Errors and Omissions

Op-Ed sources need corroboration and identification

From the Washington Post:

Correction to This Article
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, hasn't held any secret meetings with Iranian officials in Baghdad to discuss Iraq. David Ignatius's May 19 op-ed column erred in reporting that several such meetings between Khalilzad and an Iranian representative took place earlier this year.

Here is the paragraph where the error was made:

The administration has been so intent on building a firm coalition that it has closed off opportunities for bilateral contact. The U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, held several secret meetings with an Iranian representative around the turn of the year, I'm told, and public statements by both sides seemed to promise a formal U.S.-Iranian dialogue about Iraq. But Rice froze that channel in March and told Khalilzad it wasn't the right time to meet.

"I'm told"??? David Ignatius was told wrong, I guess. Compared to this, the Times' weak boilerplate "according to a high-ranking government official who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to reveal this information" sounds Pulitzer-worthy.

Post op-ed editors, improve your performance. Demand corroboration and identification of your contributors' sources.

newspapers, media, errors

posted by Unknown @ 5/20/2006 09:23:00 AM