UAE | Media
Report on Seymour Hersh's comments on Bhutto murder bogus
Gulf News has dismissed as bogus a story quoting the UAE-based newspaper's interview with US journalist Seymour Hersh about a White House conspiracy.
- By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter
- Published: 15:54 May 20, 2009
- Pulitzer prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh.
- Image Credit: Francois Nel/Gulf News
Dubai: Gulf News has dismissed as bogus a story quoting the UAE-based newspaper's interview with US journalist Seymour Hersh about a White House conspiracy.
Hersh also denied ever making the comments. He told Gulf News in an email that he was not aware of who had written the bogus story.
Watch interview with Seymour Hersh
A story purportedly from Pakistan quoted Hersh as telling "an Arab TV channel" that an assassination wing—headed by former US vice president Dick Cheney—was responsible for the assassination of Pakistan former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
The article also named Gulf News as the paper to which Hersh said on May 12 that "Ms Bhutto was assassinated because the US leadership did not want [Osama] Bin Laden to be declared dead".
Gulf News did interview Hersh on May 12, in which the journalist dismissed Cheney's involvement in Hariri's assassination, however, the published interview made no reference to Bhutto.
It appears that the story originated from Pakistan and quickly spread on blogs and even websites of the Wall Street Journal and Pakistan's the Dawn newspaper. Most newspapers have removed the link to the story.
Meanwhile, the Economist alleged that the bogus story first appeared in Pakistan's The Nation paper, which has not removed the story from its web site.
Gulf News has distanced itself from the reports and denied the suggestion that the comment attributed to Hersh was published in the paper or appeared in a Gulf News' video interview with him.
Share this article
Popular in UAE
Latest news
- Kuwaiti Emir invites Khalifa to Arab summit
- UAE Haj pilgrims safe and well: official
- Briton loses libel case against newspaper
- Activities lined up for Eid holidays in Dubai parks
- Malaysian woman jailed for forging cards
- Schools mark National Day with shows
- Munching on a health hazard
- Wag a tail
- SAT wiz: Top of the class
- Sharjah housemaid packed off
- Managing diabetes: Reason to smile
- Tenants in trouble: 'Mercy please'
- The Metro just got longer
- New video game: Apocalypse now
- Big 5 picks: Worth your money
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week
Community Reports
-
Munching on a health hazard
Residents must be careful about consuming snacks and sandwiches prepared along the roadside as they attract dirt and bacteria
-
Faded signage fails to guide visitors
Reader seeks better upkeep of signboards in green areas
-
Noise pollution must be regulated
Residents are finding it difficult to sleep well at night owing to ongoing construction work
-
Protect our children's health
Dust and dirt from a nearby road are causing problems to those frequenting Al Nasseriya park, Sharjah.
