In Pursuit of the Elusive Jamil Hussein

Michelle Malkin and Bryan Preston are heading to Iraq to search for the elusive Jamil Hussein. As I've noted, Hussein has been a key feature in dozens of AP stories, and when one significant story could not be corroborated, the rest quickly came under scrutiny because the facts alleged have not been corroborated.

Indeed, Hussein's existence has been questioned because no one other than the AP has been able to track him down. Not the New York Times. Not Eason Jordan. Not bloggers. No one.

Yet, the AP stands by these stories.

Malkin writes:

Over the holidays, my Hot Air colleague Bryan Preston and I received word that our embed applications had been approved. We have been busy preparing our families and ourselves for the journey. Our overarching goals are two-fold:

1) to report on how the troops perceive mainstream media coverage of the war (with a particular focus on the wire services relying on local stringers); and

2) to report on progress and interaction between U.S. troops and Iraqi Army trainees.

The "Jamil Hussein" story is one important item on our agenda, but not the only one. As Curt and other bloggers on this story have noted from the beginning, Jamilgate isn't just about "Jamil Hussein." Bryan and I plan to do as much on-the-ground reporting as we can to nail down unresolved questions--not only about Jamil Hussein and the Hurriya six burning Sunnis allegations, but also about the AP four burning mosque story discrepancies and the many other AP sources that our military has publicly challenged--including "Lt. Maitham Abdul Razzaq" and more than a dozen police officers listed by U.S. military spokesman Navy Lt. Michael Dean. There's also the issue of detained AP photographer Bilal Hussein. And we are looking forward to reporting first-hand on the security situation in Iraq outside the so-called "Green Zone" (International Zone) and talking to as many American and Iraqi Army troops with insights on these and other broader matters.

I am very heartened by Eason Jordan's post yesterday challenging the Associated Press's credibility, but am puzzled that his own crew in Baghdad still has nothing new to report more than a month after bloggers first started raising questions. I hope Jordan follows up on the most recent investigative developments in the blogosphere.

The AP can't answer basic questions about Hussein and its reporting from Iraq. That undermines the very credibility of the organization that delivers news around the world.

This is also a clarifying moment. Malkin is actually going to Iraq to report on the situation there first-hand and to track down the elusive Jamil Hussein in its native habitat. It's a dangerous place, and I hope she takes all the necessary precautions. It should prove to be an amazing experience for her, and for all those who read her columns.

I'm also sure that the US military she encounters will be most gracious and appreciative of her efforts to support and defend their brethren from undue attacks back home (see Murtha, Kerry, Dkos, et al.).

It's also interesting that the lefties who claim to be so progressive and understanding of those around them hope that harm comes to Malkin because she is going to Iraq and threatens the lefties' worldview with an assault of facts and logic, and not simply spin and gobbling up reporting that looks to be completely bogus by the AP. See LGF for the details.