More dis-information, or maybe just bad information

This is another story of dis-information (or maybe just mis-information) coming out of Iraq, about the number-one subject of bad (confusing, unsubstantiated, presented and then later corrected) news in the war today. The story is this item, about how the top leader in Al Qaeda in Iraq was captured and turned over to American troops.

The problem with the story is, it's not true. It was duly reported by USA Today, CNN, Fox, and AP, and then, the next day is was retracted, but the big new outlets had already moved on to other sources of disinformation. I can't pretend to know anything about the situation "on the ground" there in Iraq. All I know is every story I hear about the mysterious group called Al Qaeda in Iraq seems rife with clear classifications of "good guys" and "bad guys" and elusive and evil leaders, and none of the stories turn out to be true (yes, I've already blogged about this!). So my question is this-- who's playing with the press? Is it Americans, or is it Iraqis? And whom? It's obviously in the interests of the administration to have some identifiable group of bad guys and flunkies that can represent the face of our "enemies" in Iraq. The name, Al Qaeda in Iraq, shimmers with associations of 9/11 (even though the group has no connection with OBL, besides a will to resist American influence and hegemony, and the use of assault rifles). And having a group of bad guys to represent the cause of the war effort takes away the impression that America is at war with Iraqi civilians. President Bush likes to tell everyone we're fighting "el-KAAH-duh" whenever he has he chance.

So what's the deal? Are these stories deliberate manipulation of the news? Lies told to control the spin? And are the Iraqis spinning the stories, or is it the American authorities? Or are these stories perhaps just the result of slip-shod, managed, corporate journalism? If a US general tells a Fox News reporter the sky is falling, I fully expect a 60 minute special report (complete with a new theme song and logo) by the time the 6:00 o'clock news starts. Someone is yanking someone's chain, but it's hard to tell the yanker from the yankee.