/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- General Barry McCaffrey (ret) issued the following statement today on the inappropriateness of New York Times reporter David Barstow being allowed to write the paper's story today on DOD's Inspector General Report refuting Barstow's earlier stories referencing Gen. McCaffrey:
Gen. McCaffrey stated:
"Disappointing and slanted coverage of this DOD IG Report by the NYT Editor who cleared Barstow to write this news piece. Barstow should not have been allowed to defend his own flawed reporting in the face of contrary sworn official evidence to his central argument. The DOD Inspector General report mentions me and other retired military analysts and notes that 'extensive searches found no instance. to achieve a competitive advantage' and stated that there was 'no conflict.'
"Barstow notes 'articles in the New York Times.' He fails to state that he was the sole author of 'these articles' -- or note that he is now part of the story. These were his by-line articles that have been apparently refuted by this DOD IG Report.
"Barstow also notes, '(The report) documented one instance in which an analyst had lost access because of critical war commentary.' How could he not publicly reveal to his readers that I was the one that the report mentioned by name as having been dropped from this group of analysts?
"This is Journalism 101. Barstow fails to reveal a central inconvenient fact which undermines his entire 5000+ word attack in his subsequent article.
"The Washington Post and other media wrote their normal, objective, balanced news story about the DOD IG Report in today's editions. I make no case for or against the DOD IG investigation -- which, however, does dispute Barstow's entire story.
"Suggest the New York Times should not have allowed Barstow to selectively mine the DOD IG report to defend his articles -- and again attack me. How could he not mention sworn testimony from a senior defense official that noted DOD anger at my criticism of Rumsfeld and the Pentagon?
"All of America expects excellence from the New York Times. This article
today by Barstow is journalism which lacks integrity," McCaffrey
concluded.
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