LAT reports on Iraq

In a piece on the front page of today's LAT labeled a "report," reporter Julian Barnes claims to have interviewed "military officers," "advisers," "analysts" and "outside experts" concerning progress in Iraq but he doesn't name them. He doesn't say why not. Without knowing who these people are and what positions they hold, it's impossible to know how much credence to give to what they supposedly said.

Barnes goes on to quote Defense Secretary Gates and Frederick W. Kagan and Stephen Biddle, both think tank scholars. These quotes add substance to the piece. Without them, the piece would have no substance (it's basically speculation anyhow) and would be pointless aside from the political impact it might have on readers who don't read critically.