CBS’s Harry Smith Questions Authenticity Of U.S. Navy Hormuz Tape

January 10th, 2008 Posted By The Bashman.

Harry Smith?

Well, somebody had to step up and take Rosie’s place as Military Hating Conspiracy Theorist of the Big 4 Broadcasting airwaves.

From an article on Newsbusters by Kyle Drennen:

At the top of Thursday’s CBS “Early Show,” co-host Harry Smith questioned the authenticity of an audio tape of the confrontation between U.S. and Iranian ships on January 6:

We’re going to try to re — to deconstruct the Pentagon tapes just released of that hostile incident in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian speedboats taunting a U.S. ship. A tape the Iranians are calling a hoax. There’s something strange about the audio.

In the later segment on the issue, Smith talked to international security expert, Jeff McCausland, and again wondered if the Iranian hoax accusation had merit:

Iranian officials are calling this video a hoax, saying those voices sounded like they were recorded someplace else…As you have looked at this tape, listened to — especially the English coming from the Iranians, does it ring authentic to you? Does it seem real?

Here is the transcript of the interview with an int’l security expert:

HARRY SMITH: We’re going to try to re — to deconstruct the Pentagon tapes just released of that hostile incident in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian speedboats taunting a U.S. ship. A tape the Iranians are calling a hoax. There’s something strange about the audio.

UNIDENTIFIED IRANIAN SAILOR: I am coming to you.

SMITH: That is just ahead.

7:09AM SEGMENT:

HARRY SMITH: There are new developments and building tensions in an encounter between U.S. naval ships and Iranian speedboats. The Pentagon has now released video of the incident that happened Sunday. Three U.S. warships were passing through the Strait of Hormuz when five small Iranian boats sped toward them, dropping unidentified white boxes in the water. The Pentagon says there was this warning from the Iranian boat.

UNIDENTIFIED IRANIAN SAILOR: I am coming to you. You will explode in a couple minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED AMERICAN SAILOR: He says you will explode after a few minutes.

SMITH: Iranian officials are calling this video a hoax, saying those voices sounded like they were recorded someplace else. Jeff McCausland is a former U.S. Army colonel and international security affairs expert who has spent a lot of time in the Middle East, he’s also visiting professor at the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. Good morning, sir.

JEFF MCCAUSLAND: Good morning to you sir.

SMITH: As you have looked at this tape, listened to — especially the English coming from the Iranians, does it ring authentic to you? Does it seem real?

MCCAUSLAND: Well, it’s possibly real, Harry, but, of course, this whole incident lasted about 20 minutes. And the only thing we see in the Iranian video is frankly how close these particular Iranian ships were operating to the U.S. Navy vessels. And second of all, it seems to underscore the fact that the U.S. Navy ships were in fact operating in international waters, something so far, at least, the Iranians have not disputed.

SMITH: Right. The thing is though, you hear this Iranian voice saying basically ‘we’re coming to get you, we’re going to blow you up.’ You don’t hear the sound of the — of the motors on the boats. You don’t hear the wind — the boats look like they’re going at least 20 knots. Could it have been broadcast from someplace else? And — and if you’re on the deck of a ship like this and this comes in, how do you determine if it’s real or not?

MCCAUSLAND: Well, in terms of the allegation by the Iranians that the Navy fabricated their particular video, I think we have to understand to begin with, that would be obviously illegal. I think furthermore, we’ve got to think about is who would benefit from ratcheting up tensions right now in the Gulf. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks and months, there’s been some attempts, by the United States at least, to reduce tensions. In Iran there has been periodically attempts to ratchet up tensions largely, I think, to benefit them internally and politically.

SMITH: Jeff McCausland, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us today.

MCCAUSLAND: My pleasure.


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16 Responses

  1. drillanwr

    Obviously Harry Smith was a gem of a boy child and NEVER poked a stick at a hornet next …

    Let’s see … FAKING this would benefit us how?

    The President had already had publicly televised verbal threats made on his life before leaving for the Middle East …

    Yes, Harry, I see what you mean. Provoking some fooking jihadi puke in Israel while Bush was there would have been something we might just have planned while riding in one of those black chopper …

    These people either need to use their damn brains … or donate them to Sea World for fish food.

  2. dad3-7

    more dan rather journalism,, anything to change the facts is ok as long as the goal is to destroy our military and its goals of PEACE..the enemy is where????

  3. Dan (The Infidel)

    Deconstruct? WTF is that? This moron needs new glasses and a fooking hearing aide. No wait, he needs a brain…

    No wonder people don’t take the LLMSM seriously anymore. This guy is a perfect example of libistan dipshitism in action.

    What does CBS stand for anymore? Crappy Broadcast & Shit.

    Hey Harry, go F*uck yourself.

  4. shortfuse

    This dumbshit Harry is as off base as the Harry asshole from Nevada. But they both are intent on giving our MILITARY HEROES a bag of shit no matter how much information they have. This poor excuse for a journalist will soon go the way of his lost love Couricstan–the sooner the better for both of them.
    CBS needs to just fold up the tent and sneak away into the night. They no longer hold any relevance for anyone.

  5. Caligula

    you’d think he thought Iran was the good guys…

    what would it take to make being a dumbshit liberal illegal?

    can’t we pass a law or something making it illegal to even hit at anything that might be construed as unpatriotic?

    or better yet… make it illegal to be a democrat!!! :) that would send the lefties for a loop!!!! :wink:

  6. Steve in NC

    What goes through this f*ckers head? Yea, let’s do a segment questioning our own military and giving the iranians support in their propaganda.

    CBS, yea there’s a beacon of truth.

    Why not call on Dan Rather for some documentary proof, or maybe have the 60 minutes crew do some creative editing for you Harry, you piece of shit

    Question I have, is who is watching this except prisoners and mental patients who are not allowed remotes?

  7. CBL

    Anyone that gives the Iranians the benefit of the doubt over our own Navy is an asshole, bottom line. I think McCausland made the best point when he said, “I think furthermore, we’ve got to think about is who would benefit from ratcheting up tensions right now in the Gulf. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks and months, there’s been some attempts, by the United States at least, to reduce tensions. In Iran there has been periodically attempts to ratchet up tensions largely, I think, to benefit them internally and politically.” Makes perfect sense to me.

  8. Michael Peters

    Allegations like this need to be take seriously. It’s not that we should believe Iranian officials over our military. It’s about being open and transparent. If these accusations about it being faked are proved publicly to be false, how will that affect American opinion and confidence.

    As a side note, the US has faked incidents before in order to escalate a war.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080108/pl_afp/usvietnamintelligence512
    The NSA is now saying we did it in Vietnam.

  9. CJW

    That’s no way to increase your feeble viewership.

    So Harry Smith thinks the U.S. Navy is a bunch of liars. But I bet he supports the troops.

    At each of the next debates for both parties, they should ask each candidate to offer their thoughts on the veracity of the video and audio from this episode.

  10. Lamplighter

    Michael Peters, join Harry Smith as a chome plated idiot. I believe the US Navy and the US sailors who alleged what happened before I believe you and your Iranian compatriots.

  11. Richard Quinn

    @ Mr. Peters - You have the right last name

  12. Steve in NC

    @ Michael Peters

    “Allegations like this need to be take seriously”

    Mr. Peters, I hear you fucked your neighbors dog.

    Prove me wrong.

  13. A. S. Wise- VA

    Yet another reason why these news outlets must be frowned on.
    Big surprise, they want to believe that documents serving their agenda are authentic (i.e. those fabricated Bush Air National Guard documents), but those that don’t, they are skeptical of. No wonder journalists are one of the most least-respected professions.

  14. Trindam

    Mr. Peters, you may want to think about what you use as comparisons next time.

    For one, we were already at war in that instance. We are not at war with Iran (technically) right now, and with everything else going on it would be be beneficial for us to do so right now.

    Before you go making comparisons to backup your claims think about the situations and make sure they fit.

    Also, I do agree we need to look into things like this. We do not want to be a bunch of automitons that just do as our government says without question, but when our military is releasing video that clearly shows more than the Iranians…. Come on. Not to mention look at the who we are talking about.

    Go back and read your Anarchist cook book and watch another Chomsky interview.

  15. Trindam

    Oops, I meant to say in the previous post that it wouldn’t be beneficial for us right now.

  16. Goodbye Natalie

    Harry Smith and William Arkin must be blood brothers…First mercenaries, now liars - the entire crew. Surely there’s a libbie on deck who will spill the beans about America’s treacherous ways.

    NO BLOOD FOR OIL!

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