The indispensable Brett Stephens was in the room with Jordan. He offers what some may consider a too “even-handed” account of the comments and the reaction. But I find it all the more damning for Jordan that way. Read the whole thing — it’s brief. But the essential point I took away was that Jordan was perfectly happy to leave the impression in the minds of the world’s elite that Coalition (read American) forces were deliberately targeting [American journalists]. That’s what people would have been left thinking had not Barney Frank (good for him) not pressed him to back up the statement. As Stephens says, Eason was spreading an innuendo not an allegation. He was playing to his audience and he said something that they — and no doubt he — thought was perfectly plausible on its face. Of course, he didn’t really think it was true. For if he did, he would have put a reporter on it.
Update: Woops! the part in brackets above originally said “US troops.” Obviously I meant journalists. Sorry, wish someone had corrected me earlier.