# Is the pentegon putting words in the Iraqi's mouths now? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 24, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970 "2005-07-24T23:56:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/1 "2005-07-24T23:56:33Z")
> [@](#): > > BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) – The U.S. military on Sunday said it was looking into how virtually identical quotations ended up in two of its news releases about different insurgent attacks. > > Following a car bombing in Baghdad on Sunday, the U.S. military issued a statement with a quotation attributed to an unidentified Iraqi that was virtually identical to a quote reacting to an attack on July 13. > > After questioning by news media, the military released the statement without the quotation… > > snip > Sunday’s news release said: “‘The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,’ said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified.” > > The July 13 news release said: “‘The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,’ said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.” They get one quote and use it over again? Or is the quote totally made up? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/2 "2005-07-25T00:01:17Z")
linksies ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/3 "2005-07-25T00:02:15Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/24/military.release/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/24/military.release/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/4 "2005-07-25T01:12:54Z")
Put one vote down for “complete fabrication”. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/5 "2005-07-25T01:32:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > Put one vote down for “complete fabrication”. Which may be spelled “innocent fuckup”, “lazy reporter”, or “evil plot to deceive Americans.” ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/6 "2005-07-25T02:50:46Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Which may be spelled “innocent fuckup”, “lazy reporter”, or “evil plot to deceive Americans.” Guess what the cynic in me is saying. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/7 "2005-07-25T03:45:08Z")
Did you spell it Pent **e** gon to stand for _eeevillll_, or is this a slow Bush bitch source week? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/8 "2005-07-25T04:08:04Z")
In any case, is the quote false? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/9 "2005-07-25T04:15:02Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > In any case, is the quote false? :rolleyes: The fact that it’s “an unidentified Iraqi” and the fact that the subject of the quote was changed indicates that it is. In my mind, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/10 "2005-07-25T04:23:53Z")
In my mind, I’d say that it’s probably false… but it could be a simple SNAFU and an old quote was reused while a new quote was lost. I’ll wait till I see more evidence, but I don’t have high hopes. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/11 "2005-07-25T04:34:41Z")
“unidentified Iraqi” or not, the terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq. The religion part could be debated, but those slimebags are enemies of humanity and are without ethics. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m sure the Pentagon has a bag o’ quotes on hand, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they reached for the same one twice. And it does look that way. I’m just saying, either way, the quote is somewhat true, fabricated or not. Then again, it really could have been an unidentified Iraqi, and an honest administrative error. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/12 "2005-07-25T04:37:31Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > “unidentified Iraqi” or not, the terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq. The religion part could be debated, but those slimebags are enemies of humanity and are without ethics. True. That’s not a revelation to anyone. On the other hand, the kicker - “They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.” - has significant PR value and it’s easy to understand why someone might fabricate it. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/13 "2005-07-25T14:58:55Z")
Wow. Even Army reporters don’t dare venture outside of the green zone now. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-pentegon-putting-words-in-the-iraqis-mouths-now/313970/14 "2005-07-25T16:50:30Z")
Look, just because it’s not what the unidentified observer actually said doesn’t mean it’s a conspiracy. It may be as simple as a lazy interpreter who came up with a paraphrase covering the kind of statement someone might make after an incident like this. Sure, they might be saying what the army wants to hear, but that doesn’t make the army a bunch of liars.