Marc Morano, CNSNews.com
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005

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  Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) heard Jordan make the comments last month. In an interview with the New York Sun earlier this week, Frank recalled Jordan saying that "he knew of about 12 journalists who had not only been killed by American troops, but had been targeted as a matter of policy."

"It sounded like [Jordan] was saying it was official [U.S.] military policy to take out journalists... He did say he was talking about cases of deliberate killing," Frank told the Sun.

Jordan has since disavowed the comments, but a firestorm of criticism has erupted over the issue, with coverage in major newspapers, cable channels, online news services and blogs.

But despite the extensive press coverage, most of the media and political figures attending the Washington Press Club Foundation's 61st annual congressional dinner Wednesday night said they knew little or nothing about the controversy.

Helen Thomas, dubbed the dean of the White House press corps, told Cybercast News Service, "I don't know about it." Likewise, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said, "Sorry, I would comment, but I am not aware it."

John Cochran, the chief Washington correspondent for ABC News, said, "I wish I knew more. I really don't know enough about it because I am confused as to what Eason actually said, and until I actually know what he actually said, I would not want to comment. I am sorry. I would really want to see the transcript on that one."

When Cybercast News Service asked if Jordan should release a copy of the video, Cochran replied, "Eason is big enough to make his own decisions on it. He doesn't need my opinion."

NBC News reporter David Schuster said he was "vaguely aware" of the controversy. I just know what I read. I am too far away from it," he added.

Newsweek's contributing editor Eleanor Clift said, "I know Eason Jordan and he made that comment. But I don't know anything further about it so I wouldn't have a comment."

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said he hadn't heard about the controversy.

'We Ought to See What He Said'

But Sen. George Allen, a Virginia Republican who is scheduled to travel to Iraq shortly, called Jordan's reported allegations "outrageous and wrong." Allen said he, too, wants to see the videotape of Jordan making the comments.

"I guarantee if any other official or person, a public official, made a statement like that, even if they were retracting it, they would say 'Hey, this is recorded, this is taped.' I think we ought to see what he said."

The World Economic Forum's media director Mark Adams did not respond to repeated efforts to contact him earlier this week to obtain a videotape of Jordan's comments. The World Economic Forum has not yet released the videotape because it maintains that the panel discussion where Jordan made his remarks was considered off the record.

Sen. Dodd, who was there when Jordan spoke in Davos, issued a statement earlier this week saying he was "outraged by the comments" Jordan made. "Senator Dodd is tremendously proud of the sacrifice and service of our American military personnel," the statement read.

At Wednesday night's press dinner, Sen. Allen worried about the impact that Jordan's allegations may have around the globe. "Now the troops are gong to read this, they are going to know about it. This is in the blogsophere," Allen said.

When asked how international media and enemies of the U.S. may react to Jordan's allegations, Allen said, "I don't know what Al Jazeera or any of these terrorists or any of them have done with this, but you can be sure that any of the folks that are enemies of freedom, enemies of the United States, enemies of the right of Israel to exist, will use this to say, 'Oh, look at these Americans, look at how awful they are, they are not for a free press, they shoot them.' Which of course is an absolute falsehood, but there is the potential for that."

'A Lot of Explaining To Do'

Actor Ron Silver, co-founder of the Hollywood-based Creative Coalition, said he believes that Jordan did say what's been attributed to him "because Chris Dodd and Barney Frank were there - they said he said it."

Silver also mentioned Jordan's comment in 2003 that CNN withheld some reporting on Iraqi abuses to obtain better media access in Iraq.

"I think this is a big, big story and I think he has a lot explaining to do," Silver said, adding that Jordan "should release a transcript or a tape about what he said because he occupies too important a position in the American media to just sweep this under the rug."

John McLaughlin, the host of the nationally syndicated "McLaughlin Group," said he doubted the U.S. military would ever intentionally take out journalists.

"We have had our problems with Abu Ghraib (the Iraqi prison), but I don't think they (the U.S. military) have reached any degree of degradation like that," McLaughlin said.

Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) called Jordan's reported comments "too bizarre for words."

Former Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) said he was familiar with the Jordan controversy but didn't have any comment on it.

House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Tex.) said he was not aware of what Jordan said. "I have no idea what you are talking about," Delay replied when asked to comment.

Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas said she was familiar with the Jordan controversy, "but not enough to speak about it."

'Not Clear Enough'

CNN has said that Jordan was "not clear enough in explaining his assertion." CNN spokeswoman Megan Mahoney released the following statement to Cybercast News Service on Wednesday.

"Eason was speaking out on an issue that is important to news organizations all over the world. Unfortunately, he was not clear enough in explaining his assertion. He was responding to an assertion that all 63 journalists killed in Iraq were 'collateral damage.'

"While the majority of the 63 journalists killed in Iraq have been killed by insurgents, the Pentagon has acknowledged that the U.S. military on occasion has killed people who turned out to be journalists. Mr. Jordan emphatically does not believe that the U.S. military intended to kill journalists and believes these accidents to be cases of 'mistaken identity.'"

In addition, a source inside CNN who spoke with Cybercast News Service on condition of anonymity said on Wednesday that Jordan feels passionately about protecting reporters and has been very distressed about the deaths of two CNN employees who were killed in Iraqi in 2004.

The source did not comment specifically on Jordan's statements in Davos, but the source did say that Jordan's focus is on protecting journalists in war zones and that he has made this issue one of his chief missions.

Editor's note: