Blog: Drudge spreads 'big lie' on Iraq casualties

[blitzburgh55]

Imagine that!

Mike Sheehan
Published: Wednesday March 14, 2007

Internet news site The Drudge Report is passing off Iraq casualty figures from a questionable media outlet as fact, a journalist blogger asserts.

"Any legitimate news that U.S. troop deaths are sharply down, in a way that is statistically significant, would be welcomed with open arms by all," says Will Bunch, a senior Philadelphia Daily News writer, at his blog Attytood.

"Matt Drudge is running what purports to be just such a story on the top left of his incredibly influentual Web site right now as I write this," Bunch continues. "The headline reads: 'Baghdad security crackdown seriously curbs killings of US soldiers...'"

He invites readers to check the source of Drudge's link. "The article is not from a credible, independent media outlet," he continues, "but from the Kuwait News Agency (or KUNA). Kuwait is still America's biggest ally in the Gulf (for obvious reasons) and so the source of the story is a huge tell here."

The KUNA article credits the launch of new Baghdad security measures as the reason for a 60 percent decline in "the rate of killings of US troops in Iraq."

Bunch takes issue with a disclaimer in the piece that states, "The statistics excluded US troops killed in other governorates such as Al-Anbar, Diyala, and Salahiddin," which, he counters with data of his own, misrepresents the story.

He accuses Drudge of "spreading a Big Lie," even as the Senate debates troop withdrawal from Iraq.

more at link..

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Blog_Drudge_spread_big_lie_on_0314.html

[AlCzervik]

1. Drudge traffics in bullshit, it's the coin of the realm for him, his sources and many of his readers

not a big surprise.

[LSparkle]

2. On Yahoo News, something similar is first story listed ...

It's like a stain ... spreading and spreading ...

[Kerrytravelers]

3. You mean Drudge the Sludge is a liar?

:wow:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

4. Curious.

I noted the same article linked via Drudge. I didn't really delve into the reality of the stats in the KUNA article so much as put them in context. Anyway, my post is withering on the vine, but you can read it here if you are so inclined:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=411423&mesg_id=411423

[blitzburgh55]

5. It gets better

Limbaugh is now reporting that Drudge received death threats over reporting that Iraq casualties are down.

Drudge Gets Death Threats for Publishing Report
That Surge Has Cut US Military Deaths in Iraq By 60%
March 14, 2007

After he posted this story he started getting death threats and hate mail from kooks accusing him of lying and putting out this kind of news. Drudge said, “You know, it wasn't until I started getting all these that I actually realized that you are right. They do want to lose.”

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031407/content/01125108.guest.html

[11 Bravo]

6. Drudge lies??? Next you will be telling me that dogs occasionally lick their own balls.