knew about a plan by the U.S. government to freeze its assets.

''FBI personnel learned that some of the targets of the investigations may be destroying documents,'' the Sept. 11 Commission report said, adding that the FBI then did a ''hastily assembled'' search of both charities' offices in Illinois.

Global Relief attorney Roger Simmons said he and Global Relief officials have been interviewed in detail about the matter by the FBI. Simmons said there was no destruction of evidence....

The Sept. 11 report says that ''press leaks plagued'' most actions to freeze assets in the United States taken by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

No criminal charges have been brought in the Global Relief case, although its founder has been deported. Through a spokesman, Fitzgerald declined comment on the leak investigation.

What annoys me is that many reporters, like Mike Wallace, say that their responsibilities as a journalist trump any responsibilities they might have as Americans-- and as human beings, for that matter.

Wallace famously declared that he would not avoid covering a story simply to save an American platoon he was travelling with:

But while Jennings and his crew were traveling with a North Kosanese unit [seems to be a made-up enemy country for the hypothetical-- Ace], to visit the site of an alleged atrocity by U.S. and South Kosanese troops, they unexpectedly crossed the trail of a small group of American and South Kosanese soldiers. With Jennings in their midst the Northern soldiers set up an ambush that would let them gun down the Americans and Southerners.

What would Jennings do? Would he tell his cameramen to "Roll tape!" as the North Kosanese opened fire? What would go through his mind as he watched the North Kosanese prepare to fire?

Jennings sat silent for about fifteen seconds. "Well, I guess I wouldn't," he finally said. "I am going to tell you now what I am feeling, rather than the hypothesis I drew for myself. If I were with a North Kosanese unit that came upon Americans, I think that I personally would do what I could to warn the Americans."

Even if it meant losing the story? Ogletree asked.

Even though it would almost certainly mean losing my life, Jennings replied. "But I do not think that I could bring myself to participate in that act. That's purely personal, and other reporters might have a different reaction."

Ogletree turned for reaction to Mike Wallace, who immediately replied. "I think some other reporters would have a different reaction," he said, obviously referring to himself. "They would regard it simply as another story they were there to cover." A moment later Wallace said, "I am astonished, really." He turned toward Jennings and began to lecture him: "You're a reporter. Granted you're an American" (at least for purposes of the fictional example; Jennings has actually retained Canadian citizenship). "I'm a little bit at a loss to understand why, because you're an American, you would not have covered that story."

Ogletree pushed Wallace. Didn't Jennings have some higher duty to do something other than just roll film as soldiers from his own country were being shot?

"No," Wallace said flatly and immediately. "You don't have a higher duty. No. No. You're a reporter!"

Jennings backtracked fast. Wallace was right, he said: "I chickened out." Jennings said that he had "played the hypothetical very hard."He had lost sight of his journalistic duty to remain detached.

...

After a brief discussion between Wallace and Scowcroft, Ogletree reminded Wallace of Scowcroft's basic question. What was it worth for the reporter to stand by, looking? Shouldn't the reporter have said something ?

...

[Wallace continued to say "No."]

A few minutes later Ogletree turned to George M. Connell, a Marine colonel in full uniform. Jaw muscles flexing in anger, with stress on each word, Connell said, "I feel utter contempt."

No kidding, huh?

And yet Shenon apparently thought very little at all about divulging secret information to a group widely known to be a terrorist-funding front -- which, to be fair, he shouldn't have had in the first place, and that's the fault of the loose-lipped government official.

The "Reporter's Code" won't let them tell American soldiers about an impending attack, but they don't hesitate to call up a terrorist-funding "charity" and tip them off about an ongoing secret government investigation, just to get some ridiculous comment about it.

"Hey, this is Philip Shenon of the New York Times. Did you know that the government plans to freeze your assets and is scrutinizing the hell out of your right now?"

"Umm, no, actually, I didn't."

"Care to comment?"

"Errr... got to go. I just remembered, I have some papers I need to shred."

Seems to me that, in this hypothetical, Mike Wallace could have, err, similarly "called the American platoon for comment" upon the impending ambush -- as Shenon did -- but gee willickers, seems he decided against doing so. Probably because that would be making news, rather than just reporting it.

This code of neutrality seems only to apply strictly to prevent any aid to fellow loyal law-abiding Americans. When it comes to enemies, foreign and domestic-- the rules suddenly get a little more relaxed.


posted by Ace at 04:19 PM
Comments



Of course they're going to help the enemy. "Americans beat the bad guys" isn't a catchy story, but "Americans crushed by underdog insurgents" is a definate "man bites dog" story.

Plus that kind of story reinforces the idea that it is nobel to stand up to American imperialism. Anybody opposing America, to these guys is on the side of the angels. These guys don't even call terrorists terrorists. They're insurgents or resistance etc.

Anyone taking bets that somebody is going to be held accountable for this one?

Posted by: Iblis on September 30, 2004 04:44 PM

That ethics exercise is mindblowing. How easily Jennings cracked under a mild rebuke from his peer.
How hollow Wallace's supposed principles- what higher purpose do they serve, if saving lives is so meaningless?

Fucking unscrupulous jackals deserve to be shredded in a giant razorwire salad and drenched in hot vinegar.

Posted by: lauraw on September 30, 2004 05:18 PM

Make Wallace makes me sick. Here's the video. You have to sign up to view it, but it's free.

http://www.learner.org/resources/series81.html?pop=yes&vodid=89407&pid=196#

Posted by: PaulC on September 30, 2004 05:35 PM

So I guess American soldiers have absolutely no obligation to step in and prevent the killing by our enemies of reporters from our networks if the soldiers find out about it ahead of time. Sounds fair to me, though can you imagine the outrage if American GIs just watched some jihadi fucks set up an ambush for some reporter and stood there and took pictures of it without preventing it from happening? Perhaps such an event would wake up the press in American, but I seriously doubt it.

Posted by: Sharkman on September 30, 2004 08:04 PM
Post a comment
Name:


Email Address:


URL:


Comments:


Remember info?








Now Available!
The Deplorable Gourmet
A Horde-sourced Cookbook
[All profits go to charity]
Top Headlines
Maori men in NZ do a haka war display for Charlie Kirk
You vicious bastards shot the wrong man. You have set the world on fire. This will be your apocalypse.
Nick Freitas responds to the Left's intentional lies that they are always the victim and the Right is always the oppressor. He refuses to play their game anymore. This is a must view. [dri]
I wonder if he was fearless. I wonder if he was scared. I wonder if he just did it anyway?
-- Mike Rowe
Low-T High-Calorie Potato Brian Stelter: "Matthew Dowd is no longer an MSNBC political analyst, according to a network source."
Matt Dowd, former Disney Groomer Corporation Political Director and John McCain advisor (of course), is the one who blamed Charlie Kirk's shooting on the real assassin, Charlie Kirk, claiming that Charlie's "hateful words lead to hateful actions."
Trump speaks about the "heinous assassination" of Charlie Kirk, notes the left relentlessly demonized him until they radicalized an assassin to kill him
"For years, the radical left has compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to NAZlS... this type of language is DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the terrorism we're seeing in our country today.
And it must stop RIGHT NOW!"
Argentinian PM Javier Millei: "The left is always, at all times and places, a violent phenomenon full of hatred."
I disregard their hate. It's the violence that we object to. And we will begin objecting to it with force.
Update: Kash Patel says the person of interest has been interrogated and then released. Wrong guy, I guess.
But as the hours pass without a real suspect, and with the FBI apparently interrogating uninvolved people, I begin to fear the assassin has escaped. I mean, they don't seem to be following a breadcrumb trail, they seem genuinely baffled.
Karol Sheinin: I can confirm the person of interest questioned by the FBI is Zachariah Ahmed Qureshi.
If this is the guy -- apparently he also interned at Heritage.
Update: Source says he's been released? Wrong guy?
Fat-F*ck Pritzker blames Trump's rhetoric for the ramp up of political violence! May he rot in hell! [CBD]
CJN podcast 1400 copy.jpg
Podcast: Jim Lakely of Heartland.org joins us to discuss the blockbuster polls they have released over the last week. Americans 19-39 seem to be embracing socialism, overt redistributionist policies, destruction of our rights, and international control of our country! But there is hope on the horizon!
Broward County Officials Accused of Adding Over 100,000 Ineligible Voters to the Rolls It is too soon to know how it happened, but...Republicans are watching! And that is how it is done. [CBD]
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump from firing Federal Reserve Gov Lisa Cook With absolutely nonsensical reasoning, but you already knew that. [CBD]
CJN podcast 1400 copy.jpg
Podcast: 2A ban for trannies? Venezuela attack is Congress dropping the ball, RFK Jr...Maniac or disrupter? Heartland.org poll is a sad commentary on American education, and more!
James Varney: Reflecting on Hurricane Katrina twenty years later, and the partisan uses Democrats found for it
There was fear aplenty. But the truth is, a lot of the panic Americans saw on television was performative. The throngs of people along Convention Center Boulevard sat patiently in the broiling weather, five or six deep in folding chairs on the sidewalk, waiting for something, someone, to arrive. Then, a television crew or photographer would show up, and people would pour into the street, falling on their knees, screaming and gesticulating to the camera. It was an awful situation, obviously, but when the camera wasn't on them, it was remarkable how patient and orderly everyone was.
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click: the most repetitive but catchy earworm of the eighties?
Sometimes, I find you doubt my love for you but I don't mind
Why should I mind? Why should I mind?

It's hard to quote the song while avoiding quoting from the endlessly-repeated chorus.
Wait, my mistake, his other hit from 1985 was the most repetitive new wave hit of the 80s.
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click
I'm gonna get high, man, I'm gonna get loose/
Need me a triple shot of that juice
CJN podcast 1400 copy.jpg
Podcast: 600,000 Chinese spies given visas? Scotland relies on 14-year-old girls for their defense, tariffs work! mortgage fraud is the new thing, and more!
Recent Comments
Gref: "268 Ugh. Posted by: Gref at September 15, 2025 0 ..."

Itinerant Alley Butcher: " 259 239 Reforger 👍 Posted by: Bulg I ..."

Hadrian the Seventh : " Ugh. Posted by: Gref at September 15, 2025 09:5 ..."

Berserker-Dragonheads Division : "Fanaeian leads the organization called "Armed Quee ..."

BeckoningChasm: "I want a nice peaceful cafe where I can sip someth ..."

Itinerant Alley Butcher: "Sorry, I wasn't in the services. Is a distinction ..."

Gref: "The Houston Texans, a pre-season consensus for-cer ..."

JM in Illinois: "Thank you; please keep the good news * coming * ..."

Mikey Alpha Kilo, Nerd? Yes, we much: "When I was in the Army, the best junior officers w ..."

Common Tater: "Most of the new officers regardless of sourcing, s ..."

JM in Illinois: " >>Here’s what you need to know: Read th ..."

Bulg: "239 Reforger 👍 ..."

Bloggers in Arms
Some Humorous Asides
Archives