AP stands by Capt. Jamil Hussein

While the Iraqi Interior Ministry forms a special unit to monitor insurgent propaganda disguised as news, the Associated Press continues to defend Captain Jamil Hussein, their putatively authoritative source for any story that supports their "Iraq is burning" agenda.

In the same article linked above, AP digs in their heels:

His allegations were checked with the AP reporter, who had been in routine contact for more than two years with Hussein, in some cases sitting in his office in the Yarmouk police station in west Baghdad. Hussein wore a police uniform during the face-to-face meetings.

Hussein confirmed the burning story on three separate occasions. AP reporters also went to the neighborhood and found three witnesses to the immolations who told nearly identical stories. Since then more people in the neighborhood have told about the incident in a similar fashion. Pictures of the Mustafa mosque where the incident occurred show that it is badly damaged by explosives and shows signs of scorching from fire.

It would be incredibly simple for AP to clear this up once and for all by producing Capt. Hussein. Put him in front of a camera along with an Interior Ministry official who can vouch for him.

Why aren't they doing that? If they're worried about his safety, they can obscure his face. But as the best source of insurgent propaganda, I don't think he's got anything to worry about.