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Mark · Site Admin Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 1052

ABC, FBI Punk'd by Terror 'Fan Video'

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/05/abc-fbi-punkd-b.html

Excerpt:

On Tuesday, ABC News posted a story headlined "Al-Qaeda Tape to Call for Use of WMDs." Which would be awfully scary -- if it were true.

"Operatives" from the terrorist group, the network warned, "will post a new video on the Internet in the next 24 hours, calling for what one source said is 'jihadists to use biological, chemical and nuclear weapons to attack the West.' The report then quotes FBI spokesman Richard Kolko, who says that "there have been several reports that al Qaeda will release a new message calling for the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against civilians."

Or maybe not. The video was actually released on Monday Sunday. And while it is called ''Nuclear Jihad, The Ultimate Terror," it is not from Al-Qaeda -- or any other major terrorist group. Rather, it is "a jihadi supporter video compilation," notes Ben Venzke with IntelCenter -- a flick "made by fans or supporters who may not have ever had any contact with a real terrorist."
...

Look, reporters get stories wrong all the time. And ABC, to its credit, has revised its original report... but only slightly. There's a caveat from Venzke buried in the piece. The headline now reads: "Al Qaeda Supporters' Tape to Call for Use of WMDs." The quote from FBI spokesman Kolko remains the same.