Paper of Record?

Let's not forget the complicity of the New York Times on this incident also:

In early 2003, the efforts at the United Nations to secure the vote on authorizing the Iraq War were intense and were aided by espionage. The National Security Agency, was directed to use electronic surveillance activities to spy on UN Security Council members in order to see how they were reacting to the debate on Iraq, on their voting plans, on whatever policies or positions they were considering, etc. In other words, find out whatever you can that may be of use to US goals and positions.

This event received press coverage in Britain, but other than very brief articles in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, the American media was mum. The NYT completely ignored the story, when asked why, deputy editor Alison Smale replied “Well its not that we haven't been interested. We could get no confirmation or comment,” from US officials.

The message from this is quite clear: the Times won't publish anything not confirmed by the Bush administration, so all they had to do was remain quiet and the paper would do the same.

More here, here, here, and here.
Posted on The Human Stain