After Gen. Taguba Alleges Existence of Prisoner Rape Photos, Robert Gibbs Attacks. . . British Media

[laststeamtrain]

After Gen. Taguba Alleges Existence of Prisoner Rape Photos, Robert Gibbs Attacks. . . British Media

By Jeremy Scahill

Wow. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is really embodying the idea that when the message is devastating, you attack the messenger. Except in this case, Gibbs is not even attacking the messenger, but rather the newspaper that quoted the messenger.

In a major story today, London’s Daily Telegraph quoted Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba describing photos (that the Obama administration is fighting to keep secret), which allegedly depict US personnel raping prisoners, other sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube. “These pictures show torture, abuse, rape and every indecency,” Taguba said. Put that statement against this one from the president: In defending his decision to fight the ACLU in its efforts to have the photos publicly released, Obama said on May 13, “I want to emphasize that these photos that were requested in this case are not particularly sensational.”

At the White House press briefing today, Gibbs lashed out—not at Gen. Taguba, who made the allegation on the record, and not even specifically at the paper that quoted Taguba. Instead, Gibbs went after the entire British media, saying “I think if you do an even moderate Google search (heh) you’re not gonna find many of these newspapers and ‘truth’ within say 25 words of each other:”

“I want to speak generally about some of reports I’ve witnessed over the past few years in the British media and in some ways I’m surprised it filtered down,” Gibbs said. “Let’s just say that if I wanted to look up, if I wanted to read a writeup today of how Manchester United fared last night in the Champions League Cup, I might open up a British newspaper… If I was looking for something that bordered on truthful news, I’m not sure that would be the first stack of clips I picked up.”

No, instead perhaps Gibbs would pick up one of those stellar US papers with spotless track records on “the truth.” He could start with The New York Times, which was basically a conveyor belt for the lies of the Bush administration during the lead up to the Iraq war. Or he could turn to any number of US lie factories masquerading as media outlets.

This is pathetic. Really. Hey, Gibbs, here’s a suggestion: go after Gen. Taguba, a 34 year, decorated military veteran whose career was brought to an end for battling Rumsfeld and the torture machine at the Pentagon. Go after the General who last year (when Bush was still in power) called for prosecutions of the torturers. “There is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered torture will be held to account,” Taguba wrote in June 2008. Go after him, Gibbs. Call him a liar. Say he is a dirty propagandist that wants to hurt US troops. Oh, right, you can’t. Taguba actually agrees with Obama on this issue, as he told the lying, evil British media:

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http://rebelreports.com/post/114504738/after-gen-taguba-alleges-existence-of-prisoner-rape

[solstice]

1. Gibbs is Dana Perrino, Jr. And it's tragic the press lets him get away with it.

[spanone]

21. bwahahahahaa.. if you can't see the difference betweeen perino and gibbs bwahahahahaa

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. They will fight the messenger until the cows come home

if they admitted to it, we would need to prosecute and empires don't admit to doing any wrong.

[ThirdWorldJohn]

3. Gibbs needs to stop acting like his job is to be a comedienne and embrac the gravity of his job n/t

[babylonsister]

4. Poor response from Gibbs, but the telegraph does suck.

They're right as often as they're wrong.

But there are other sources over there I really like.

[dorkulon]

18. I don't doubt that they reported what Taguba said accurately.

Otherwise he'd certainly say something about it.

[MasonJar]

5. Robert Gibbs is not very good at his job. He certainly is not convincing.

The press could easily make mincemeat of him, if they so chose. He is not articulate and is not at all quick on his feet. Where Obama found some of these losers amd why is a conundrum.

[Supersedeas]

19. Perino and McClellan ruined the position -- Gibbs fall right into their mold

[tridim]

6. And now we have a "Gibbs sucks" thread

Perino Jr. :rofl: Idiot.

[glitch]

8. No doubt you'd be more comfortable on a "Turley sucks" thread.

Scahill on the other hand continues to rock.

"As for the Pentagon’s statement today (reiterated by Gibbs as the official US line on this story) that the Telegraph “demonstrated an inability to get the facts right,” here is what I say: the Pentagon, whose personnel allegedly commited the torture described by Gen. Taguba, is not an independent observer here to say the least. In fact, the Pentagon has “demonstrated an inability to get the facts right.”

[chill_wind]

12. +1

[bertman]

7. There's a reason they're called Presidential Spokesliars.

[chill_wind]

9. K & R. n/t

[Orwellian_Ghost]

10. K&R n/t

[EFerrari]

11. Is there a full moon out or what?

:(

[glitch]

13. No, but OT this is a cool site

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml

[EFerrari]

16. That's is completely cool!

:hi:

[pacalo]

14. The British were the first to report that the Iraq invasion was based on a pack of lies.

[chill_wind]

22. They've also brought US/UK torture to the international forefront - exposing a lot of other US dirt

including the State Dept memos attempting to pressure the UK government to keep quiet about secret renditions, triggering a huge high-level investigation in the UK

- exposing the DOD redacting of memos and interference with UK legal group communications directed to President Obama regarding Guantanamo detainee conditions

-forcing the high profile release of Binyham Mohamed by the Obama admin by forceful and relentless media saturation regarding his wrongful detainment and daily coverage of the ongoing abuse during his captivity

to mention a few more thorns forcing the US Obama Admin to deal with matters it hoped not to have to deal with starting almost from Day 1.

Gibbs ought to think twice before he tries to trash UK media again anytime soon. They don't operate by his rules.

[rug]

15. Beltway Bob.

[leftstreet]

17. K&R

[okieinpain]

20. it never smart to go after the media. n/t.

[Captain Hilts]

23. I regularly read the Guardian and the Torygraph. nt

[redqueen]

24. Wow... WTF is wrong with him?

That's beyond pathetic.