Boycott the New York Times
It's B-S stories like these (US Says Iran helped kill 5 G.I's) that make you want to put the old gray lady to rest. This is exactly the same thing as the infamous Judy Miller pieces. If I remember correctly, Gordon, who penned that latest piece of propaganda, was crazy Judy's collaborator. Glen Greenwald so aptly debunks it here.
I can see four possible explanations for writing such an article (besides the editors' not-so hidden neocon agenda):
1) Gordon is lazy - he recorded the briefing, called a couple of his usual high-level administration sources (Addington? Hadley), slapped this thing together in about an hour and then went out for a whisky.
2) Gordon is a government psy-ops asset - he probably doesn't work for CIA, because CIA seems to be squarely against an Iranian adventure. He probably gets his marching orders from a flack in the Vice's office (Addington?).
3) Gordon is a true believer. He is convinced - just as Miller was - that he's doing the country a service by spreading neocon propaganda. This is not mutually exclusive with reason #2. And besides, thanks to the Libby trial, we know how Judy and Gordon were happy to get played by the Administration.
4) All of the above.
It is beyond me that the New York Times would publish such dreck. Because of the Judy Miller/Iraqi WMD debacle, the Times' reputation is not what it used to be. Very few people seem to take Gordon's piece seriously, precisely BECAUSE IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Still, the Times' editors haven't learned anything, and are still willing to carry water for the Administration. I angrily cancelled my print subscription back in early 2003. Now I think it is time to go beyond that and boycott the Times' print and online properties altogether (they operate many websites, including About.com). Let's send a message. Propaganda can't be tolerated in the so-called newspaper of record. And even though I do like and respect Bob Herbert, Paul Krugman and Frank Rich, I think I can do without them. From now on I will not read the Times in print or online, until they print an apology and ship Gordon to Fox News.
And yes, Frank Rich, it's time to move to another outfit.
