I had known that Al Queda had been instructing its adherents to claim torture happened in custody no matter what the actual facts were. Until John Leo wrote about it I didn't realize the instruction had a handy name, "rule 18". Al Queda's rule 18 is a declaration of war against free press. It is an announcement that they will do their best to coopt the press and to cause them to assert falsehoods and become a legal front for Al Queda propaganda.
The question of the hour would seem to be what special adjustments are the press making as regards to Al Queda rule 18? How are they discounting Al Queda information since they know that Al Queda policy is to lie to them (explicitly regarding torture but there seems no commitment to the truth on any matter)?
I have yet to hear about any measures the media is taking to safeguard the news from Al Queda's infowar campaign. Maybe I just haven't been following the news carefully enough but somehow I doubt it.
HT: Donald Sensing
Posted by TMLutas at June 5, 2005 03:48 PM