I believe that it was Malcolm X who said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that when you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the dog that squeals is the dog you hit. Well, Glenn Greenwald seems to have nailed a particularly noisy dog in the office of General Petraeus.
Perhaps Editor and Publisher can get you up to speed faster than I can:
The long and short of the Greenwald postings: For months the popular blogger -- a former attorney and author of the recent bestseller "A Tragic Legacy" -- has criticized the growing “politicization” of the military attached to Iraq, starting earlier this year and peaking around the appearance of Gen. David Petraeus before Congress (and the media) in September. This was even before William Safire declared, this past weekend, that the general ought to be considered as a running mate for a Republican candidate for president next year.
Oh, dear god, no.
Several months ago, Greenwald had received, and printed, emails from Boylan, a public affairs officer and chief spokesman for Gen. Petraeus, denying this trend and/or defending the general. So when he received an angry email from Boylan on Sunday, he posted much of it on his blog (and linked to the entire message), while asserting that the views and language in it proved his point about “politicization.”
Then it got really interesting. Boylan in another note to Greenwald seemed to deny that he wrote the email, while denouncing Greenwald for publishing it. But he did not state this clearly and refused to respond to Greenwald’s subsequent request for clarity. Meanwhile, various purported computer experts compared past and present emails from Boylan to Greenwald and suggested (to the latter) that they did seem to come from the same military email address overseas.
You owe it to yourself to go to Glenn's place and read Boylan's entire email. The spittle-flecked, hot-faced tone of self-righteous arrogance marks him out as a prime candidate to guest-post at RedState.org, and in spite of his rather heated denials of Glennzilla's charges, Col. Boylan is clearly a political operative, and a right nasty one at that.
Here's a sample paragraph:
I do enjoy reading your diatribes as they provide comic relief here in Iraq. The amount of pure fiction is incredible. Since a great deal of this post is just opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinions, I will not address those even though they are shall we say -- based on few if any facts. That does surprise me with your training as a lawyer, but we will leave those jokes to another day. . . .
You are either too lazy to do the research on the topics to gain the facts, or you are providing purposeful misinformation -- much like a propagandist. . . .
Delightful. Sanctimonious prick.
Things get much weirder, though.
E&P contacted Boylan for a clarification about the email. Late Monday night he (or someone claiming to be him) replied: "I am denying writing and sending it. I know from past experience with Mr. Greenwald that any email exchange with him would be posted to his site as well as there is no need to discuss anything with him. I would only contact him in response to anything he would directly send to me as he did in this case. I have not contacted Mr. Greenwald since this summer" -- until Greenwald asked him to confirm the Sunday email, when "I told him it was not mine and I did not send it."
He did not express any concern in his note, however, about someone hacking into his military email account.
And that seems like it would be a matter of gravest importance, some random hacker sending emails in the name of one of the most powerful US military officers in Iraq. Unless of course, Col. Boylan is suffering from the same rare form of epilepsy that caused Kurt Eichenwald to make several seriously dodgy ethical moves in his investigation of the Justin Berry child pornography case and then claim not to remember them later.
Tristero rips a page from Mark Twain in search of an explanation:
With great care, I sifted through all the evidence about who wrote the "Colonel Steven Boylan" emails to Glenn Greenwald. After much parsing of internet arcana, I've concluded that beyond a doubt these e-missives were not written by Colonel Boylan but rather by someone else with the same name.
Therefore Colonel Steven Boylan should not be held responsible for what Colonel Steven Boylan writes and fobs off as his, ie, Colonel Boylan's. It is not his, i.e., Colonel Boylan's, fault that his email account is identically similar to Colonel Boylan's despite the fact that a fool could easily discern the difference.
Besides, even if we (mistakenly) assume that Colonel Boylan is, in fact, Colonel Boylan - which he is not - the notion of holding a military officer accountable for the words s/he writes during wartime is simply an outrageous idea on Glenn Greenwald's part. The next thing you know he'll insist that officers be held responsible for their actions.
And lord knows, we can't have that.
Digby highlights the larger, meta-point in all this, which is that perhaps this is the reason why we can't get honest reporting out of Iraq on to the main stage of American media coverage of the war:
I'm laughing, but only because it's easier than crying. One of the things that has obviously worked very well on the press in recent years has been sheer, thuggish intimidation. When they aren't in actual agreement, they are clearly frightened.
Greenwald discusses this in today's update on the public affairs officer (and future Michele Malkin contributor) Colonel Stephen Boylan:
The ultimate significance of this matter, which goes far beyond the specific question of what Col. Boylan did or did not do in this case (though that is important in its own right), is articulated perfectly by Zack in this comment. The type of hostility, pseudo-intimidation, and stonewalling expressed by Col. Boylan here (in the emails of undisputed authenticity) is the type to which reporters are frequently subjected when they step out of line, particularly with war reporting. That is one reason why so few of them ever do.
The Good Colonel's attempts to silence and intimidate opposing points of view doesn't just stop with liberal bloggers, however. Boylan has been quite prolific in his correspondence:
That sparked an email from Boylan in Baghdad the next day. “I found your latest column to be less than fair and as many editorials, lacking context,” he wrote. “I find it insulting that you would even consider saying that General Petraeus lied to the gathering during the AP hosted event Monday. Simply put, you are in error and as such you even pointed it out in your own column….
”Because you don't agree with his words, detainee vice [sic] civilians, you are saying that he has lied. I am not sure how you come to that conclusion that he has lied? Would you be willing to explain that? I assume you could disagree on what is a small number or it is that you don't like his choice of words by using detainee.
”I am pleased that you can offer such a misinformed opinion based on one-hour event.”
The Colonel really, really needs to look into a future as a Righty blogger. He's got all the chops, the assumed tone of offended dignity, the ad hominem attacks, the appropriate number of malapropisms, and only the sketchiest grasp of the whole concept of subject/verb agreement. He'd be absolutely perfect over at Blackfive or Powerline.
In the meantime, I can't tell you how glad I am that my tax dollars are paying some arrogant blowhard in Iraq to send nasty, bullying letters to people and organizations he disagrees with. Obviously there could be no possible better use of his time. Especially since the surge is working so well and Iraq is now a vacation paradise strewn with ponies, rainbows, and man-sized boxes of candy.
Keep throwing those rocks, Glenzilla. We are in (as the military says) a "target-rich environment". Obviously you're doing something right, since every time you trot out a new post, the Wingnut Welfare machine goes into gear-chewing overdrive trying to shoot it down. The dogs that squeal are the dogs you've hit.
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TRex!!! Hope your back is getting better.
zed.
TRex!!!!!
Jane!!!
Hello??
Hi TRex!
I can’t possibly be first after reading all this…
gah.
TRex!
…and I am not.
huge earthquake right now in NorCal
were shaking right now
Oh no. Mathews and Fineman. Teh stupid.
coulda had zed, but too interesting a read!
man sized boxes of candy? chocolate? send me one!
sigh
I’ve been watching this with amusement and some horror. It’s not just that Boylan’s a prick, but a really stupid one. What happened to devious and clever?
I miss the good old days.
Just had a really long quake. shook the house from side to side.
After reading a comment on Glenn’s blog, I sent an email to the military crime tipline pointing out that the only two possibilities are either conduct unbecoming an officer or forgery. Either option is a crime, and as a taxpayer I demanded an investigation.
Call me partisan, but I am inclined to believe Glenn.
OT
Looong earthquake just rattled San Francisco, 20 seconds easy. Anyone else feel it
long but gentle quake.
Hmmm, CA’s “shake and bake” season, I suppose…!
that’s in San Jose
newtonusr @ 10
Where in NorCal are you? Only be as specific as you are comfortable with…
newtonusr @ 10
Here’s what the USGS says…
Seamus D @ 17
Felt it in Stockton. Sharp in the beginning and then rolling, rolling . . anyone know where the epicenter was?
I f*cking despise Timmeh’s UFO question to Dennis!!!
TexBetsy @ 16
That, plus sane and sentient. Or is it the other way around?
Damn, Trex, gotta be careful about the effects of your posts triggering quakes and stuff :-)
TexBetsy @ 16
Gosh, I wonder why?!
–fellow “partisan”
peanutbutter @ 26
Just another way liberals are hurting America.
Evening all. See you found another fitting target. I’ve been following this one from the outset and it just gets weirder.
Felt no shock in Folsom (Sacramento)
newtonusr @ 10
how big? stuff falling off the shelves big?
shit when the loma prieta hit, i was home for some kind of repair person… and i went diving for an inside door frame.
you ok?
TexBetsy @ 16
I think that is called rational in this case.
Did someone mention earlier today that Valerie Wilson is gong to be on TDS tonight?
selise @ 31
Now saying 5.6. Very preliminary…
selise @ 31
25 seconds, still in aftershock, stuff off one shelf, ok.
Happens all the time.
newtonusr @ 10
Oh, dear.
TexBetsy @ 16
I sincerely hope so, the alternative is not a pleasant thought…
checked in with my parents in SW Silicon Valley - closer to the epicenter: no damage.
Hate those earthquakes. Both of my girls live in Norcal. Berkeley and Mill Valley. I worry more about Berkeley due to sloppy soil near the bay.
newtonusr @ 35
And people think I’m strange for choosing to live with lions and bears wandering into town.
newtonusr @ 10
We got quite a long scary shaking here on the Monterey peninsula minutes ago - am heading out to check outside - sounded like some of my flower pots were bounced around.
marymccurnin @ 39
not to worry on this one, anyway. just another shake at the office.
marymccurnin @ 39
It was an odd quake - it shook and rolled very slowly and seemed to go on a looooooong time.
punaise @ 38
Apparently this was 9 mi NE of San Jose.
The toobz are a wonderful thing.
punaise @ 42
Thanks.
peanutbutter @ 26
Sorry, I didn’t mean to stomp my foot quite that hard.
You guys ok?
Please be careful out there.
selise @ 31
WTF
OK, this is somewhat off topic, and I don’t mean to brag, but DiFi sent me an e-mail, all personal and stuff…
Jeebus, they’ll just slap a bird on any old whackjob, won’t they?
preliminary 5.6 calaveras county
TRex @ 46
poor TRex, your thread got temporarily hijacked by mother nature.
Felt it but it wasn’t bad here in San Francisco. I’m on pretty solid rock though ;-). Epicenter is near San Jose.
Shrub’s made of the armed forces the same thing he’s made of every other part of the government he controls: A lying, hypocritical, incompetent disgrace.
It’s a feature, not a bug.
Demi, Loo Hoo, OC, are you all OK?
glad everyone is OK… a little too much excitement around CA this last week or so…
Mutant Poodle @ 48
I got one, too. Didn’t spit on my screen but felt like it.
VPW on east coast Daily Show right now.
Valerie’s up on TDS.
Plame coming up on TDS.
newtonusr @ 35
that’s what i thought after living through a couple dozen. then loma preita (sp?) hit and after that they freak me out.
scout211 @ 23
Per the USGS:
“Rudy Guiliani - I mean come on the guy is the most un-qualified guy to run for President of the United States since George Bush”.
Bah hah ha.
RonD - LooHoo and I are down south… didn’t feel nuttin’ ’round here.
No spoilers, please re TDS.
Thanks from the left coast.
5.9 quake sounds serious. edit 5.6. sorry typo
Nothing felt here.
Twain @ 56
I replied….
Glenn has a way with words. From the opening to the last link in the post above:
CTuttle @ 24
during one of the Dems debates the only below the belt shot taken by Anderson cooper was directed at Kucinich. Kucinich is the best of the lot, why the so called “liberal” press has it out for him I’m not sure.
Mutant Poodle @ 34
ok, then… good news.
newtonusr @ 65
She’s as beautiful as always. That isn’t a spoiler.
Glenn also highlighted comment in his post, the one that inspired me to send the email. You really should read it as it drives the point home well.
It also serves as a useful template if you want to email the proper authorities yourself.
Check it out
wow - 22 sec long (counted by “one thousand one, one thousand two {onset sounded like thunder, hence the count].
5.6 per kcbs - does magnitude reflect duration?
This was the longest quake (duration) I’ve ever experienced [including Sylmar and Northridge quakes at closer proximity…houses on my street in Santa Monica were wrecked from the latter, closer and (per prelim estimate) smaller than tonight’s.]
Valley Girl @ 65
Fortunately, in earthquake territory, most building codes make a 5.9 fairly non-destructive, which is not the same as being non-scary.
Peterr @ 68
1600 Penn ave.
oh, the BLOGosphere. never mind.
Peterr @ 68
I wouldn’t. I don’t even want to contemplate the existence of such a place.
redx @ 62
Best one liner by Biden in debate
kirk murphy @ 73
Nope, just intensity.
eCAHNomics @ 33
I know she’ll be on Charlie Rose here which starts in about 10 minutes.
Also appearing is Mohamed El Baradei, so I’m guessing that Iran will be a hot topic for both of them.
kirk murphy @ 73
22 seconds IS long for an earthquake… usually 8/9 seconds seems like a long time when things are shakin’…
I don’t think magnitude reflects duration… don’t know for sure.
redx @ 78
he said that every sentence from Rudy had a noun a verb and 911.
Mutant Poodle @ 44
hayward fault? or possibly calevaras (sp?)
Plowed up a snake, didn’t he? It is never a good idea to argue with someone who knows what they are talking about, and I never heard of anyone arguing that they never argued.
I just hope the same guy who is “not Boylan” doesn’t send emails to all of our troops telling them to invade Iran.
And for the record, TRex, Dubya says Malcolm the 10th never talked about squealing dogs.
Mutant Poodle @ 48
Hate to break it to ya, but DiFi’s playing it loose & easy: I got the same letter!!
And my original letter included quotations of the First Amendment to the Constitution. *sigh*.
Novakula…its Halloween. Halloween!
DrDick @ 78
Here’s more info on the richter scale…
peanutbutter @ 84
But I bet yours did not say “Dear Mr. Poodle”
redx @ 85
ssssh, don’t spoil it for the West Coasters! ;-)
Mutant Poodle @ 74
Northridge quake was 6.7. mother’s house 3 mi. from epicenter. So, 5.6 (I edited) is an order of magnitude less, but still…
OldCoastie @ 80
The first earthquake I was in I didn’t even realize what it was. I was sitting in a rolling desk chair doing paperwork, and my chair moved about 2 feet away from the desk. I looked up and saw everyone running about. It still took a few minutes for me to realize what had happened. I was in Redding and the epicenter was near the coast, so it was relatively weak in my area.
peanutbutter @ 84
I feel so…so…used.
Valley Girl @ 65
Not at all. Anything below a 6.0 is pretty much a sleeper — between 6 and 7 much more damage, 7-7.5 is bad and 7.5 plus HOLEY MOLEY. The scale is exponential, not linear so 6.5 is much worse to 6.0 than 6.0 is to 5.5.
I forking major seriously dislike earthquakes.
TexBetsy @ 87
Oh, sadly, mine didn’t either. I chose to write non-pseudonymously.
And yes, I just made that word up.
Hi Suzanne!
J @ 69
They desperately need to debase him, similarly, the repugs have to contain Ron Paul!
Suzanne @ 93
I’m that way about fires, specially after this last week.
transitioning to pumpkin-carving mode.
It’s funny what trips different people’s eek factor. Earthquakes don’t faze me one bit. They’re over instantly. But hurricanes and tornados, those infinitely scare me. And yet those in hurricane country are as blase about those as I am about quakes. It’s all relative I suppose.
USGS shows six little aftershocks (1.3-1.6).
Suzanne @ 93
were you there in ‘89?
Suzanne, are you in the earthquake-affected area?
Suzanne @ 93