Topic: NewsBusters
A Jan. 1 NewsBusters post by Warner Todd Huston proclaimed that "it's about time some American news source describes how well most of Iraq is doing since the US led overthrow of Saddam's regime" because that purported development "escapes too many in the western media who's [sic] only goal seems to be to attack America in general and George W. Bush n [sic] particular." Huston then went on to praise the New York Post for reporting that "Iraq is no worse than any other country in the region as far as it being safe to create and sustain a business. And it is fast becoming one of the most desirable places to do so with the stability and friendliness to business the US has offered potential investors." Huston concluded: "At least, once in a great while, we do get a story here and there that tells us some truth. Good going New York Post."
But this wasn't a news article by the New York Post; it was a Dec. 26 column by Amir Taheri. As we reported, Taheri was the source for a claim reported by Canada's National Post that the Iranian parliament passed a law that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear coloured badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims." But that claim could not be substantiated, and the National Post was forced to retract the article. (We also noted that NewsBusters promoted Taheri's claim, then buried the retraction where nobody would see it.)
Further, Taheri is backed by Benador Associates, a public relations firm that represents several neoconserative politicians and advisers, so he presumably has a vested interest in making Iraq look as good as possible.
If Huston is really looking for someone to "tell us some truth," he would do much better than to link himself to a discredited shill like Amir Taheri.
