It seems that the media are hasty in reporting bad news when it regards works of the Bush administration. From Reuters via MSNBC:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday he was almost certain a U.S. airstrike which killed 18 Pakistani villagers near the Afghan border last month also killed five al—Qaida militants.

'Investigations have proved that five foreign terrorists, some of whom were very important, were also killed in that strike,' Musharraf said. [snip]

intelligence sources told Reuters the U.S. operation received high level clearance from Islamabad, and Pakistan's own secret service provided the CIA with vital information.

'Investigations have proved that five foreign terrorists, some of whom were very important, were also killed in that strike,' Musharraf said.

'I am not 200 percent sure but am 95 percent sure that some foreign terrorists were there.' 

Let's see how much coverage this gets from a press that gave wide coverage to the story that this was a failed attack which killed only innocent villagers and enraged Pakistanis and published a demonstrably fake photo to underscore their point.

Clarice Feldman   2 11 06