More Reuters Weirdness (Wizbang)

Reuters filed a report this morning in which the Lebanese prime minister cries about an Israeli airstrike which killed 40 Lebanese civilians:

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's prime minister, choking back tears, demanded a "quick and decisive ceasefire" on Monday after an Israeli air raid that he said killed more than 40 civilians sheltering from fighting in a southern village.

As diplomatic efforts to end the 27-day-old war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas stalled, air raids elsewhere in the south and the Bekaa valley killed at least 24 Lebanese and Israel said it may expand its ground offensive.

"An hour ago, a horrific massacre took place in Houla village as a result of the intentional Israeli bombardment that resulted in more than 40 martyrs," Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told an Arab foreign ministers meeting in Beirut.

His eyes brimming with tears as he spoke about the suffering of civilians, Siniora demanded a quick ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. He also called for a prisoner exchange and for Israel to show where it planted landmines.

But an AP report says that the Lebanese prime minister revised the number killed down to one:

The Lebanese prime minister says only one person died in an Israeli air raid on the southern village of Houla, lowering the death toll from 40.

So, does Reuters report this new information? At first. According to Dinocrat, Reuters mentioned that the prime minister revised the number down to one. However, in its most recent report, Reuters drops the reference to the airstrike all together and refiles it as if the prime minister said nothing about 40 dead civilians. The newest version still has the Lebanese PM "choking back tears" but this time about civilian suffering in general:

Choking back tears as he spoke at the emergency ministers' meeting of civilian suffering, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora demanded "a quick and decisive" ceasefire but insisted it include a withdrawal of Israeli forces in Lebanon.

Political sources later said Lebanon's government would decide on Monday whether to send its army to the south, a move long demanded by the international community which could pave the way for amendments to the draft resolution.

So why didn't Reuters in its most recent filing just acknowledge that PM Siniora incorrectly reported the number of Lebanese killed instead of pretending like the prime minister never mentioned the attack? Is it that it just didn't make Israel look as bad so it wasn't worth mentioning anymore?

Dinocrat also asks how Reuters got the statements and reactions from the Houla residents which were published in its original report:

How then did Reuters get the reactions from the residents of that village, Houla, who said they feared that up to 60 people had been killed, and identified them as children and shepherds? Did they get that information from their Hezbollah handlers and allies? You may believe any story from Reuters / Hezbollah at your peril.

Flashback: Hezbollah's Media Relations Deparment

Comments (12)

Most disasters or bombings ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by JohnAnnArbor | August 7, 2006 3:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

JohnAnnArbor:

Most disasters or bombings worldwide have casualty estimates that start from a number and go up.

Arab ones always seem to start from a number and go down, like with Jenin or this one. And they go down a LOT, from "persecution complex fantasy" to "bad but hardly carpet-bombing reality."

Posted on August 7, 2006 15:41

JohnAnnArbor:The o... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by cirby | August 7, 2006 4:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

cirby:

The old rule about deaths and devastation in the news from the Mideast:

Divide all initially announced civilian casualties by terror groups by ten, unless you're reporting the number of deaths of their combat units, then you should multiply by ten.

Posted on August 7, 2006 16:19

I am now convinced that Reu... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Old Coot | August 7, 2006 4:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Old Coot:

I am now convinced that Reuters is owned and operated by Lee, who uses his sock-puppets for the writing, photography and fact-checking. Simply can't be any other explanation.

Posted on August 7, 2006 16:52

catch the reference to 'mar... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Falze | August 7, 2006 4:57 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Falze:

catch the reference to 'martyrs'? was he talking about fighters or civilians?

Posted on August 7, 2006 16:57

Caught the martyr reference... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Ol' BC | August 7, 2006 5:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ol' BC:

Caught the martyr reference. Maybe we should stay out of it and just make sure Israel is adequately supplied to handle things in that part of the world. One large parking lot could be a beautiful sight compared to what's over there now. Obviously, the Lebanese are sympathizers, too.

Posted on August 7, 2006 17:38

Between this and the growin... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Jim Addison | August 7, 2006 7:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jim Addison:

Between this and the growing faked-photo scandal, Reuters' credibility is down to just about zero.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch, either.

:-D

Posted on August 7, 2006 19:38

Anyone else think it's kind... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Matt | August 7, 2006 8:22 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Matt:

Anyone else think it's kinda funny that a big tough street bully is 'crying' over 'civilian' deaths (and by civilian, I mean disabled children and Christian Lebanese citizens that Hizbollah herds into buildings to use as shields?)
Cry me some big ole crocodile tears Fouad Siniora, I'm bored.