Flit

"Shock Troops" update

"An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims."
--Maj. Steven F. Lamb, deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad, to the Weekly Standard, yesterday.

"We don't go into the details of how we conduct our investigations."
--Maj. Lamb again, to the New Republic, today.

Now this is getting fun.

Actually, what this also helps illustrate is TNR's self-evident and ongoing issues with editorial management. The obvious follow-up question to Maj. Lamb after he gave them that quote was "But the Weekly Standard claims to have a written statement from you saying the exact opposite of what you've just told us. Do they or not?" You simply don't run this kind of story about another paper's coverage without closing that door. The fact that they didn't speaks volumes about the current editorial strength of what was once easily my favourite U.S. magazine.

The fuller-version of the statement tie-breaker here (which also shows quite neatly how the two different papers could have gotten their two different spins from the same Media Response Lines).