If this "National Enquirer" style journalism from cnn troubles you as much as it does me, make your feelings felt to the man at the top, Mr. Tom Johnson, cnn's Newsgroup Chairman. His email address is tom.johnson@turner.com
Read the text of the cnn retraction to their own deceitful and slanderous piece.
Read the cnn attorney's report as to his findings regarding the Operation Tailwind story.
cnn's Tom Johnson, the Chairman of cnn's Newsgroup,
issued a statement today (July 2, 1998) retracting their story
on Tailwind. This is the text
of the retraction statement as read by cnn reporter Natalie
Allen. (RealAudio format - 3:01) Get RealPlayer 5 free from RealNetworks
by clicking on the "Free Real Player" icon here. Once
you download the program, don't forget to install it on your PC.
Following the release of this statement, Ken Bacon, a Pentagon spokesman, addressed the retraction of the Tailwind story during the question and answer portion of the Pentagon's daily news conference on 2 Jul 98. (RealAudio format 14:20)
The three "major networks" reported the cnn retraction story on their nightly news shows of 2 Jul 98:
ABC as reported by Peter
Jennings (RealAudio 2:51)
CBS as
reported by a standin for Dan Rather (RealAudio 1:35)
NBC as
reported by Tom Brokaw (RealAudio 2:07)
cnn Transcripts of shows that aired on 2
Jul 98, the day of the retraction
(NOTE:
these transcripts no longer available on the cnn website)
Talkback Live - Floyd Abrams is interviewed following the announcement by cnn that it was retracting the Tailwind story.
Special Event - Ken Bacon (Pentagon spokesman) reacts to the Tailwind story retraction (RealAudio above)
World Today - "cnn & TIME" Retraction is the Latest Black Eye for Mainstream Journalism (note that they claim that the retraction, not the airing of a BS story, was the black eye. I guess it's not a crime unless you get caught!)
Inside Politics - News Media Experts Analyze cnn's Retraction
cnn Transcripts of shows that aired on 3 Jul 98:
Early Edition Tailwind Retraction: Rudi Gresham Discusses the Impact Aired July 3, 1998 - 7:17 a.m. ET
cnn Transcripts of shows that aired on 4 Jul 98:
Saturday Morning News Clyde Sincere Discusses cnn's Retraction of Tailwind Story Aired July 4, 1998 - 8:12 a.m. ET
Reliable Sources cnn Retracts "NEWSSTAND" Nerve Gas Story, Fires Two Producers and Reprimands Correspondent, but Should the Story Ever Have Been Aired? Aired July 4, 1998 - 6:30 p.m. ET
cnn Transcripts of shows that aired on 5
Jul 98:
NewsStand cnn began this weeks NewsStand program with a discussion of the retraction of the Tailwind Story Aired July 5, 1998 - 10:00 p.m. ET (This show also airs on Monday nights, 10:00 pm EDT)
cnn Transcripts of shows that aired on 6 Jul 98:
CrossFire Two fired producers still believe in their story Aired July 6, 1998 - 7:30 p.m. ET
NPR - 6 Jul 98 (RealAudio file)[these are digital audio, not text transcripts]
Charlie Rose Show Charlie Rose's guests are April Oliver and Jack Smith, both fired by cnn, Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and NBC, and Floyd Abrams who issued the report that led to the retraction of the Tailwind Story by cnn. Aired July 6, 1998 - 11:00 p.m. ET (RealAudio format 36:53)
Charlie Rose Show MGen Smith was a guest in the final segment of the 6 July 98 Charlie Rose show. He did not appear in unison with the preceding guests. Aired July 6, 1998 - 11:00 p.m. ET (RealAudio format 16:08)
CBS - 10 Aug 98 (RealAudio file)
Late, Late Show USAF Ret. Major General Perry Smith appeared as one of Tom Snyder's guests via satellite from Augusta, GA. The audio portion of that show appears here.
| 10 Jun 98 | Richmond Times Dispatch | Moorer: Heard Sarin Rumors |
| 9 Jun 98 | Fayetville Observer Times | Special Forces Vets Deny Nerve Gas Claims |
| 11 Jun 98 | Fort Walton Beach Paper | Special Ops Vets: Sarin Never Used |
| 12 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn's deceitful Vietnam expose |
| 14 Jun 98 | Baltimore Sun | Allegation that U.S. used sarin gas in Vietnam sparks investigation |
| 14 Jun 98 | Bangkok Post | The sarin story and the burden of proof |
| 15 Jun 98 | Newsweek Magazine | Questioning a report that the U.S. used sarin gas during Vietnam |
| 16 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn military adviser resigns over 'Tailwind' |
| 17 Jun 98 | Washington Post | Military Analyst Quits cnn After Nerve Gas Report |
| 17 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Commandos Reject Report of Vietnam-era Sarin Attack |
| 17 Jun 98 | AP News | cnn's Top Military Analyst Quits |
| 18 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn Threatens Former Military Advisor |
| 18 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Defending America - cnn and Time Need to Retake Journalism 101 |
| 18 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Dispelling the Vietnam vapors |
| 19 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Vietnam: the way it wasn't |
| 19 Jun 98 | New York Post Online | Blame this on Hanoi Jane |
| 21 Jun 98 | San Diego Union Tribune | cnn's dubious tale of nerve gas and defectors |
| 21 Jun 98 | New Orleans Times Picayune | Metarie War Pilot Disputes Report |
| 22 Jun 98 | New York Times | Time Orders Investigation on Accuracy of cnn Report |
| 22 Jun 98 | Time Magazine | Time investigates cnn Story |
| 22 Jun 98 | Washington Weekly | The "Tailwind" Story - Cooking the news with gas |
| 23 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | Readers reaction cnn Tailwind story |
| 23 Jun 98 | San Diego Union Tribune | Time, cnn to investigate accuracy of their nerve-gas reports |
| 23 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Source for sarin story not there, ex-GI says |
| 24 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn, Time and Journalism 101 |
| 24 Jun 98 | Accuracy in Media | Press Release regarding cnn's response to AIM Letter |
| 24 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Ex-Army medic rebuts cnn, says tear gas, not sarin used |
| 25 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Reputed source shies from cnn-Time's sarin gas story |
| 25 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Valley of the poison pen |
| 25 Jun 98 | New York Times | Some nerve |
| 25 Jun 98 | Washington Post | cnn hires lawyer Floyd Abrams (no longer available free) |
| 26 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Another conspiracy? This time at cnn |
| 26 Jun 98 | Washington Times | 'NewsStand Commando' a 'short-timer' far from Laos Raid |
| 27 Jun 98 | New York Times | Ex-Officer Disputes Parts of cnn Nerve-Gas Story |
| 27 Jun 98 | Washington Times | Commando Groups Demand Retraction from cnn-Time |
| 28 Jun 98 | San Diego Union Tribune | Truth and Integrity |
| 28 Jun 98 | New York Times | Memories of Wars Never Fought |
| 29 Jun 98 | WorldNet Daily | Heroes and Dirtbags |
| 29 Jun 98 | Washington Weekly | cnns Big Lie |
| 29 Jun 98 | Washington Post | Outbreak of fiction is alarming news |
| 30 Jun 98 | Raleigh News & Observer | A wartale touches a nerve |
| 2 Jul 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn's Tailwind latest in series of media embarrassments |
| 3 Jul 98 | WorldNet Daily | cnn Retracts Allegations Of Nerve Gas Use by U.S. |
| 3 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | cnn exec says story retraction is 'devastating' |
| 3 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Quick reaction may minimize cnn fallout |
| 3 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Fallout includes three departures |
| 3 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Who's Who in the "Valley of Death" story |
| 3 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Attorneys study 'Valley of Death' basis |
| 5 Jul 98 | Reuters | cnn's Kaplan issues retraction, apology |
| 5 Jul 98 | Fox News | Time magazine formalizes apology for nerve-gas story |
| 5 Jul 98 | ABC News | cnn Producer: I Was Slandered |
| 5 Jul 98 | ABC News - This Week | cnn's Retracted Nerve Gas Story |
| 6 Jul 98 | Washington Weekly | cnn and Time retract Tailwind story |
| 6 Jul 98 | Washington Times | Time follows cnn's apology |
| 7 Jul 98 | Washington Post | cnn Staffers Wait for the Other Shoe To Drop |
| 7 Jul 98 | Washington Post | Too Severe at cnn |
| 8 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AP) | cnn Exec Says He Tried To Resign |
| 8 Jul 98 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Tailwind controversy still rages at cnn |
| 9 Jul 98 | Washington Post | Arnett Saves His Job in Nerve Gas Story Flap |
| 9 Jul 98 | Forbes Digital Tool | Humbled by the Internet |
| 9 Jul 98 | Philadelphia Inquirer | A battle for truth by Tom Stump, Skyraider pilot |
| 10 Jul 98 | Washington Post | Turner apologizes for flawed report |
| 11 Jul 98 | WorldNet Daily | Arnett more than newsreader |
| 12 Jul 98 | Richmond Times Dispatch | cnn/Time/Sarin Demonstrates (Again) Prevailing Ideological Skew |
| 12 Jul 98 | Washington Post | I Produced That Program -- And Was Fired (by April Oliver) |
| 13 Jul 98 | Washington Post | How Lies See the Light of Day |
| 13 Jul 98 | Washington Weekly | The media in disarray |
| 15 Jul 98 | Cartoonery | cnn |
| 20 Jul 98 | Washington Weekly | The rise of the new media |
| 22 Jul 98 | WorldNet Daily | peter arnett: American true and blue? |
Websites Containing Tailwind Info -
Air Commando Association's Tailwind Page - ACA's Media Stories Page
Accuracy in Media Targets cnn/Time
Special Operations Association / Tailwind Issues
Ray Smith's 1st Bn 69th Armor website + Cobra Pilot's report on Tailwind
Green Beret Network - Lots of Tailwind information