Article

2009-05-19 International-UN-NGOs

I did not say Cheney killed Benazir: Sy Hersh

We covered the story previously so it's only fair to let this dingbat have his say ...

LAHORE: US journalist Seymour Hersh on Monday contradicted news reports being published in South Asia that quote him as saying a "special death squad" made by former US vice president Dick Cheney had killed Benazir Bhutto.

The award-winning journalist described as "complete madness" the reports that the squad headed by General Stanley McChrystal -- the new commander of US army in Afghanistan -- had also killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafique Al Hariri and a Lebanese army chief.

Yes, we thought so, too.

"Vice president Cheney does not have a death squad. I have no idea who killed Mr Hariri or Mrs Bhutto," Hersh said. "I have never said that I did have such information. I most certainly did not say anything remotely to that effect during an interview with an Arab media outlet."

He said Gen McChrystal had run a special forces unit that engaged in "high value target activity", but "while I have been critical of some of that unit's activities in the pages of the New Yorker and in interviews, I have never suggested that he was involved in political assassinations or death squads on behalf of Mr Cheney, as the published stories state."

He regretted that none of the publications had contacted him before carrying the report. "This is another example of blogs going bonkers with misleading and fabricated stories and professional journalists repeating such rumours without doing their job -- and that is to verify such rumours."

And who would know more about misleading and fabricated stories?

Which bloggers? We only ran the story published by the professional journalists...and disbelieved the information, even if we did believe Mr. Hersh had indeed uttered such vicious stupidities, as is his wont.

Posted by Steve White 2009-05-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 "Vice president Cheney does not have a death squad"

Oh, sure. You say that now. Backpedal furiously as Cheney's evil minions lurk outside in your shrubbery waiting only for the cover of darkness.

Posted by SteveS 2009-05-19 01:09|| 2009-05-19 01:09|| Front Page Top

#2 ...Well, what is interesting about this is that Sy ~~Kottic~~ Hersh has - AFAIK - never backed down on a story before. He's always got secret sources and proof that never quite show up before the uproar goes away - but he's never denied anything like this.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2009-05-19 06:05|| 2009-05-19 06:05|| Front Page Top

#3 The Dark Forces must have finally found a hostage he cares about (muhahahahaha!).

Posted by Jonathan 2009-05-19 07:46|| 2009-05-19 07:46|| Front Page Top

#4 I suspect Darth Cheney zapped her with a Naval Observatory Death Ray from his formerly SECRET basement lair. These things all have a way of getting out in the end you know. I blame Cheney and gas gulping SUV sun roofs.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-05-19 07:52|| 2009-05-19 07:52|| Front Page Top

#5 It wasn't Chainy - it wuz em evil blogs!

Posted by Spot">Spot 2009-05-19 08:36|| 2009-05-19 08:36|| Front Page Top

#6 This story is the funniest thing I've read in days.

"Vice president Cheney does not have a death squad."

LULZ

Posted by Seafarious 2009-05-19 10:06|| 2009-05-19 10:06|| Front Page Top

#7 "This is another example of blogs going bonkers with misleading and fabricated stories and professional journalists repeating such rumours without doing their job -- and that is to verify such rumours."

Ha! Yeah, sucks don't it Sy?

Posted by tu3031 2009-05-19 10:09|| 2009-05-19 10:09|| Front Page Top

#8 LULZ

I suspect by the time it's over we'll be wishing Cheney had had a death squad for real.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2009-05-19 10:23|| 2009-05-19 10:23|| Front Page Top

#9 I was told that Vice President Cheney is a death squad. Like Chuck Norris.

Posted by Lagom 2009-05-19 11:01|| 2009-05-19 11:01|| Front Page Top

#10 Chuck Norris wishes he were Dick Cheney.

Posted by SteveS 2009-05-19 11:34|| 2009-05-19 11:34|| Front Page Top

#11 Dick Cheney makes onions AND Chuck Norris cry.

Posted by Bright Pebbles the pedantic 2009-05-19 11:47|| 2009-05-19 11:47|| Front Page Top

#12 "Vice president Cheney does not have a death squad.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh created a stir earlier this month when he said the Bush administration ran an executive assassination ring that reported directly to Vice President Dick Cheney. Under President Bushs authority, theyve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or to the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving, Hersh said.
AMY GOODMAN: Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh created a stir last month when he said the Bush administration ran an executive assassination ring that reported directly to Vice President Dick Cheney. Hersh made the comment during a speech at the University of Minnesota on March 10th.
SEYMOUR HERSH: Congress has no oversight of it. Its an executive assassination wing, essentially. And its been going on and on and on. And just today in the Times there was a story saying that its leader, a three-star admiral named McRaven, ordered a stop to certain activities because there were so many collateral deaths. Its been going inunder President Bushs authority, theyve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or to the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving.
Lying Bastard.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2009-05-19 12:34|| 2009-05-19 12:34|| Front Page Top

#13 Hats off to you, Frank J. Fleming, and your Dick Cheney Assassination Squad, AND the Dinosaurs with Rocket Launchers that they rode in on!

Posted by Querent 2009-05-19 13:07|| 2009-05-19 13:07|| Front Page Top

#14 Geez, I never thought of that. Thanks, Sy...

Posted by Dark Lord Cheney 2009-05-19 13:11|| 2009-05-19 13:11|| Front Page Top

15:37 Procopius2k
15:29 NoMoreBS
15:21 NoMoreBS
15:04 NN2N1
15:03 NN2N1
14:55 NN2N1
14:09 Grom the Affective
14:04 Super Hose
14:02 Super Hose
13:37 Procopius2k
13:35 Grom the Affective
13:34 Procopius2k
13:27 Grom the Affective
13:21 NN2N1
13:18 Grom the Affective
12:50 Remoteman
12:45 Secret Master
12:24 Matt
12:07 Abu Uluque
12:03 Grom the Affective
11:59 Grom the Affective
11:35 Super Hose
11:33 Super Hose
11:29 Besoeker