Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2004 (16. évfolyam, 5-50. szám)
2004-09-24 / 37. szám
Dan Rather Apologizes Over Bush Guard Duty Memos NEW YORK (AP) - CBS News apologized Monday for a “mistake in judgment” in its story questioning President Bush ‘s National Guard service, claiming it was misled by the source of documents that several experts have dismissed as fakes. The story has mushroomed into a major media scandal, threatening the reputations of CBS News and chief anchor Dan Rather. It also has become an issue in the presidential campaign. The White House said the affair raises questions about the connections between CBS’s source, retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, and Democrat John Kerry ‘s campaign. Rather joined CBS News President Andrew Heyward in issuing an apology Monday. “We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry,” Rather said. “It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.” He apologized to the viewers, but it never occurred to him to apologize to the target of the damaging and apparently false documents: President Bush. Almost immediately after the story aired Sept. 8, document experts questioned memos purportedly written by Bush’s late squadron leader, Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, saying they appeared to have been created on a computer and not on the kind of typewriter in use during the 1970s. CBS strongly defended its story. It wasn’t until a week later — after Killian’s former secretary said she believed the memos were fake — that the news division admitted they were questionable. Burkett admitted this weekend to CBS that he lied about obtaining the documents from another former National Guard member, the network said. CBS hasn’t been able to conclusively tell how he got them, or even definitely tell whether they’re fakes or not. But the network has given up trying to defend them. “Based on what we now know, CBS News cannot prove that the documents are authentic, which is the only acceptable journalistic standard to justify using them in the report,” Heyward said. “We should not have used them.” CBS said it approached Burkett initially about the documents. Rather said Burkett was well known in National Guard circles for several years for trying to discredit Bush’s military record. Burkett, in an interview with Rather aired on the “CBS Evening News,” said he was pressured by CBS to reveal his source for the documents, and “I simply threw out a name that was basically, I guess, to get a little pressure off for the moment.” He said he didn’t fake or forge any documents. “I didn’t totally mislead you,” he said. “I did mislead you about one individual.” Burkett said he also insisted that CBS authenticate the documents on its own. Two document experts later said they raised red flags that network officials apparently disregarded. Rather acknowledged CBS failed to properly determine whether the documents were genuine. Heyward told The Associated Press it was not clear what, if any, disciplinary action would be taken against CBS News employees. Besides tainting the network’s flagship broadcast, “60 Minutes,” the report was a damaging blow to Rather, 72. Some have suggested the scandal, along with the low ratings of the “CBS Evening News,” could hasten Rather’s retirement. For “60 Minutes,” it’s the biggest ethical mess since the 1995 incident captured in the movie “The Insider,” which depicted the newsmagazine caving to pressure from CBS lawyers and not airing a whistleblowing report from an ex-tobacco executive. White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the White House appreciated CBS’s expression of regret but that there were still serious questions about Burkett. “Bill Burkett, who CBS now says is their source, in fact is not an unimpeachable source as was previously claimed,” McLellan said. “Bill Burkett is a source who has been discredited and so this raises a lot of questions. There were media reports about Mr. Burkett having senior level contacts with the Kerry campaign.” Opponents found the strongest support from the government’s junior coalition liberal Free Democratic party (SZDSZ) who went a step further to publicly denounce the event calling it “an intolerable abomination” arguing that organizations or persons identifying themselves with fascism and the Arrow Cross has no place in today’s society. László Csőzik, Chairman of SZDSZ’s youth division “Új Generáció” (New Generation), said he will stage a counter-demonstration and termed MJCS’s ideology a “trash heap of history” while summoning political parties to isolate themselves from it. . László Salgó, outgoing National Police (ORFK) chief said that police have no legal authority to deny the commemoration, but added that illegal totalitarian rule insignia will not be permitted. Police will take immediate action action and measures to the “limits” of their legal power. “The police in future will not hide behind the excuse of having no clear laws,” said Salgó, He explained that ORFK is awaiting the Prosecutor’s Office ruling on whether the (modified) insignia used by MJCS used on giant posters to promote their event is illegal or not. Péter Bárándy, Minister of Justice, said that the current legal system does not ensure protection against the spread of offensive ideologies. He added that his ministry had attempt to find a constitution solution to the issue earlier this year which (under the name ‘hate speech law”) was accepted by parliament, but rejected by the Constitutional Court. The leadership of Terror House, said in a recent statement that they respect freedom of expression, but oppose MJCS’s idea of laying a wreath at the site. “Legally we can do anything if they do (lay a wreath), but we separate ourselves from their affair,” said Anna Schlett, press spokesperson for Terror Háza Múzeum. She said that several hundred thousands Hungarians fell victims to the Fascist and Communist regimes in Hungary. “Generally speaking not one family in Hungary has members or friends who did not suffered under one or both of these dictatorships.” ‘Intolerable Abomination’ Leads to Yellow Star THE Federation of Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) has pledged to don yellow stars to protest an October 15 Nazi commemoration in front of Budapest’s Terror Háza Múzeum (Terror House). The ultra-right wing group Magyar Jövő Csoport (MJCS - Hungary Future Group) is organizing an event to hail the 60th anniversary of the takeover by pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party leader Ferenc Szálasi. MAZSIHISZ President Gusztáv Zoltai, said he is shocked that this is allowed to happen in Hungary after the Nazi’s deported hundreds of thousand Jewish Hungarians to death camps. He called on the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic to also don yellow stars and object to the “intolerable situation”. Notice to the Readers Commemoration of the 48th Anniversary of the Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956 will take place on Sunday, October 24th at 2:30 p.m. in the Cardinal Mindszenty Square section of MacArthur Park, by the Freedom Fighters’ Memorial. All fellow Hungarians and all friends of Hungary are welcome to participate! V J September 24,2004, Q) MALÉV Hoping to Break Even IT would seem Hungarian national airlines MALFV this year has done more in eight months than it has in 14 years to attract passengers and investors. The company has just recently con-firmed that it continues to reduce losses in the hopes of breaking even in 2004, which is one of the criteria for obtaining a Ft3 billion ($15 million) subsidy, almost the size of its registered capital. The state privatization agency ÁPV last week finally announced the long-awaited privatization tender to sell as much as a 99.95% stake in MALÉV. ÁPV expects investors to swallow all of MALÉV’s accumulated Ft 36.2 billion ($181 million) debts but at the same time pay 90% of the purchase price in cash and 10% in the form of Compensation Coupons (at 174.2% of its nominal face value) within 30 days of signing a final contract. A well placed industry source claims that so far Austrian Airlines and China’s Hainan Airlines are the only serious investors interested. However, unconfirmed local press reports claim that the Air France-KLM group is also interested. The Budapest Sun in July broke the news that Austrian Airlines was in talks with MALÉV. This was at the time strongly denied by Ervin Nemes, Commercial Director and Deputy CEO of MALÉV. He called the news “kacsa” (implying utter nonsense) and then added that as far as he was concerned there was “nothing to talk about” concerning any partnerships or cooperation with Austrian Airlines. In the first half (HI) of 2004 MALÉV had an audited pre-tax loss of Ft 3.9 billion ($19.5 million), improvement of Ft 1.5 billion ($7.5 million) improvement from the HI of 2003. At the same time HI 2004 sales revenues increased 20% yearonyear to Ft59.4 billion ($297 million), exceeding the target by 6%. During the period MALÉV ‘s scheduled flights carried 22% more passengers than in the same period the previous year. MALÉV targets 3.1 million passengers this year of which 2.6 million are expected on scheduled flights and 500,000 via chartered flights. However, no matter how rosy a picture MALÉV paints, the industry source said that both Austrian Airlines and Hainan Airlines have now expressed that they are not interested in acquiring a share in MALÉV unless the state reconsiders its conditions for the tender. The source said, “No investor in their right mind will agree to the tender conditions announced by ÁPV and at the same time agree to inject a ‘substantial amount’ of capital into MALÉV.” October promises to be a time of strong turbulence for MALÉV, when the key decisions are again expected from the company, including reducing its management and cut further costs by another FtlOO- 150 million ($500,000-750,000). Ironically, while the state wants to privatize the company, MALÉV is bringing new strategic decisions single-handedly. Senior management tasks and a free hand to bring strategic decisions have been given to the company’s President-CEO. Some of the decisions now being made by MALÉV, like spinning off certain operations, promising a leaner and meaner business entity with bigger transparency, should have been made earlier or perhaps left for after the sale to MALÉV’s new shareholders. (The Budapest Sun) JUST MARRIED! Jay Hager and Katalin (Kat) Bedient in Las Vegas. “Elvis” was officiating and all their friends were cheering. Kat’s parents Julius and Susan Jancso were present, while Jay’s family is welcoming the newlyweds in West Virigina on their honeymoon. CONGRATULATIONS! AMERIKAI Magyar Hírlap
