Libanon

[Turin]

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My Country for a Source

The administration is attacking Seymour Hersh's latest New Yorker article, which claims, among other things, that Israel sought a green light from Washington prior to taking military action against Hezbollah.

The administration's sharply worded denial -- as seen in this response to the Los Angeles Times -- attacks Hersh's credibility and his use of anonymous sources:

"The piece abounds in fictions," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said in an e-mailed response to a request for comment. He also assailed reporter Seymour M. Hersh's use of unnamed sources, saying it was "hard to imagine that the story would meet any major news organization's standards for sourcing and verification."
...

This extensive use of anonymous sources should always raise questions with readers. But how fair is the administration's response? Background interviews are a mainstay of government agencies these days. ...