The Big Spin and Matching Manipulation of the Media

President Traian Basescu is responsible for manipulating the media now, when alleged top terrorist Omar Hayssam vanished into thin air, as it was back in April 2005. Then Basescu said the kidnapping of the three journalists, allegedly masterminded by Hayssam, was shrouded in layer upon layer of manipulation targeted at the media.

When asked to name names, Basescu said then the authorities knew who the people responsible were, that they were people from both Romania and Iraq, and that their names would become public after the journalists were freed.

So, given Basescu’s promise and the serious situation in Iraq, the media kept its part of the deal and for the time of the journalists’ captivity no one hold Basescu accountable for his words.

Fast forward to 6 June 2005, when the journalists were safely back to Romania and Basescu held the press conference expected to provide the details of the kidnapping and rescue operation.

However, to everyone’s dismay, he failed to explain who intoxicated the media, as he had promised. Upon pressures from journalists, Basescu shocked with the statement that the media intoxicated itself, and turned the table asking the journalists to name names.

No member of the press seemed to react properly. I noticed the incredible scam Basescu was playing on the media, but I was shunned by my colleagues for having stated previously that the whole affair with kidnapping the journalists was staged by the Presidency.

If the media would have considered at least the idea, then it might have concluded, as I did, that Basescu was in no position to make public the names of those organizing the manipulation, because his opened the list.

As Basescu said in April 2005, the media was intoxicated to divert the public opinion from the real path to the truth.

Indeed that path led to an operation organized by the country’s intelligence service, having the blessing of the Presidency. The misleading path was to bring the people believe that Omar Hayssam was entirely responsible for the kidnapping.

The same mechanism is at work now, that Hayssam vanished into thin air. Since July 20, when his flee became an item of public knowledge, the media was constantly intoxicated with the same aim to divert public opinion from the real path to the truth.

The path to the truth now leads to the fact that Romania’s intelligence services organized Hayssam’s flee.

The misleading path would be that he managed to leave Romania due to a series of mishaps at various levels, in various state authorities.

Legally, the responsibility for letting Hayssam out of prison, and his subsequent flee from Romania, lies with the Penitentiaries’ Authority, with the Prosecutor’s General Office and with the Border Police.

The resignation of the directors for the three intelligence services focused the media on these offices responsibility for Hayssam’s flee, leaving out the above mentioned authorities.

Colluding with Basescu, and handing over their resignations, the three men became the main actors in a new diversionist game directed at the Presidential Palace in Cotroceni.