Press Corpse: Indian Trackers' Afghan Adventure

We're starting a new feature in the DANGER ROOM. Press Corpse is an occasional look at the worst media shenanigans in the worlds of technology and national security. Think blowhard, blabbermouth punditry. Dictation and press releases, masking as real reportage. Science stories that can't tell a quark from a quail. "Strategy" from dudes who can barely navigate their way out of their mom's basement. (Who knows, maybe we'll even bust ourselves, when we get stuff wrong.) Anyway, send in your Press Corpse candidates here, or leave a comment below.

The story seems almost too cinematic to be true. Since the early 70's, a small, elite group of Indian trackers has been patrolling the American border, under the auspices of the federal government. Now, that unit -- the Shadow Wolves -- is "joining the hunt for terrorists crossing Afghanistan’s borders," according to the London Times.

But before we start getting the agents and the managers involved, let's dig just a wee bit.

The Times article -- which inspired a slew of copycat pieces, around the world -- doesn't offer much in the way of proof. It only notes that "some military experts want the Shadow Wolves to help to track down Bin Laden" and that "the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan...has prompted the Pentagon to requisition them." According to who?

Robert M Gates, the US defence secretary, said last month: “If I were Osama
Bin Laden, I’d keep looking over my shoulder.”*

Woah! The SECDEF himself talked about this? Really? Let's check the quote in its original context -- a February 15th "media roundtable" -- to see what exactly this has to the with the Shadow Wolves.

• Q: Mr.
  Secretary, the president today gave a major speech about Afghanistan and the war there and in Pakistan. General Eikenberry, of course, has just now said that the -- a couple of days ago that the trail for Osama bin Laden has gone cold. The president gave this speech today. He never mentioned the hunt for Osama bin Laden. At your confirmation hearing, you said you had not yet been briefed on the hunt for bin Laden. ** ** But now that you've been to Pakistan, did you discuss with President Musharraf anything about the hunt for bin Laden? What can you now tell us, assuming now that you have been briefed on the hunt for bin Laden? Nobody talks about him anymore. What's going on? ** ** SEC. GATES: Well,
  I'm not going to get into the specifics of what I discussed with
  President Musharraf. But I guess I'd put it this way: If I were Osama bin Laden, I'd keep looking over my shoulder. ** ** Q : General Eikenberry, sir, says that the trail has gone cold. ** ** SEC. GATES: I stand by what I said.*

Hold on... There's no mention of Indian trackers here at all. That quote was just thrown in, to beef up an otherwise meatless story. A major journalistic foul, in other words. Maybe this was all cued off of a New York Times piece from last week, which noted that "the Departments of State and
Defense have arranged for the Shadow Wolves to train border guards in other countries, including some central to the fight against terrorism.
Several officers are going to train border police in Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan, which border Afghanistan, and in several other countries."

But wow, is that a far jump from the London Times' screamer of a story. Looks like we've got ourselves our first candidate for the Press Corpse.

(High five: On Point)